 In 1957, the 6 feet, 4 inch Tidwell was the tallest player and the high scorer for the Herrin High School team that won the Illinois state basketball championship.Herrin defeated Elgin in the quarter-finals, Quincy Notre Dame in the semi-finals, and Collinsville in the championship game.The 1957 state championship was considered a great feat because Herrin was a relatively small city, and Illinois had only one class in basketball.