EXCERPTS:
My photos (note; photos not available) showed a running play from scrimmage during the Coaldale-Lansford Thanksgiving Day football classic, which the Tigers won 33-6 before a huge crowd of more than 8,000 in LHS stadium to finish 9-1-1.
In their second year under Coach Andy Kalen, the Tigers of Coaldale High claimed their third straight area title with a 9-1-1 record, losing only to Nesquehoning (6-2-1), while Summit Hill finished second at 6-2-0.
A great duel developed in the individual scoring race as Coaldale's Ed "Finky" Shubeck used a big game against Lansford in the seasonal finale on Thanksgiving afternoon to outpoint Lehighton's Mike Ebert, the season-long leader, 68-67.
In the Southern Division ratings of the Eastern Pennsylvania Football Conference, Coaldale finished third behind champion Coal Township and runner-up Pottsville.
Coaldale continued its domination of the Class B (track & Field) division, although closely followed by Summit Hill and Lansford.
FULL ARTICLE:
Little did I know at the time that the 1950s would provide the most memorable moments in my 40-year career on the Morning Call sports beat.
It might have had something to do with the country, which was in a euphoric state following the war years. All was booming, including the economy and technology as well as sports action, on the Carbon County-Panther Valley area front.
The Dec. 31, 1950, edition of the Sunday Call-Chronicle featured an entire page, including photos, of the sports year in review.
It wasn't the first of what would become my yearly summaries, but it easily could have been because my first in 1949 (which appeared in the Jan. 3, 1950, edition of the Sunday Call-Chronicle) was simply a collage of a half-dozen photos accompanied by a short story about how baseball stole the show during the year.
East Mauch Chunk High repeated as Mountain League champ, and South Tamaqua claimed the title in the newly formed Carbon-Schuylkill sandlot circuit. Tamaqua captured the Tri-County Junior American Legion crown, Coaldale reigned atop the Panther Valley sandlot league, and St. Stanislaus of Summit Hill dominated the Panther Valley Catholic sandlot loop.
My photos showed a running play from scrimmage during the Coaldale-Lansford Thanksgiving Day football classic, which the Tigers won 33-6 before a huge crowd of more than 8,000 in LHS stadium to finish 9-1-1; Betty Mullen, Weissport's teen-age swimming sensation, who placed in the nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Charles "Cupper" Baer, the Tamaqua High center who led the area basketball courtiers in scoring.
Also, Walt O'Gurek of Summit Hill High, who set a new high-jump record in the PIAA District 11 meet at Pottsville; Ernie Knauss, East Mauch Chunk High right-hander who pitched a perfect game against Weatherly; Lansford's Bob Shinton, who rolled a perfect 300 game in city bowling league action; and Jimmy Garland of Tamaqua, who repeated as Mahoning Valley Country Club golfing champion.
The full-page review of 1950 clearly showed what the new decade was about to become.
Beneath the headline across the page blaring "PANTHER VALLEY SPORTS REVIEW OF 1950" was the subtitle "Scholastic and Independent Sports in Panther Valley-Carbon County Area Enjoyed One of Best Years."
My photos, which were scattered throughout the full-page story, were of Lehighton's Junior American Legion baseball nine that won the Tri-County League crown; Coaldale High quarterback George Welsh, who was named third-team all-state at the start his illustrious career; Palmerton's Earl Silliman, one of the year's leading bowlers; "Cupper" Baer, repeating as area scoring champ in hoops; Nesquehoning fullback Teddy Drigan, breaking loose for some of the 202 yards he gained in the game against Lansford; and six of the top winners in the 21st annual Coaldale Invitational track meet, among them Larry Thaler and Doug Shiner of Palmerton, Bill Wetterau of Tamaqua and Lansford's Joe Radocha and Hilmer Olson.
