City Basketball, 1952

Philadelphia

Scholastic Basketball, 1952

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City Title

At the

Palestra | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

West

Catholic 57, Franklin 46 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Through the first three quarters, West coach Jim Usilton Jr. divided the playing time

evenly between two, five-man platoons. Joe Sturgis wound up with 11 points while Jim Smith, Walt Maxwell and Charles Singley had

10 apiece; it was the first time in City Title history four teammates reached double figures. Marty Milligan was a passing

wizard. For Franklin, Claude Gross scored 18 points and Bill Nelson (Bartram '44) became the first City Title player to

return to the game as a coach.

Public League

Playoffs

QUARTERFINALS

Doubleheader at the Palestra

Franklin 64, West 45

Claude Gross scored 23 points as Franklin coasted.

Lincoln 51, Overbrook 44

Clarence “Bud” Houck scored 22 points for playoff newcomer

Lincoln, which dominated the second half, 28-14. Hal Lear had 16 for ’Brook.

Doubleheader at Lincoln

Southern 42, Central 39

After waiving four fouls in 27 seconds, Southern scored the clinching

basket with 0:50 left as Ralph Lauria (13 points) raced in for a layup.

Northeast 59, Frankford 45

Jim Parker (20 points) and Joe Belmont (14) led Northeast. Ed Dobisch and

Al Booth scored 13 each for Frankford.

SEMIFINALS

Doubleheader at the Palestra

Franklin 48, Northeast 47

Devonne Muchison picked off a deflected pass with 14 seconds left and

drove in for the winning layup; it was his only score of the game. Seconds earlier, Joe

Belmont (17 points) had scored for Northeast after victimizing Muchison for a steal.

Franklin’s Claude Gross had 19 points. Northeast’s Guy Rodgers had 10.

Lincoln 64, Southern 47

Clarence “Bud” Houck scored 26 points — breaking the PL

postseason record of 25 set by Overbrook’s Jackie Moore in ’49 and Franklin’s

John Chaney in ’51 — as Lincoln rolled. Ed Givnish added 19 points. Lincoln had

four starters 6-3 or taller. Southern had no starter taller than 5-10.

FINAL

At the Palestra

Franklin 49, Lincoln 47

Led by Bill Matthews (15 points), Claude Gross (13) and Dick Chaney (10),

Franklin held on to win its first championship under rookie coach Bill Nelson despite

blowing all but two points of the 16-point lead it owned after three quarters. Clarence

"Bud" Houck (14) and Ed Givnish (12) led Lincoln. Lincoln coach Sam Browne had

coached Franklin to the PL final in 1951.

