The legend of Chick Nowling, Nevada basketball and loose records
By David Hudson with Joe VanHoose
Charles “Chick” Nowling enrolled as a sophomore at Tonopah High School in the fall of 1931. The new kid in Tonopah, Nevada was probably nervous, but he’d come to town to play basketball for coach Henry Couts, who just happened to be Chick’s uncle and acting guardian.
An easy-going, handsome kid, Chick quickly fell in with the other students – having access to an automobile certainly didn’t hurt his prospects on the social scene. On the basketball court, Chick really excelled. Skillful with the ball and a natural leader on the floor, Chick’s gifts endeared him to his teammates, his school and his newfound state.
Living with Couts, Chick was thriving.
But here’s the first thing you need to know about Chick: he and Henry Couts were not related.