Gonzaga High School - Aetonian Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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onzaga Iefeata St. folm Q and Ie .xflatluz Zwice VARSITY RECORD Gonzaga. . 4 . . .74 Calvert Hall . . 4 Gonzaga ,... .,... 4 6 Blair .........., Gonzaga ..,. ..A.. 4 7 Bethesda-C.C. . Gonzaga ,.,. ,.... 7 0 Roosevelt ,A,,.., Gonzaga. . , ...,. 56 Mt. St. Joseph's . Gonzaga ,.., ,...l 4 2 De Matha ..... Gonzaga . .70 Loyola . . . . Gonzaga ,l.. ..... 5 4 Anacostia ,... Gonzaga. . . ..... 52 St. johns . . . 4 . . Gonzaga. . . ,... 91 St. Anthony's . . . Gonzaga .... ..... 2 0 Carroll .,...,.. Gonzaga ,... ..... 5 7 Calvert Hall . . . Gonzaga .... .,... 4 6 Roosevelt ..., Gonzaga .,.. ..... 4 0 Carroll .... Gonzaga .... ...., 6 8 Mackin ........ Gonzaga .... ..... 6 0 Georgetown Prep Gonzaga .... ,,.., 7 0 De Matha .,..,. 'Gonzaga .,., ...., 9 5 Loyola .... Gonzaga ,... ..... 7 2 Episcopal .... Gonzaga ..,. ..... 5 0 St. John's .,,. Catholic League Playoffs Gonzaga ..., ,,... 7 7 De Matha . . . 4 . . .66 Gonzaga ,.., ,..., 4 2 St. John's .,.. ..,. 4 6 City Championship Tournament Gonzaga ,...,..... 46 Cardozo ...,.... .,.. 5 4 Gonzaga .... ..... 5 4 Armstrong 4 . . 4 . . 444 K. of C. Tournament Gonzaga. . 4 ...,. 40 Archbishop Malloy 4 ,... . .42 Gonzaga .... ,.... 7 l Parkersburg 44.44... ..4. 5 5 Gonzaga .... .,.4. 6 7 LaSalle ...4 .... 4 8 Tom Folliard lofts his deadly push shot for two points, as one of the helpless Cadets watches the proceedings. L , The dividing line between mediocrity and success in basketball is a thin one. In the pro game, the difference between the last and first place clubs olten is just two or three really good players. In college basketball, where the players are usually ol equal caliber, the coaching staff plays a major role in determining a team's success. And in high school basketball, the key to victory is one big man, continual hustle and that undefinable thing called team spirit. The story ol this year's Eagle basketball team embraces these two levels of achievement, mediocrity and success. Rarely does a high school team bounce back from such a dismal beginning to such a resounding finish. Even more surprising than the Eagle's reversal is the fact that the turning point of the season can be pinpointed to one quarter of one game. The one quarter was the fourth, the game was the second DeMatha contest. Before any further narration, however, it is necessary to give a resume of the season's progress up to this point. Gonzaga won its first game 74-41 over Calvert Hall. This was one of five victories over chronically weak Baltimore schools. The next game was against Blair, regarded by some at the end of the season to be the number one team in the city. The Eagles led for three

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Hhs I ...J 'Y iV 9 J ' fu. S A V a,,. ' A V A ' 5 'Q ,P A' ' if .. Q kZ.4 ,xii F A 'tr 5 r mi in .41 it vii! li 5 W7 ik ' 1 i ' Vw: x 1-N 1824 5 P ,. ' Q Q it If f up K K K it ' A 13? I S I . ii Kar? 4, ..-N I ' M I I Q5 QV Q 'I Fx! 5 fx- 41.39 V, x .g lam . , W Uv . , . I Milf 1 .,.x.e L YV' ' A V - ,f ,Q ,if are ' l xN,,. , . .Af p W l VA.. K -QU? ' A Q x rv ' First Row: M. Allman, P. Daley, G. Haight, R. Clark, J. Dunn, B. Burke, M. Lopez. Second Row: F. Butler, P. Mattingly, J. Mann, W. Lynch, B. O'Neill, J. Moore, R. Wolf, R. Young, F. Mesmer, R. Calgaro. Third Row: Mr. J. Madden 1Coachj, H. Lorenzetti fManagerj, T. Denny, T. Casem, T. Davis, G. Sheehan, S. Long, W. Crosby, R. Saemann, D. Hill. Fourth Row: J. Ryan, H. Baker, D. Tarantino, R. An- thony, J. Dugan, F. Stanley, P. Rothgeb, R. Violet. J. V. Record Gonzaga - - -0 DCMIIIIIP1 V - - 5 ll Lhl' ..' Gonzaga - - -0 Bethesda ' - 27 i.. i .p V -..' ,k'y.' Gonzaga -6 st. John's ., 45 S ,,...... '.