THE PENNSYLVANIA CATHOLIC
INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
P.C.I.A.A. STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS: 1943-1974

If you have any information that might help fill in the gaps in this special part of Pennsylvania basketball history please email Bill Gaffey at wgaffey@ezonline.com

1943- Class A- Pittsburgh North Catholic;
          Class B- St. Joseph Mt. Oliver of Pittsburgh.

1944- Class A- Southeast Catholic of Philadelphia;
          Class B- St. Joseph's Mt. Olive (Pittsburgh) defeated York Catholic 39-31.

1945- Class A- Allentown Central Catholic defeated Pittsburgh Central Catholic;
          Class B- St. Casimir (Pittsburgh) defeated St. Mary's (Wilkes Barre) 39-33 in Wilkes Barre.  Don Myers led St. Casimir with 11, Richy Michalski had 10.
In the Western Final,  St. Casimir defeated St. Mary's Central (St. Mary's) 43-32 at Duquesne University.  Don Myers led St. Casimir with 17.  Wortman and Straub each had 10 for St. Mary's.

1946-Class A-Pittsburgh North Catholic;
         Class B, St. Casimar

1947- Class A-Pittsburgh North Catholic;
          Class B,  St. George Allentown

1948- Class A- Allentown Central Catholic.   the  PCIAA Class A State Championship game was staged in Allentown and  Allentown Central Catholic defeated Johnstown Catholic 45-41 before 4,000 fans.    Johnstown Catholic was led by the outstanding play of Leroy Leslie, who later went to Notre Dame.
Class B- York Catholic. York Catholic defeated St. Marys Central Catholic 44 -42 on a controversial shot from beyond half court at the buzzer in a game played at Penn State. With the score tied 42-42, and with only seconds remaining........find the entire story HERE (Jack Brown)

1949- Class A- Pittsburgh Central Catholic;
          Class B- St. Justin Mt. Washington, Pittsburgh

1950- Class A- Reading Central Catholic;
          Class B- West End St. James of Pittsburgh.

1951- Class A- 1951 - Johnstown Bishop McCort defeated Reading Central Catholic 50-48, (but later the two were named co-champs as McCort was hit with some kind of a violation  according to sports historian Jerry Shenk).; the March 24, 1952 Pittsburgh Press lists the two teams as co-champions.
Class B- West End St. James of Pittsburgh.

1952- Class A- Allentown Central Catholic;
          Class B- West End St. James of Pittsburgh defeated Williamsport St. Mary's 69-55 .  See St. James story  HERE

1953- Class A- Erie Cathedral Prep.;
          Class B- St. Basil's of Pittsburgh.

1954- Class A- Erie Cathedral Prep.;
           Class B- St. Michael's of Pittsburgh.

1955- Class A- St. Rose of Carbondale;
          Class B- St. Canice of Pittsburgh.

1956- Class A- Allentown Central Catholic;
          Class B- St. Casimir of Pittsburgh.

1957- Class A- Allentown Central Catholic;
          Class B- St. Vincent's of Plymouth defeated St. Casimir of Pittsburgh 76-65.  Bob Mullery of St. Vincent's scored 40 points).

1958- Class A- Pittsburgh North Catholic;
Class C-St. Leo's of Ashley defeated St. Casimir's 64-46. (Credit: Bob Kovalchik, St. Leo's)

1959- Class A- Pittsburgh North Catholic; Class B- St. George of Pittsburgh.
Class A Western Regional Final: Pittsburgh North Catholic 70 Erie Cathedral Prep 54
Class B Western Regional Semi-finals: Pittsburgh St. George 67 Greenville St. Michaels 43
                                                           Uniontown St. John's 68 Loch Haven Immaculate Conception 51

1960- Class A- Johnstown Catholic; Class B- Bethlehem Catholic.
           Class B Western Games: Greenville St. Michael's defeated Clearfield St. Francis 48-46 in overtime for the Erie Diocese.  Lock Haven Immaculate Conception defeated Renovo St. Joe's for the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.  St. Adlabert defeated St. Thomas 54-48 for the Pittsburgh Diocese.  St. Vincent defeated Uniontown St. John's 62-58 for the Uniontown Diocese.

1961- Class A- Pittsburgh South Hills Catholic;
          Class B- South Catholic of Scranton.
Erie Diocese: Cathedral Prep 69 St. Mary's Central 47
Pittsburgh Diocese: Pittsburgh South Hills 44 North Hills Catholic 41

1962- Class A- Pittsburgh North Catholic;
          Class B- Bethlehem Catholic.

