Coach “Skip” LaRue came to Stivers from Mason High School in 1942. He coached basketball, football, and track until 1957. Skipper led his basketball teams to the City Championships in 1943, 1947, 1951, and 1953. Stivers shared that title with Chaminade in 1944 and was runner-up to them in 1945 and 1946 but the Tigers regained City Champs in 1947.
That team won the Springfield Christmas Tournament in 1947. Coach LaRue had 3 daughters, Joan LaRue of Long Beach CA, Jackie LaRue Sparks of Portland, OR and Jean LaRue DeHaven of Rochester, NY.
Coach LaRue died in 1966 at the age of 61.