Patrick Henry High School - Patriot Yearbook (Roanoke, VA)

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l. .lack Burrows led the team with 20.7 points per game. 2. The best middle man in the Western District when it comes to running the fast break, Noble Marshall, with a regu- lar season game average of 16.5 points. 3. Phil Bushkar is fouled in the William Byrd game. 4. Center Ricky Dygve shoots a long one. 5. The team played to standing room only crowds throughout the season, but the reserves paid attention only to the game. 6. The varsity team, the managers, Assistant Coach Larry Johnson and Head Coach Len Mos- ser.

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ONLY ONE GAME SHORT!!! Coach Len Mosser ond Assistant Larry Johnson produced one of the nations finest high school basket- ball teams. Ranked l7th in the na- tion prior to their opening contest, the Patriots ended their regular schedule with a i6-l record, first place in Western District Group l-A, and top seed in the state tournament. Their only defeat came at the hands of Martinsville, a l-B team which won state-wide recognition before the season end- ed. A 70-58 victory over Martins- ville was the season's opener, fol- lowed by a close 70-65 win at An- drew Lewis. Resounding victories over Danville 8l-43 and Fleming 96-64 gave the team first-rank by the Richmond Times Dispatch. The state's biggest upset came the day after the release of the rank- ings as the Big Purple dropped a 68-65 decision at Martinsville. Patriot fans had no time for tears as the Patriots led the Western District after drubbing powerful E. C. Glass 72-44. Two more dis- trict wins at Halifax 82-58 and Jefferson 76-58 moved the Pa- triots from third to second place in the state rank. Victories over William Byrd 97-59 and Fleming 67-49 preceded an all-important trip to the East Coast. Patrick Henry established it- self as a bona fide contender for state honors with a 90-45 lashing of Warwick. Their performance was enough for Newport News writers to say, -this is the team to beat in the state tournament. Snow cancelled the game with Hampton, so the Patriots returned to trounce Danville 62-58, Byrd 87-56, and Andrew Lewis 74-63. The big game of the season came against Glass at Lynchburg. Down by as many as eleven points, the Patriots fought to a 46-44 vic- tory. P.H. closed its regular sea- son and clinched the district title with wins over Halifax lO3-46 and Jefferson 98-62. Victories over Jefferson 6l-47 and Gloss 62-59 in the District Tournament earned top-seeding for the Patriots in the State Tour- nament. They advanced with wins over W. T. Woodson 63-55 and host Lane of Charlottesville 62-54. Patrick Henry's dream ofa state title fell one game short of be- coming a reality as the Patriots bowed to towering Washington- Lee of Arlington 54-39 in the fi- nals. lt was not too fitting that the team's worst game in four years came as the final one, but this was what it took to defeat the state's finest basketball team. 46

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