Scholastic Basketball, 1966
---
City Title
At Lincoln | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Edison
56, St. Thomas More 52 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Erv "Stu" Staggs scored 17 points and Jack Stevenson, a 6-9 late bloomer,
gathered in 10 rebounds as the Inventors became the first PL team to bring the City Title to North Philadelphia since Gratz in 1939. Nate
Mask (13 rebounds) and Sam Gore scored 10 points apiece. Tom Flaherty (15) led More, which got within 53-50 with 1:30 left
before Mask hit three free throws.
Public League
Playoffs
SEMIFINALS At Lincoln Edison 55, West 52 After a two-week delay because of a coaches’ strike, Sam Gore (17)
and Erv “Stu” Staggs (14) were the leaders as the Inventors won a playoff for
the first time. Bill Evans converted a tap-in to draw West (Cliff Robinson 19) within
51-50 with 1:30 left, but Staggs and Gore converted one-and-ones to settle the issue. At Roxborough Germantown 39, Southern 37 Stan Best and Donnell Greene (15) scored consecutive baskets as the Bears
left behind a 35-35 tie. Wilf Shamlin and Jerry Lee scored nine apiece for Southern. FINAL At Northeast Edison 78, Germantown 70 Edison maintained control throughout as Rick Jordan scored 10 of his 20 points
in a 22-14 first quarter. Erv "Stu" Staggs (20), Nate Mask (15), Sam Gore (12)
and 6-9 Jack Stevenson (11) also reached double figures as the starters did all the
scoring. Stevenson plucked 16 rebounds. Staggs held Donnell Greene, G-town's recordholder
for points in a game (46), to seven points. Bill Scott had 18 points.
Standings
Edison | 12 | 2
Germantown | 12 | 2
Southern | 12 | 2
West Phila. | 12 | 2
Bartram | 10 | 4
Overbrook | 10 | 4
Central | 9 | 5
Northeast | 9 | 5
Franklin | 8 | 6
Roxborough | 8 | 6
Bok | 5 | 9
Lincoln | 5 | 9
Olney | 4 | 10
Frankford | 3 | 11
Washington | 3 | 11
Dobbins | 2 | 12
Gratz | 2 | 12
Mastbaum | 0 | 14
Coaches' All-Public
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Walter
"Buddy" Harris | Rox | 14 | 475 | 33.9
Erv
"Stu" Staggs | Edi | 14 | 332 | 23.7
Donnell Greene | Gtn | 14 | 321 | 22.4
Jim Harris | Bart | 14 | 316 | 22.6
Ray Holman | West | 14 | 253 | 18.1
Wilf Shamlin | Sou | 14 | 223 | 15.9
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Wayne Gibbons | Cent | 14 | 324 | 23.1
Mike Kamen | NE | 14 | 312 | 22.3
Cliff Robinson | West | 14 | 222 | 15.9
Bill Scott | Gtn | 14 | 213 | 15.2
Charlie Orbann | Wash | 14 | 356 | 25.4
Champs' Rotation
1966
EDISON
Coach
Ed D'Andrea
Record
12-2, 19-4
Starters
Erv
"Stu" Staggs
Jack Stevenson
Sam Gore
Nate Mask
Rick Jordan
Key
Subs
Leonard Lee
Tyrone Mann
Catholic League
Playoffs
South First-Place Playoff
At Neumann
ST More 56, Bonner 46
Pat McDonnell (20) and Tom Flaherty (12) scored in double figures while John
Pierantozzi, Carl Brooks and Fran O’Hanlon split 24 points. Mike Hauer (17) and Ron
Branch (13) paced Bonner.
First Round
Doubleheader at the Palestra
Bonner 65, North 49
Bob McEntee (18) led the Friars, who stormed to a 20-11 lead after one quarter.
Stan Witalec (16) paced North.
Neumann 75, Dougherty 53
Bob Atene and Bruce Connelly scored 18 points apiece to pace the Pirates, who
also received double digits from Tom DiMuzio (14), Rocky Natale (11) and John Robish (10).
Gene Maurer scored 14 points for Dougherty.
Semifinals
Doubleheader at the Palestra
ST More 48, Bonner 45
Fran O’Hanlon (16), Tom Flaherty (11) and Carl Brooks (10) scored in
double figures and O’Hanlon posted his team’s final four points on free throws.
Ron Branch (15) led Bonner.
Judge 58, Neumann 47
John Sutor collected 19 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks and Gene Kelly added
13 points. Neumann had just one lead, 16-14, and high-scoring Bob Atene was held to 10
points.
