Scholastic Basketball, 1953
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City Title
At the
Palestra | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
West
Catholic 54, Overbrook 42 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Before 8,461 fans (4,000 were turned away), West Catholic held 6-11 Wilt Chamberlain to 29
points by surrounding him at all times with four defenders. Chamberlain shot 9-for-25 from the floor and 11-for-19
at the line. Bill Lindsay played the "floater" in West's defense and also scored a game-record 32 points, shooting
12-for-13 and 8-for-11.
Public League
Playoffs
PRE-PLAYOFF
At Sayre Jr. High
Franklin 46, Bok 41
Bill Jackson (13), Ron Gee (12) and Devonne Muchison (10) led Franklin
while Ron Jones (10) topped Bok.
QUARTERFINALS
At Temple’s South Hall
Northeast 74, Frankford 51
Guy Rodgers paced the easy win with 32 points. Chuck Huebner scored 20
points for Frankford.
Doubleheader at the Palestra
Bartram 52, West 49
Irvin “Bo” Roberson poured in 26 points and shot 12-for-14 from
the line. Joe Howell scored 19 points for West, which squandered a 21-14 halftime lead.
Lincoln 69, Central 45
Clarence “Bud” Houck and Ed Givnish led the rout with 26 and 21
points, respectively, as Lincoln ran its record to 19-0.
At SJ Prep
Overbrook 73, Franklin 47
Wilt Chamberlain scored 24 points and Stan Guralnick (20) posted the
Panthers’ first eight points. Franklin had won the teams’ regular-season
meeting, 76-74, before losing three stars to mid-year graduations. Devonne Muchison scored
22 points.
SEMIFINALS
Doubleheader at the Palestra
Overbrook 72, Lincoln 56
Wilt Chamberlain set a PL postseason record with 35 points, nine better
than the 26 scored by Lincoln’s Clarence “Bud” Houck in 1952 and again in
the ’53 quarterfinals. In one sequence, Chamberlain blocked four successive shots.
George Hagopian (19) and Houck (17) led Lincoln.
Northeast 74, Bartram 61
Wilt Chamberlain had the record all to himself only until the second game,
when Northeast’s Guy Rodgers also scored 35 points. Irvin “Bo” Roberson
(22) led Bartram, which shot 29-for-58 at the line.
FINAL
At the Palestra
Overbrook 71, Northeast 62
Wilt Chamberlain shot 12-for-29 and 10-for-15 for 34 points as 'Brook won its
fourth title in six years. The Hilltoppers shot 29-for-50 at the line and all five
Northeast starters fouled out. Guy Rodgers led Northeast with 26 points and at one point
made five consecutive baskets.
Standings
SECTION 1 | |
Bartram | 9 | 3
Franklin | 6 | 6
Bok | 6 | 6
Southern | 3 | 9
SECTION 2 | |
Overbrook | 11 | 1
West Phila. | 8 | 4
Dobbins | 4 | 8
Roxborough | 3 | 9
SECTION 3 | |
Northeast | 12 | 0
Central | 7 | 5
Gratz | 6 | 6
Germantown | 2 | 10
SECTION 4 | |
Lincoln | 12 | 0
Frankford | 4 | 8
Olney | 3 | 9
Mastbaum | 0 | 12
Coaches' All-Public
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Guy Rodgers | NE | 12 | 417 | 34.8
Clarence
"Bud" Houck | Linc | 12 | 278 | 23.2
Wilt
Chamberlain | Ovb | 12 | 389 | 32.4
Irvin
"Bo" Roberson | Bart | 12 | 342 | 28.5
Gerry Smith | West | 12 | 220 | 18.3
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Ed Givnish | Linc | 11 | 175 | 15.9
Chuck Morrow | Cent | 12 | 154 | 12.8
Mel Sharpe | Dobb | 12 | 257 | 21.4
Chuck Huebner | Fkd | 12 | 256 | 21.3
Joe Howell | West | 12 | 174 | 14.5
Champs' Rotation
OVERBROOK
Coach
Sam Cozen
Record
11-1, 21-2
Starters
Wilt
Chamberlain
Marv Cravetz
Lou Sadler
Stan Guralnick
Doug Leaman
Key
Subs
Charlie Brahin
Ira Davis
Jim Sadler
Catholic League
Playoffs
SEMIFINALS
Doubleheader at the Palestra
West 59, South 33
Bill Lindsay scored 19 points to pace the rout. Bob Devine added 10 points.
South put no one in double figures.
La Salle 61, North 51
Tom Derago (16), Mike Schlacter (15) and Sid Kraemer (14) paced La Salle. Jim
Tanney topped North with 12 points.
FINAL
At the Palestra
West 53, La Salle 52
Bill Lindsay scored 16 points while Bob Devine (12) and John McNicholas
(11) aided the cause. La Salle (Tom Derago 21) missed four consecutive shots when it faced
a 52-50 deficit and then Lindsay added a clinching free throw.
Standings
West | 13 | 1
South | 9 | 5
La Salle | 9 | 5
North | 8 | 6
SJ Prep | 6 | 8
ST More | 5 | 9
St. James | 4 | 10
Roman | 2 | 12
Coaches' All-Catholic
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Bill Lindsay | West | 14 | 244 | 17.4
Tom Short | North | 14 | 217 | 15.5
Joe Ryan | Prep | 14 | 255 | 18.2
Tom Henderson | South | 13 | 178 | 13.7
Don Cannon | More | 14 | 228 | 16.3
Tom Derago | La S | 13 | 197 | 15.2
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Sid Kraemer | La S | 14 | 198 | 14.1
Bob McNelis | St. J | 14 | 169 | 12.1
Jim Tanney | North | 13 | 156 | 12.0
Joe Gardler | West | 14 | 151 | 10.8
Drew Denmead | West | 11 | 94 | 8.5
Champs' Rotation
WEST
Coach
Jim Usilton Jr.
Record
13-1, 24-2
Starters
Bill Lindsay
Joe Gardler
Drew Denmead
Bob Devine
John McNicholas
Key
Subs
John Rowan
Charlie
Eltringham
Joe Gallo
Inter-Ac League
Penn Charter (10-0)
Idle Penn Charter, already 8-0, clinched the championship -- the 15th in
23 seasons for coach Samuel "Duke" Taylor — as second-place Haverford
School fell to 5-3 in a 43-38 loss to Friends’ Central. The Quakers closed with a
56-48 triumph over visiting Friends’ Central as Drew Schaufler (16), Paul Hynes and
Charles "Chukker" McIlvaine (13 apiece) starred. McIlvaine had been an alternate
with the 1952 Olympic rowing team. Haverford was runner-up (7-3).
Standings
Penn Charter | 10 | 0
Haverford Sch. | 7 | 3
Fds. Central | 5 | 5
Gtn. Academy | 4 | 6
Episcopal | 3 | 7
Malvern | 1 | 9
Coaches' All-Inter-Ac
FIRST
TEAM |
Joe Missett | MP
Bob Buckley | FC
Drew Schaufler | PC
Paul Hynes | PC
Ken Clark | EA
SECOND
TEAM |
Jim Raugh | HS
Charles Price | GA
Bill O'Brien | FC
Sam Niness | EA
John Granozio | GA
Richard Smith | HS
Champs' Rotation
PENN
CHARTER
Coach
Duke Taylor
Record
10-0, 18-3
Starters
Drew Schaufler
Paul Hynes
Charles
McIlvaine
Bob Meyer
Richie Kohler
Key
Subs
Ed Maier
Bart Hanlon
Tom Joyce
Author
Published
March 5, 2026
Updated
March 5, 2026
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