Standings

SECTION 1 | |

Southern | 7 | 2

Franklin | 6 | 3

Bok | 5 | 4

Bartram | 4 | 5

SECTION 2 | |

West Phila. | 8 | 1

Overbrook | 5 | 4

Dobbins | 2 | 7

Roxborough | 1 | 8

SECTION 3 | |

Northeast | 8 | 1

Central | 7 | 2

Gratz | 2 | 7

Germantown | 0 | 9

SECTION 4 | |

Lincoln | 5 | 4

Frankford | 5 | 4

Mastbaum | 4 | 5

Olney | 3 | 6

Coaches' All-Public

FIRST

TEAM | | | |

Joe Belmont | NE | 9 | 206 | 22.9

Hal Lear | Ovb | 9 | 161 | 17.9

Jay Norman | Mast | 9 | 160 | 17.8

Ron Mitz | West | 9 | 152 | 16.4

Claude Gross | Fkn | 9 | 154 | 17.1

SECOND

TEAM | | | |

Clifford Noble | Bok | 9 | 144 | 16.0

Irvin

"Bo" Roberson | Bart | 9 | 158 | 17.6

Phil DiNardo | Sou | 5 | 82 | 16.4

James Parker | NE | 9 | 126 | 14.0

Ed Givnish | Linc | 9 | 137 | 15.2

Ralph Lauria | Sou | 9 | 114 | 12.7

Champs' Rotation

FRANKLIN

Coach

Bill Nelson

Record

6-3, 11-8

Starters

Claude Gross

Pete Henderson

Devonne

Muchison

Dick Chaney

Bill Matthews

Key

Subs

Don Hill

Bill McCoy

Catholic League

Playoffs

SEMIFINAL

Doubleheader at the Palestra

West 76, St. James 49

Ed Williams (19), Joe Sturgis (18), Charles Singley (17) and Walt Maxwell (15)

led the assault as the Burrs set a CL postseason record for points. Bill Lynch (26) led

St. James.

ST More 50, La Salle 38

John ‘‘Misty’’ Fannon packed 16 of his 19 points into a

29-19 first half. Joe Pastore added 12 points.

FINAL

At the Palestra

West 50, ST More 46 (ot)

With 8,000 looking on, the Burrs gained revenge for 1951's title-game loss and

ended More's 26-game winning streak. Ed Williams (13), Walt Maxwell (12), sub Jim Smith

(11) and Joe Sturgis (10) led the way. Sturgis and Smith split the first four points in

overtime, which was forced by Al Juliana's layup for More (John "Misty" Fannon

16).

Standings

ST More | 14 | 0

West | 12 | 2

La Salle | 8 | 6

St. James | 7 | 7

South | 5 | 9

North | 4 | 10

Roman | 4 | 10

SJ Prep | 2 | 12

Coaches' All-Catholic

FIRST

TEAM | | | |

Bill Lynch | St. J | 14 | 352 | 25.1

John

"Misty" Fannon | More | 14 | 245 | 17.5

Al Juliana | More | 14 | 250 | 17.9

Joe Sturgis | West | 14 | 198 | 14.1

Walt Maxwell | West | 14 | 165 | 11.8

SECOND

TEAM | | | |

Paul Hynes | Prep | 14 | 188 | 13.4

Harry Bense | La S | 14 | 100 | 7.1

Tom Short | North | 13 | 137 | 10.5

Jim Maloney | Roman | 14 | 180 | 12.9

Marty Milligan | West | 14 | 118 | 8.4

Tom Derago | La S | 12 | 109 | 9.1

Champs' Rotation

WEST

Coach

Jim Usilton Jr.

Record

11-3, 20-3

Starters

Joe Sturgis

Marty Milligan

Walt Maxwell

Ed Williams

Charles Singley

Key

Subs

Jim Smith

Bill Lindsay

Mike McGinn

Don Haley

Joe Gardler

Inter-Ac League

Penn Charter (8-2)

The clincher came in Game No. 8, a 44-43 overtime decisioning of host

Malvern. Drew Schaufler (15), Colson Hillier (12) and Ed Sipler (11) scored in double

figures and Hillier made a free throw with 0:04 left in overtime to win it. The win left

the Quakers at 8-0, but they closed with two losses. Malvern took second (7-3).

Standings

Penn Charter | 8 | 2

Malvern | 7 | 3

Haverford Sch. | 6 | 4

Fds. Central | 4 | 6

Episcopal | 3 | 7

Gtn. Academy | 2 | 8

Coaches' All-Inter-Ac

FIRST

TEAM |

Joe Huver | MP

Bob Buckley | FC

Drew Schaufler | PC

Ed Silverie | HS

Barry Plotts | EA

Charles Zoll | GA

SECOND

TEAM |

Tom Collins | MP

Ed Sipler | PC

Wayne Rayfield | FC

Joe Missett | MP

Ken Clark | EA

Dan Little | GA

Champs' Rotation

PENN

CHARTER

Coach

Duke Taylor

Record

8-2

Starters

Drew Schaufler

Ed Sipler

John Balsom

Anthony Fowkes

Colson Hillier

Key

Subs

Jerry Burns

Tom Joyce