-. .' il , Gonzaga . , .0 Episcopal . . , 35 i i:l , f ...N-Q. eeeec LX l ta Gonzaga . . .0 Carroll , , 6 L y '.l' y.. .., it , 32 1 r - ' 3 Y W ry pfl., ,I -1 V -J Q .V , IV '4 ' Q K -'Say ' . . ' . -,,, Il L - Q 5' ,-. . A , ,F 4' .. a i 2 , ' I ki p ,Je 3 ,K r A AWN . - ' '1r -,, 'V V . f l 'A ,W , tv 1-..,...,,, 1 .t,Q ' f ' - - laaa . .1,... ,,f,,... .,1l V A l .V , f,.l A ,V iiy -5 V ...L ,V - ....,, ,wi , ,,,, , . ,. ., ' V' ' V ' . 7 V .. V, V 531, ?,3.fVVf, x. up - PY, g.i:igggs' f ,wr-, - - . .ft-'V' , -f' V ' ' - 'i V w k.. .. M'r'.'i'L VV +L if R- -VF 'MZ' 3, . , . . .W .. Little Darryl Hill 1415, after a thrilling 15 yard dash, is trapped Y- . ,, 7 . VV, V1. , .. We ' -' ' - ' --f,zV.ff.f:u.V V W N H between two St. John's tacklers. In the background Mike Allman ,, , . -'-k ,,..,- Q32j and Ron Saemann U05 hurrying downfield are too late to ,i ' -- li- . ' ' D give any help- ' V -'-' 1- 1:-' . ll5

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Zaked Secon in C . i quarters, but then seemed to die out as Blair surged ahead and won by five points, 51-46. This was more or less the pattern for the next twelve games. The Purple won games they were supposed to win, and lost games they were supposed to lose. Victories during this period were numbered over B-C.C., Roose- velt, Mt. St. Joseph, Loyola, St. Anthony's, and Calvert Hall again. Losses were suffered at the hands of Ana- costia, Roosevelt, DeMatha, St. john's, and Carroll twice. The losses to Roosevelt and Anacostia can be written off as just bad games, but the DeMatha loss is inexpli- cable. Undoubtedly the worst game of the year, Gonzaga tried their best to hand the game to the Stags, and they finally did, as DeMatha won in overtime by one point. Against St. John's, the Eagles matched the Johnnies in ability but not in hustle and drive as the klohnnies won by five points. The two losses to Carroll, potentially one of the finest teams ever produced in the Washington area, need not be alibied. In both games, the Eagles played well, but not well enough to match the taller Lions. With a 7-7 record at this point, the outlook was bleak. The Eagles possessed only one of the three ingredients of success-Dan Slattery, the big man. Tom Folliard had proved of considerable help, but the two other ele- ments of victory, continual hustle and team spirit, were lacking. The crucial point in the season was approaching. Having lost four Catholic League games, Gonzaga faced possible elimination from the playoffs. Three straight victories over Mackin, Geo. Prep and Episcopal set the stage for the must game against DeMatha. And now we approach the turning point. For three quarters, Delvlatha, or rather Ernie Cage, was the master. Starting the fourth quarter the Stags enjoyed a 10-point lead and seemed on the way to knocking the Eagles out of the playoffs. Then it happened. Who can say how or why it happened, but all of a sudden the Eagles had scored 14 straight points and were in a lead which they never relinquished. The final score was 70-68, Gonzaga. As stated before, it is rare indeed for a high school team to bounce back from such a dismal beginning to such a resounding Finish. But from this game on, Gon- zaga was a different ball club. Coach Whitcomb had finally found a winning combination, everyone was hustl- ing, and that indefmable thing called team spirit per- vaded the squad. Gonzaga could not be stopped in their next four games, as Loyola, DeMatha, and St. John's twice fell to the Eagles. In the playoff victories over the Stags and Johnnies, All-Catholic Star D. Slattery goes for two points against St. john's, despite the best efforts of two Cadets. Gonzaga took two out of three from the johnnies to gain second place in the Catholic League.