Also, a trio of Nesquehoning High gymnasts -- George Biank, James Macaluso and Edward Kochaba -- who placed in the PIAA District 11 meet in Pottsville; three young chess champions -- Bob Green, Gordon Ripkey and Bob Schneck -- studying their next moves during Lehighton Elementary School chess eliminations; and the St. Michael's CYO basketball team of Lansford, which won the Eastern Nationals.
The story told about football and basketball sharing the most interest as usual but said track was making a comeback.
In their second year under Coach Andy Kalen, the Tigers of Coaldale High claimed their third straight area title with a 9-1-1 record, losing only to Nesquehoning (6-2-1), while Summit Hill finished second at 6-2-0.
A great duel developed in the individual scoring race as Coaldale's Ed "Finky" Shubeck used a big game against Lansford in the seasonal finale on Thanksgiving afternoon to outpoint Lehighton's Mike Ebert, the season-long leader, 68-67.
In the Southern Division ratings of the Eastern Pennsylvania Football Conference, Coaldale finished third behind champion Coal Township and runner-up Pottsville.
Weatherly High's Wreckers won Carbon County-Panther Valley area basketball honors, despite the fact Coach Russ Bubeck's forces failed for the first time in seven years to grab the Mountain League crown.
Tamaqua settled for second in the area chase, while Hugh "Wink" Gallagher's St. Jerome's High five finished third. Mahanoy City coasted to another Black Diamond League title, but were knocked out of the PIAA District 11 playoffs by Hazleton.
Meanwhile, Weatherly was eliminated from the district's Class B series by Parkland. While Freeland Catholic ended Weatherly's reign in the Mountain League, it was Coach Ossie Maehrer's Mauch Chunk Bruins who represented the league in the district playoffs, only to lose the Class C opener to Coplay at Coaldale.
"Cupper" Baer of Tamaqua repeated as the individual scoring champ and took his high-scoring act to American University in Washington, D.C., on a scholarship.
Lehighton dominated the baseball scene during the year, winning top honors in the Tri-County Junior American Legion League, and its senior legionnaires easily rode to the Panther Valley League title.
Manager Leon "Moose" Kunkle's squad made a clean sweep of the postseason playoffs with three wins over Vince Lisella's Summit Hill nine.
Hub Becker of Tamaqua claimed the batting title with a .403 average, followed by Lehighton's Glen "Pappy" Warner at .379 and Ronnie Esrang of Mauch Chunk at .378.
Darvin Sharbaugh of Lehighton and Walter Slog of Lansford, pitching for Summit Hill after the Lansford franchise withdrew from the circuit along with Nesquehoning, shared honors as the top hurlers with identical 7-1 records. "Moose" Kunkle finished at 9-2 on the mound.
Sharbaugh also won Tri-County Junior American Legion League pitching laurels, and teammate Charlie Stroup seized the batting crown.
Also, Coach George Bibighaus' Lehighton High Indians battled Emmaus down to the wire in the Lehigh Valley League race, bowing to the Green Hornets in the homestretch.
St. Stan's repeated as champions of the Panther Valley Catholic League behind the pitching of Danny Kozuch. Stan Grejda of Lansford St. Mike's was the league's leading hitter.
Coach Al Klotz's Lansford High thinclads made their comeback on the cinders by winning the Carbon County Meet held in Summit Hill, and Tamaqua's Blue Raiders, coached by Bob Hartwig, topped the Class A entries in the annual PIAA Distric 11 meet.
Coaldale continued its domination of the Class B division, although closely followed by Summit Hill and Lansford.
Records were shattered in the Lehigh Valley League meet at Palmerton as the Blue Bombers' Doug Shiner set new marks in the 220 and 440, and Lehighton's Lamont Smith broke the existing record in the 880.
Only one mark was threatened in the Carbon meet as Lansford's Joe Radocha tossed the shot put a quarter inch shy of the 15-year-old record set by former Panther standout Mike Lukac.
And that's the way the new decade was launched in area sports.
Source: http://articles.mcall.com/1999-08-12/sports/3264135_1_sports-year-mountain-league-sandlot