1963- Class A- Bishop McCort;
          Class B- St. Rose of Carbondale;
          Class C- St. Michael's of Greenville 69 Williamsport St. Joseph's 64

1964- Class A- Allentown Central Catholic;
          Class B- St. Canice of Pittsburgh;
          Class C- St. Michael's of Greenville 50 Williamsport St. Joseph's 49

1965- Class A- South Hills Catholic of Pittsburgh;
          Class B- St. Frances DeSales of McKees Rocks 78 Shamokin Lourdes 77
          Class C- St. John's of Uniontown 64 Williamsport St. Joseph's 60

1966- Class A- Bishop McCort;
          Class B- St. George of Pittsburgh;
          Class C- St. Gabriel's of Hazleton.
Class A
Bishop McCort of Johnstown defeated Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg. The starting lineup for McCort was Mike Patcher, Rudy Munko, Steve Smear, Jim Gruca, and Stan Rok. John Morihlatko was the #1 substitute and Bill Merkovsky was the coach for the winning team. Marino DeFilippo was the coach of the McDevitt Crusaders.
Class C- St. Gabriel's of Hazleton 91 Masontown Kolb Memorial 59
Western Regional Final: Masontown Kolb Memorial 83 North East St. Gregory 64

1967- Class A- Bishop Guilfoyle;
          Class B- Scranton Cathedral;
          Class C- St. Gabriel's of Hazleton.
Class A
Finals: Bishop Guilfoyle 61 Shamokin Lourdes 57, Johnstown War Memorial Arena
Semifinals: Shamokin Lourdes defeated Scranton Prep
.............Bi Bishop Guilfoyle 67 Pittsburgh Bishop Canivan 66(overtime), Pitt Field House
Class C- St. Gabriel's of Hazleton 68 Northeast St. Gregory 60

1968- Class A- Erie Cathedral Prep.;
          Class B- Scranton Cathedral;
           Class C- St. Francis Prep (Spring Grove).
Class C- St. Francis Prep (Spring Grove) defeated Titusville St. Joseph's

1969- Class A- Pittsburgh Canevin;
          Class B- St. Basil's of Pittsburgh;
          Class C- St. Francis Prep (Spring Grove).

1970- Class A- Bishop Guilfoyle;
          Class B- Reading Holy Name;
          Class C- St. Gabriel's of Hazleton.

1971- Class A- Erie Cathedral Prep.;
          Class B- Marian Catholic;
          Class C- Herman St. Fidelis.

1972- Class A- South Hills Catholic of Pittsburgh;
           Class B- Holy Ghost Prep;
           Class C- Bishop Neumann of Williamsport.
Class B, Western Semi-final, Ebensburg Bishop Carroll  66 Connellsville Father Geibel (the Green Gators) 58
Class B, Western Semi-final, Pittsburgh South Side and Sharon Kennedy Christian
Class B, Western Final, Pittsburgh South Side 78 Ebensburg Bishop Carroll 66 (at St. Vincent College)
Class B Final, holy Ghost Prep defeats Pittsburgh South Side (at Harrisburg Farm Show Arena)
Class C- Bishop Neumann of Williamsport 70 Bradford Central Christian 64

1973-
Class A- Scranton Prep.
Class B- Bishop Hannan  Golden Lancers defeated the Elk County Crusaders  84-73 in the PCIAA championship at the Pitt Field House. (Daily Press)
Class C- Bradford Central Christian 64 Pittston St. John's 60
 

(4/17/01)Thanks to Dick VanO'Linda, a sportswriter for the York Dispatch Sunday News who has provided us with the first data on the "old" PCIAA state championship records. We are now looking for others to come forward an help to fill in the gaps.
(4/20/01)Thanks to Jerry Shenk, who contributed to this compilation. He is currently finishing a book entitled: The100 Year (1901 to 2001) History of Pennsylvania Boys Basketball.
(5/27/01)Thanks to Victor Straub for a first hand account of the 1948 Class B Championship Game.
(10/29/01)Thanks to Jerry Shenk for the scores of the Class C games. It was additional research for his book.
Additional credits: Sharon Herald, Erie Times-News,  Johnstown Tribune Democrat, Pittsburgh Press (March 24, 1952).

If you have any information that might help fill in the gaps in this special part of Pennsylvania basketball history please email Bill Gaffey at wgaffey@ezonline.com

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