EXCERPTS:
Also that season (1954), Ossie Maehrer's Mauch Chunk High Bruins captured their second Mountain League crown in three years while Coaldale seized the Class B title in the Black Diamond League.
As the year closed with a new court campaign, it appeared that Palmerton would return to the top of the area standings in 1955-56 and Bernie Radocha of Coaldale High would replace Frank (no relation)as the top gun. We'll check that out the next time.
During the year, gym shows gained in popularity. Aside from the sixth annual calesthenics and gymnastics exhibition display staged by the Group 18 Slovak Catholic Sokols at Lansford with 150 boys and girls participating under the direction of Ann Radocha of Lansford and Mary Ispecky of Coaldale, all of the other attractions took place indoors.
Track enjoyed one of its best campaigns in the spring. Tops was a victory in the PIAA meet at Penn State as Coaldale's Bob Shubeck won the Class B shot put event with a 50-foot toss. Summit Hill High's Bobby Breslin, along with Percy Satoris of Tamaqua and Shubeck set all sort of records during the season.
Joe Rilo, ex-Coaldale High and Villanova grid great, became the first coach at Marian High. And that's the way it was in 1954.
FULL ARTICLE:
Basketball enjoyed a resurgence during 1954 and went into the books as one of the exceptional years for hoops in the Carbon County-Panther Valley area.
What made it so special was the emergence of a new face taking the place of Palmerton and Nesquehoning, which had alternated at the top of the area standings since I arrived at the Morning Call sports desk in 1946.
King football for the first time took a back seat as the courtiers moved to center stage almost from the beginning to the end of the year.
The new year had barely snuggled in when two of basketball's biggest events hit the headlines.
Lansford High staged its greatest campaign in 25 years as the Panthers dominated the area race with a string of 19 wins, which nearly matched the record 21 set by Palmerton High in 1947-48.
Even more eventful was the fact that LHS had halted the reign of Mahanoy City in the Black Diamond League. The Maroons of Johnny Goepfert had won seven consecutive BDL titles but Jack Chuckran's Lansford forces had other ideas.
They moved into the PIAA District 11 Class A playoffs (only one class back then) but were stopped in their first appearance by St. Clair 57-50.
On top of that, another exciting happening early on that year was caused by the St. Joseph's Parochial courtmen of Jim Thorpe (then East Mauch Chunk) reaching the finals of the fifth annualMiddle Atlantic States CYO basketball tournament in Philadelphia.
After a tough battle in the Panther Valley CYO League with Lansford's Ss. Peter and Paul, the rangy St. Joe's five, led by 6-footer Joe Duffy marched to the upstate and Philadelphia archdiocesan championships before falling to Sacred Heart of Washington, D.C. in the finals 33-26.
It was the same fate that toppled St. Michael's of Lansford, the only other Panther Valley League champion ever to make it to the finals, four years before (1950).
Also that season (1954), Ossie Maehrer's Mauch Chunk High Bruins captured their second Mountain League crown in three years while Coaldale seized the Class B title in the Black Diamond League.
Lansford's Frank Radocha led the area individual scoring race, finishing with a 22.4 points per game mark. The Palmerton Redwings won 29 of 40 games including a high-scoring triumph over the Locust Gap Apollos, defending state semi-pro champs, to wind up as the best amateur five in the region.
As the year closed with a new court campaign, it appeared that Palmerton would return to the top of the area standings in 1955-56 and Bernie Radocha of Coaldale High would replace Frank (no relation)as the top gun. We'll check that out the next time.
Meanwhile, because of the mild winter, skiing was limited in the "banana belt" sector of Pennsylvania and area skiers flocked to upstate New York and New England for most of their winter sports action.
Bowling interest reached an all-time high with more keglers and more leagues in the big four pin communities of Palmerton, Lehighton, Tamaqua and Lansford.
Lehighton's Hammy Zimmerman was the season's standout, dominating the fast East Penn Classic League, Eastern All-Star loop and the Carbon Majors. He turned in six 700 games in 1954.
The Tamaqua American Legion Post hosted the annual state Legion bowling tourney. The only local placewinners were John Slivka and Vince Koomar, a pair of Nesquehoning bowlers, who walked off with Class A doubles honors.
Joe Stanusky, one of Palmerton's top bowlers for years, was starting to make a comeback, leading the Palmerton Hungarian Club league and figured to be among the best in 1955.
Mickey Hodor's Jim Thorpe Junior American Legion baseball nine won the Tri-County League title. Bobby Higgins, Thorpe's slugging first baseman, was named to represent the league in the annual all-star game in Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia.
Fairyland Farms won its fourth straight Upper Valley League pennant with a perfect 13-0 record. The Cardinals, beaten by Danielsville in the three-game post season series, ran their consecutive win streak to 47 in regular-season league play.
The Lansford Stars topped the Carbon-Schuylkill amateur loop with 14 straight wins and a 16-2 mark.
In softball, the New Columbus Fire Company won the first Nesquehoning summer loop while Pine Inn topped the Tamaqua league, But, it was Sherman's that grabbed the playoff crown of the 4-year-old circuit as hard-hitting Jack Krell led the way.
Also in 1954, Bear Memorial Park in Lehighton was made available for baseball and softball play.
Tommy Levendusky of Palmerton and Tom Garland of Tamaqua won their seventh straight club championships at Blue Ridge and Mahoning Valley country clubs, respectively. The first season of golf at Indian Mountain Golf Course, Kunkletown, was a big success. Dick Heiney of Palmerton was among the leaders on the new course.
Only Tamaqua and Nesquehoning posted winning seasons in high school football in 1954. The Nesquers captured the mythical area crown with a 6-2 record with defending-champion Tamaqua taking second at 6-3.
The Tams' Luther Miller set the pace in the individual scoring parade with a total of 106 points.
During the year, gym shows gained in popularity. Aside from the sixth annual calesthenics and gymnastics exhibition display staged by the Group 18 Slovak Catholic Sokols at Lansford with 150 boys and girls participating under the direction of Ann Radocha of Lansford and Mary Ispecky of Coaldale, all of the other attractions took place indoors.
Lehighton put on a totally different show with 300 pupils, including its classy 32-member gym team taking part with Lou Ginder and Latour Koegel in charge. Also at Palmerton, Bill Wilhelm and Emma Schlegel teamed for a nine-number general assembly show while George Roscoe and Kitty Curry directed their 32-member gym team and 111 pupils in all in a 25-number extravaganza.
Wrestling featured the fourth annual gym show put on at Tamaqua High by Harry Fetterman, Bob Hartwig and JoAnn Paola while Alberta Embody cast 200 pupils in a 20-number event in the 20th annual Summit Hill High program.
Track enjoyed one of its best campaigns in the spring. Tops was a victory in the PIAA meet at Penn State as Coaldale's Bob Shubeck won the Class B shot put event with a 50-foot toss. Summit Hill High's Bobby Breslin, along with Percy Satoris of Tamaqua and Shubeck set all sort of records during the season.
Summit Hill won its third straight Carbon County Meet crown behind Breslin, and the Black Diamnd League staged its first meet at Coaldale with Nesquehoning winning the title. Lansford upset defending champion Summit Hill in the PIAA District 11 Class B meet at Pottsville.
A lot of coaching changes took place. John Yarr, ex-McAdoo high football coach replaced Frank Luchnick at Palmerton; Ben Jones succeeded Warren Zimmerman at Lehighon and Armando DeMichele and Danny Roskos took over for Jack Chuckran and Skiggy Oriel at Lansford.
Joe Rilo, ex-Coaldale High and Villanova grid great, became the first coach at Marian High. And that's the way it was in 1954.
