Panthers leaders, legends inducted into Lo-Ma Hall of Fame
Second annual Hall of Fame banquet set for Oct. 4
By Matt Gengler, Sports Editor
sports@missourivalleytimes.com
The 2025 Logan-Magnolia Hall of Fame banquet will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Calvary Falls Event Center beginning at 6 p.m.
Three individuals, a historic wrestling team, and a key contributor to Panthers success are among the group of inductees. The community is invited to attend the weekend long celebration.
Shown below is a brief summary of the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees.
KEAY FAMILY / PERFECTION LEARNING
The Perfection Form Company, began in 1926 with ten dollars, a small amount of borrowed money, and a dream. William Keay, Superintendent of Logan Public Schools, saw a need for forms, blanks, report cards, and attendance forms. By 1929, the product line included school forms, tests on English classics, and math exams.
Clint, a 1947 graduate of Lo-Ma, moved back to Logan to lead the business in 1962. Perfection became a major supplier of paperback books to schools and expanded English and literature product lines. The Keay family remained active in the Logan community, purchasing and donating the land from the old high school and elementary buildings back to the town for the community center and later a site for a new community pool, building the Boyer View apartments, and helping start Iowa Western Community College.
By 1991, the company outgrew its corporate name, and changed it to Perfection Learning. In 1997, Steve Keay, a Lo-Ma graduate, moved from Chicago with his family to lead the company. Over the past three decades, the company expanded into national prominence, providing its award-winning digital and print programs to millions of students and teachers each year across the nation and the globe. Through their 100 years of service, the Keay family maintained a commitment to the communities of Logan and Magnolia.
2011 HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TEAM
The iconic 2011 Logan-Magnolia wrestling team is the only Panther team to win State Titles in both the traditional individual state (Des Moines) and state team duals (Cedar Rapids) tournaments.
At the Traditional Tournament in Des Moines, they sent 10 qualifiers, finished with eight state placewinners, allowing Lo-Ma to capture the Class 1A State Title, without having an individual champion.
Lo-Ma ended perennial Class 1A State Power, Don Bosco, consecutive state title winning streak that year at both tournaments. Lo-Ma ended Don Bosco’s streak of five consecutive traditional state team titles in Des Moines. The following week at the State Team Duals, second-seeded Logan Magnolia edged top-seeded Don Bosco, 28-27, to win the Class 1A team dual title, finishing with a perfect 32-0 dual record. The Panthers' victory snapped the Dons streak of six straight team dual state titles.
Lo-Ma’s Coach Kent Kersten (HOF, 2024) 2011 team set the bar for all other Panther Wrestling teams.
Uel F. ‘Bob’ Evans
Uel Franklin “Bob” Evans arrived in Logan during the fall of 1925, and coached the high school gridders for 32 seasons.
Coach Evans won 74 games, lost 9, and tied 8 during its golden years of athletics in the 1930’s. From late 1935 until early 1939, Logan went through 35 games without a defeat, averaging more than 15 points per game, while holding opponents to four points per game.
He was also the coach at Logan for the infamous “barefoot football team” that originated in the early 1930s. The team finished a snow-filled game without shoes. This tactic was used in order to gain the necessary traction to score a game-winning touchdown in the last minute against county rival, Woodbine.
Although his football teams were feared, Evan’s team also compiled a formidable
basketball record. In the 1935-1936 season, his team went 27-1, bowing to Mason City in the final seconds of the State Tournament quarter finals, losing 21-19. Coach Evans was instrumental in having girls’ basketball added to the sports program at Logan.
Logan didn’t have a more popular citizen, and in 1961 the Logan Athletic Field was named after Bob. In 1972, he was named to the Iowa High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Gene Esser
Gene Esser taught, coached at Logan-Magnolia for numerous years. Esser served as assistant high school wrestling coach, and junior high coach for 36 years.
He was the assistant football coach for five years, before taking over in the fall of 1989. In his first year, Lo-Ma went undefeated in the regular season, won the Boyer Valley Conference, and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in school history, where they finished as the Class 1A State Runner-Up. The following year, his team went undefeated again, and went on to win the 1990 Class A State Championship, the first state title in any sport at Logan-Magnolia.
In track and field, Coach Esser was the junior high track coach and high school boys coach for many years, but moved to coaching girls track in 2002 because he had three daughters. He had many outstanding athletes, including individual and relay teams win at both the High School State Meet and Drake Relay Championships. Coach Esser’s track teams won nine district titles, two state runner-up titles and won two state championship (Class 1A, 2009; Class 2A, 2011).
Coach Esser retired from coaching in 2024, wrapping up a brilliant 45 year coaching career.
Patricia Diggins
The career span of Pat Diggins has lasted 38 years here at Logan-Magnolia. She taught thousands of students in a variety of subjects, but her impact has continued on for years after her retirement in 2017. The Mount Marty graduate and Logan-Magnolia (Class of 1970) Alum started at her alma mater in the fall of 1979 and continues to offer her services as a substitute teacher.
Ms. Diggins developed lifelong friendships with coworkers and former students, many of whom still consider her their “favorite teacher” still today. At the time of her induction, she is a former teacher to four of the five school board members, the 6-12 principal, and the superintendent. She helped establish a culture of educational excellence and compassionate leadership that many others have emulated.
Ms. Diggins parents stressed the importance of education, and she graciously gave her time to the students. She was able to see her own three children graduate, along with so many others who benefited from her unwavering support. Ms. Diggins stated her proudest achievement was starting the Veterans Day Program and letter writing campaign for veterans, a program that is still in operation today.
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2025 Lo-Ma Panther Dome Planner
Dates & Times to Remember
Friday, Oct. 3, 2025
1:45 p.m.: 2025 Homecoming Coronation
doors to Panther Dome open at 1:30 p.m.
7 p.m., Bob Evans Sports Complex, Homecoming Football game
IKM-Manning vs. Logan-Magnolia
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025
9 a.m. -- Ribbon Cutting ceremony
9 – 11 a.m.: Panther Dome & School Tours
(check in at Panther Dome Lobby)
6 p.m.: 2025 Alumni Celebration / Hall of Fame Banquet
Calvary Falls Event Center, 2697 Niagara Trail, Logan