FINAL
At the Palestra
ST More 62, Judge 47
Fran O'Hanlon scored 20 points and the Golden Bears used a 49-20 rebound
advantage to overcome 27-for-74 shooting. John Pierantozzi (18), 250-pound Pat McDonnell
and Carl Brooks (13 apiece) led the boarding. Gene Kelly (16) topped Judge.
Standings
NORTH | |
Judge | 11 | 1
Dougherty | 10 | 2
North | 7 | 5
La Salle | 6 | 6
McDevitt | 6 | 6
Kenrick | 2 | 10
Egan | 0 | 12
SOUTH | |
a-ST More | 12 | 2
Bonner | 12 | 2
Neumann | 9 | 5
SJ Prep | 8 | 6
Roman | 6 | 8
O'Hara | 5 | 9
West | 2 | 12
St. James | 2 | 12
Coaches' All-Catholic
NORTHERN
DIVISION | | | |
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Dan Kelly | McD | 12 | 276 | 23.0
Tom Lynch | Judge | 12 | 176 | 14.7
Stan Witalec | North | 12 | 235 | 19.6
Jim Murphy | Ken | 12 | 202 | 16.8
Gene Kelly | Judge | 12 | 188 | 15.7
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Jim Fitzgerald | Egan | 10 | 179 | 17.9
Ed Holzer | Dough | 12 | 127 | 10.6
Bill Macready | Dough | 12 | 122 | 10.2
Paul Stonis | La S | 11 | 154 | 14.0
Gene Maurer | Dough | 12 | 159 | 13.3
SOUTHERN
DIVISION | | | |
FIRST
TEAM | | | |
Mike Hauer | Bonn | 14 | 297 | 21.2
John
Pierantozzi | More | 14 | 239 | 17.1
Fran O'Hanlon | More | 14 | 225 | 16.1
Bob Atene | Neum | 14 | 237 | 16.9
Steve Schaefer | Roman | 13 | 235 | 18.1
SECOND
TEAM | | | |
Mike Nash | Prep | 14 | 171 | 12.2
John McFadden | O'H | 14 | 172 | 12.3
Tom Czerpak | Roman | 14 | 200 | 14.3
John Robish | Neum | 14 | 213 | 15.2
Tom DiMuzio | Neum | 14 | 188 | 13.4
Champs' Rotation
1966
ST MORE
Coach
Billy Hoy
Record
12-2, 22-5
Starters
Fran O'Hanlon
John
Pierantozzi
Carl Brooks
Pat McDonnell
Tom Flaherty
Key
Subs
John Derham
Bob McCabe
Rich
"Skip" Gordon
Inter-Ac League
Malvern (13-1) The clincher came in Game No. 13. Fran Dunphy (15) and Joe Walters (11)
scored in double figures as the Friars dumped visiting Gtn. Academy, 48-38. Hopes for a
perfect league season were dashed in the finale, a 63-55 loss to host Haverford School,
the runner-up at 12-2. Malvern had won 27 consecutive league games.
Standings
Malvern | 13 | 1
Haverford Sch. | 12 | 2
Gtn. Academy | 9 | 5
Gtn. Friends | 9 | 5
Episcopal | 6 | 8
Penn Charter | 4 | 10
Chestnut Hill | 3 | 11
Fds. Central | 0 | 14
Coaches' All-Inter-Ac
FIRST
TEAM |
Joe Walters | MP
Fran Dunphy | MP
Hank Stringer | HS
Steve Dittman | EA
Eric Minkin | GA
SECOND
TEAM |
Bob Freas | GA
Andy McConnell | HS
Tony McDermott | MP
Fred D'Angelo | MP
Ted Coxe | GF
Champs' Rotation
MALVERN
Coach
Dan Dougherty
Record
13-1, 18-5
Starters
Joe Walters
Fran Dunphy
Tony McDermott
Paul Miller
Fred D'Angelo
Key
Subs
John McDonnell
Stan Javie
Mike Bolger
Author
Published
March 5, 2026
Updated
March 5, 2026
Bracket Chaos: Two Catholic League Powers Crash Out of PIAA Tournament in Stunning Exits
3/19/2026
The Imhotep Dynasty Just Won Its Sixth Straight: Inside Andre Noble's Unstoppable Panthers
3/19/2026
Father Judge's Historic Repeat: How Derrick Morton-Rivera Wrote His Name Into Philadelphia Basketball Lore
3/19/2026