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Erie Area Basketball
........the 1960's-
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In the 1960's, the Erie Times News featured Gene Cuneo (Sports Editor), Jack Polancy (Inside Sports), Al DeSantis (Sports Scene), Bill Shelley (County Beat), and Dick Stone (All Sorts of Sports) on their sports pages.  Jack Monahan at 2612 West 8th Street was selling men's sports jackets for $40.00, Seymour's Reliable Jewelers at 708 State Street was featuring a Spring Finery Sale, Howard Johnson's on West 8th Street and Peninsula Drive had a Lenten Special with a $.97 fish fry, and Caper's Quality Furs at 19 East 8th Street sold without the threat of animal activists.

The Erie High School City League in the 1960's featured five teams: Prep, Tech, Academy, Vincent, and East.

The Erie County League included: Lawrence Park, North East, Fort LeBoeuf, Girard, Wattsburg, Northwestern, Wesleyville, Fairview, General McLane, and Union City.

1960: the Class C State Championship Game-West Reading defeated Commodore Perry 84-75 at Westminister College Fieldhouse in New Wilmngton.  West Reading won the State title three years in a row-1959, 1960, and 1961.

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Girls in Pennsylvania were not yet a part of the PIAA Tournament, but Erie featured the Teen High Girls' Basketball League, and in March of 1961 Villa Maria,  coached by Frank Figaski, defeated St. Benedicts Academy 53-37 in a jam-packed Cauley Auditorium.

The Erie Parris Steak House led by Bill Carey and Pete Russo in 1961 rung up  30 plus wins that included appearances  in the Butler YMCA Tournament, the Jamestown (NY) YMCA Tournament, and the Brookville YMCA Tournament.  Ted Amendola served as the General Manager for that busy team.

Harry Grimshaw (Girard H.S.) hit a long jump shot in the second overtime to lift the County All-Stars over the City All-Stars 79-77 in the second game of the Annual Belle Valley Lions Club All-Star Series in the Gannon Auditorium (March 24, 1961).  The city won the first game 73-64.  Dick Schau (McDowell) with 16, John Fretzner (Prep) with 15, Doug Bakka (East) with 14, and Ron Porath (Academy) with 10 paced the City victory.

The Erie Times News "Big 7" All Scholastic Team for 1961 included Fred Blitenkoff and Denny Cologrande from Tech, Jim McCallon from Prep, Ed Tansey and Norword Goodwin from Vincent. Tech fans might remember the vertical stripe shorts that characterized their team uniform in that era.

Erie Tech's star athlete, Fred Blitnikoff was presented the Jewish War Veterans Award for the "Outstanding High School Basketball Player in the City of  Erie for the 1960-61 season."

The Gridley Jr. High "Gremlins" won the 1960-61 City Junior High Basketball Championship with a 14-1 record.  Walter "Chubby" Kuhl was the coach.

Bob Thomas was named the MVP at Wilson Jr High at their annual banquet.  Principal Walter Jameson presented the Best Booster Trophy to Mrs. Potratz and Mrs. Washburn. (March 19, 1961)

Fourteen wins is a record?  Yes, it was a new record for wins when Edinboro State defeated Lock Haven 72-60 in February 1962.  Edinboro's  previous high for any season came in 1938 when they won 13 games.

Bill Ramsdell playing for North East scored 62 points against Northwestern in Feb 1963.  But in his next outing, "Jerry Mahle of Ft. LeBoeuf overplayed his left hand and held him to 15."  (Bill Shelley, Erie Times News, 2/20/63)

The 1964 Times-News All-City, Bob Thomas (Academy), Ed Crumbly (Tech memorial), Pat Lupo (Prep), Denny Atkinson (Academy), and Larry Hitt (Academy).

1965, Ferraro Ford wins the Erie City Recreation League with a 12-1 record.

March 7, 1965, applications were being accepted for the 44th Annual Boy's Club Basketball Tournament.  Competition was divided into classes according to both age and weight!  The registration fee was $2.00 per team.

March 12, 1965, Parochial All-State Basketball Doubleheader at Cathedral Center. The schedule: East vs West, Class B at 2:00 pm and East vs West, Class A at 3:00 pm.  Rupe Stadtmiller will coach the East and Bill Robinson will coach the West at 2:00, while Tom Connors will coach the East and Bill Flaherty will coach the West at 3:00.

March 13, 1965, the headline read "Pittsburgh Schenley Pours it on Colonels." Strong Vincent was eliminated in the PIAA Western Class A Semi-final at Westminster College 74-48.  Coach Ralph Calabrese's team finished 17-7.

1965, Conneaut Lake defeats Lykens 66-64 at Bucknell University in Lewisburg to win the Class C State Championship.

The 1965 Times-News All-City, Section One: John Stano (Prep), Dick Schauble (Vincent), Dan Gallegos (East), Nate Lofton (Tech), Tim Maloney (Prep).

The 1965 Erie County Dream Team: John Gunselman (Lawrence Park), Gregg Hamilton (North East), Jack Croston (Union City), Steve Rouse (North East), Jeff Fitch (Lawrence Park), Dave Wierzchowski (Wesleyville). 
(Photo credit: Erie Times-News, 3/21/65).

1965-66, this was the first season for Iroquois Area High School, formed by combining two previously successful basketball programs, Lawrence Park and Wesleyville

1966, General Electric wins the Industrial League Championship and the  Industrial League Tournament.

March 6, 1966, Meadville comes from 11 behind with only 5:40 left in the fourth quarter to defeat Vincent 54-51 in the 1966 District 10 semi-final at Farrell High School.

March 11, 1966, Jerry Fortner scored 45 points as Conneaut Lake won the PIAA District 10, Class C Championship with a 97-64 win over East Forest.  East Forest had come into the game undefeated.

March 16, 1966, North East St. Gregory ended its "Finest Season Ever" with a PCIAA Western Final loss to Kolb Memorial of Masontown 83-64.  St. Gregory recorded a 20-8 season.  The Saints lost their leading scorer for the game,  Tony Buscemi to fouls to end the third quarter and end their chances for victory.

All of the information used to create this page came from research done at the State Library by Bill Gaffey for pahoops.org using microfilm issues of the Erie Times News.