Scholastic Basketball, 1954
---
City Title
At the
Palestra | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Overbrook
74, South Catholic 50 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Wilt Chamberlain scored 32 points to tie the game record set in '53 by West Catholic's
Bill Lindsay. Jim Sadler added 17 points. 'Brook completed a 20-0 season and became the first PL winner since Bartram in
'44. Fred Giordano led South with 11 points.
Public League
Playoffs
SEMIFINALS Doubleheader at the Palestra Overbrook 74, West 55 Wilt Chamberlain poured in 41 points — most in PL playoff history
— as ’Brook coasted. He outscored West in the first half, 22-20. Joe Howell
scored 18 points for West. Northeast 57, Bok 45 Don Davis (18 points) and Jim “Tee” Parham (14) paced the
winners. Joe Keegan (12) led Bok, a first-time playoff entrant. FINAL At the Palestra Overbrook 60, Northeast 46 Wilt Chamberlain scored all 13 of Overbrook's first-quarter points and finished
with 40. No one else scored more than six. William "Sonny" Hill led Northeast
with 11 points.
Standings
Overbrook | 12 | 0
Northeast | 11 | 1
West Phila. | 10 | 2
Bok | 10 | 2
Olney | 8 | 4
Southern | 8 | 4
Frankford | 7 | 5
Lincoln | 7 | 5
Central | 5 | 7
Franklin | 4 | 8
Germantown | 4 | 8
Dobbins | 3 | 9
Bartram | 2 | 10
Gratz | 2 | 10
Mastbaum | 2 | 10
Roxborough | 1 | 11
Coaches' All-Public
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Wilt
Chamberlain | Ovb | 12 | 453 | 37.8
Clarence
"Bud" Houck | Linc | 12 | 318 | 26.5
Jim
"Tee" Parham | NE | 12 | 296 | 24.7
Joe Howell | West | 12 | 329 | 27.4
Jim Muldoon | Sou | 12 | 348 | 29.0
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Carl Reamer | Mast | 12 | 283 | 23.6
Chuck Huebner | Fkd | 12 | 247 | 20.6
Bob Warner | Rox | 12 | 300 | 25.0
George Jackson | Gtn | 12 | 318 | 26.5
Mel Sharpe | Dobb | 12 | 254 | 21.1
Champs' Rotation
OVERBROOK
Coach
Cecil Mosenson
Record
12-0, 20-0
Starters
Wilt
Chamberlain
Doug Leaman
Ira Davis
Mel Brodsky
Jim Sadler
Key
Subs
Marty Hughes
Howard Johnson
Dave Henryhand
Al Weinberg
Catholic League
Playoffs
SEMIFINALS
Doubleheader at the Palestra
South 63, North 59 (ot)
The Pirates roared back from a 13-point, early-fourth-quarter deficit as Bob
Goodrich (17) led the way. Goodrich scored the final six points of regulation in 35
seconds on a jumper, two free throws and a layup off Rich DeFusco’s assist. Fred
Giordano’s tap-in provided the lead for good, 59-57. Gerry McColgan (17) and Tony
Garberina (16) paced North.
West 75, La Salle 47
The teams combined to shoot 99 free throws as West went 37-for-50 and La Salle
went 25-for-49. Bob Devine scored 19 points. Bill Bodo (10) led La Salle.
FINAL
At the Palestra
South 51, West 45
Jim Grazione (18) and Rich DeFusco (10) scored in double figures for South,
which trailed just once, 1-0. The largest lead, 31-18, was provided as Jim Tobin and Fred
Giordano scored on successive tap-ins. Bob Devine, Charles Eltringham and Jack Savage
split 30 points for West.
Standings
West | 12 | 2
North | 11 | 3
South | 9 | 5
La Salle | 9 | 5
Roman | 8 | 6
ST More | 4 | 10
St. James | 2 | 12
SJ Prep | 1 | 13
Coaches' All-Catholic
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Bob Devine | West | 14 | 171 | 12.2
Joe Ryan | Prep | 14 | 328 | 23.4
Jerry McColgan | North | 14 | 175 | 12.5
Jim Grazione | South | 14 | 222 | 15.9
Bill McGonigal | St. J | 14 | 253 | 18.1
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Ray Dovell | Roman | 14 | 269 | 19.2
Al Haeber | La S | 14 | 231 | 16.5
Charles
Eltringham | West | 14 | 177 | 12.6
Jim McNicholas | West | 14 | 170 | 12.1
Nick DiCiurcio | More | 14 | 193 | 13.8
Champs' Rotation
SOUTH
Coach
Jack Kraft
Record
9-5, 18-10
Starters
Jim Grazione
Fred Giordano
Bob Goodrich
Rich DeFusco
John Hopkins
Key
Subs
Jim Tobin
John Dever
Lou Pucillo
Inter-Ac League
Gtn. Academy (8-2)
The visiting Patriots defeated Friends’ Central, 48-45, on the
season’s final day to win their first title since 1930 and only their second overall.
Al Cooke (15) and Bob Ortman (12) scored in double figures for first-year coach George
Davidson, and Ortman hit two clinching free throws with 0:12 left. Episcopal (7-3) placed
second.
Standings
Gtn. Academy | 8 | 2
Episcopal | 7 | 3
Haverford Sch. | 6 | 4
Penn Charter | 6 | 4
Fds. Central | 1 | 8
Malvern | 1 | 8
Friends
Central vs. Malvern not played.
Coaches' All-Inter-Ac
FIRST
TEAM |
Bill Kile | FC
Richie Kohler | PC
Randy Austin | GA
John Mangan | HS
Al Cooke | GA
SECOND
TEAM |
Lothrop Lee | HS
Jim Auch | MP
Dan McAlaine | EA
Bart Hanlon | PC
Dan Little | GA
Sam Allen | EA
Champs' Rotation
GTN.
ACADEMY
Coach
George Davidson
Record
8-2
Starters
Randy Austin
Al Cooke
Dan Little
Bob Powelson
Bob Ortman
Key
Subs
Dick Crawford
Paul Hardy
Author
Published
March 5, 2026
Updated
March 5, 2026
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