Boston College High School - Forbian Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Left to right: Al. Mclilruy, Hickey, Pierce LCapt.j, Burgholler, T. Mclilroy. liirst Year-Mr. Cassell was appointed coach after the school had given up basket- ball for a few years and he succeeded in turning out a well-drilled team. A member of the varsity this year was Paul Hickey. Second Year-A different coach this year with Mr. Gintoff taking over. He turned out a very good team this year winding up the season with a 12-3 record. Third Year-A different coach again with Mr. Wietekgimp taking the coaching reins and he turned out a very good team. The record was not impressive, but only because the team lost three games by one point. Coach Wietekamp was building for next year having George Peirce, Tom and Jack McElroy, and Paul Hickey playing regular and Andy Gill being used as the sixth man. Peirce led in the scoring depart- ment with 301 points, featuring a record 64 points in one game. Tom McElroy was next with 134 points, followed closely by ,lack McElroy and Paul Hickey. The record was 12-7. Fourth Year-Following up what seemed to be the custom, B. C. High had another coach this year, Mr. John Kiley. Coach Kiley was greeted with ten returning lettermen from the previous year and indications were for a good year. The lineup on opening day l found four veterans who had played to- gether the previous season, plus a newcomer or two. The four were Tom McElroy at right forward, jack McElroy at left for- ward, Captain George Peirce at center, and Paul Hickey at right guard. The new- comer was Frank Burgholzer who teamed up with Paul in the back court at left guard. With the team full of the knowl- edge and Hnesse of good basketball, we went through the regular basketball season as Champions of the Boston Conference. But to do this the team had to meet East Boston for the title, and after downing Eastie, gained the right to compete in the Eastern Massachusetts Tournament. Captain George Peirce was outstanding, as usual, and he tossed in fifteen points to lead the team to victory. EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS TOURNAMENT B. C. High drew Lexington in the quar- ter finals of the tournament. It was apparent that the team was extremely nervous as they scored only five points the entire Hrst half, but their defensive work was success- ful in that they held Lexington to ten points. Between the halves something must have happened for they came out a re- 1141

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George Sullivan, third high scorer in the league, led the team into action. His out- standing playing was the only consolation during the season, and he also won a place on the first team All-Stars. Newman Flanagan and Ray Cattaneo filled out the rest of the line, Dick O'Con- nor, Red Falvey, jack Sheehan rounded out the reserve line. Roger Morton and Bill Leonard interchanged with Capt. Dave Ahern on defense. The coach made many fruitless attempts to plug the goal but never succeeded. SENIOR YEAR 1947-48 The Eaglets skated into their first game full of apprehension, but they came out on top of a hard fought battle with Waltham 2-1. They dropped their next one in a heartbreaker to a vastly improved Framing- ham sextet S-3. After two bruising periods of scoreless hockey with Needham, George Sullivan scored on a 'beautiful pass from Ed McDonald early in the third period to set up a win. A well-groomed Walpole team throttled us down with a 5-0 win. We bounced right back with a 6-0 trouncing ovcr Norwood. A far-superior W'atertown Club handed us a 6-1 loss in a game of freak goals. We bat- tled Wellesley for three full periods, but had to be satisfied with a tie. We had to play off with Needham to dissolve a fourth-place tie. We beat them in a sudden-death period of play 1-0. ln the playoffs Watertown buried us 5-1. Walpole arose in the third period to down us 4-1. Framingham scored a close 2-1 win in a hard fought game to end the season. George Sullivanis outstanding play again won him a berth on the first team All-Stars along with Ed McDonald and Roger Mor- ton on the second. Our sophomore goalie, Vin Tackey, seems to be a good prospect in future years, Red Falvey finished off the first line. Gemellaro, Flynn and Gabson made up the reserve line with McCarthy and Leonard interchanging on defense. FRANCIS O,I.l'lARX' IIOCKICY SIQNIORS O'l.eary fManagerj, Leonard, Gobron, lfalvey, Mellonald, Stoekman, Gemellaro, Stevens, Mcljariliy. Sullivan filaptainj, Morton. if 51131

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juvenated ball club. Peirce and Burgholzer threw in two quick baskets after Lexington had opened the half with a basket and Lex- ington called a time out to get their bear- ings, but it was of little use. Paul Hickey scored a set shot and it was 12-11 with Lexington still leading. Then, with Peirce not scoring, George set up Tom McElroy throwing long passes to Tom who in turn faked his man out of position three times in succession and broke up the entire Lex- ington defense. From there on in B. C. High was in the van all the way. The en- tire team played superbly with the final score emerging as 24-19. Tom McElroy was high-scorer with twelve points. In the semi-finals B. C. High ran up against a tall Winthrop quintet. Tom Mc- Elroy put in a long one-handed push shot for the first basket of the game. but that was all the scoring for B. C. High in the first period with Winthrop getting five. But in the second period the team began to score and at the end of the first half B. C. High was behind by the margin of IS-14. Again the Eaglets came roaring back in the second half and again the maroon and gold quintet showed fine strategy in freez- ing the ball in the waning minutes of the game. The final score: B. C. High 51, Win- throp Higli 25. This was easily the best game the Eaglets had played all year with their passing working brilliantly. Tom Mc- Elroy was the game's high scorer again with 13 points. Paul Hickey and Frank Burgholzer cleared the defensive boards beautifully and passed the ball to the front line of Tom and Jack McElroy and George Peirce who neatly deposited the ball in the hoop. In the finals B. C. High was again the underdog but this time more than ever. The players of the opposing team, Belmont, were extremely tall, but the James Street quintet again displayed its characteristic speed and hustle. At the end of the first period it was a deadlocked 8-8. At the half it was 21-14, Belmont leading. B. C. High showed a lot of fight but Belmont came up with the points. In the second half B. C. High fought with a will to win and in the fourth period outscored Belmont, but Belmont just wouldn't be beaten. The final score emerged B. C. High 33, Belmont High 40. George Peirce was the high scorer of this game with ll points. But with a great team, a great coach and a great cap- tain, B. C. High proudly boasts a season's record of 19 wins against, only 4 losses, a truly great record in any man's book. JOHN NTCELROY TIIOMAS MCEl.RO1' SliNlORS ON SQUAD First row, left to right: Driscoll, Humphrey, AI. McElroy, Hickey CCapt.j, Pierce, Burgholver, T. Mclilroy. Second row: Hawkins, Gill, Guisti, Lavern, Carroll, Macomber, Bowles, Mulvehill. fiisj