1939

At Convention Hall

Gratz 23, South Catholic 13

  Edwin "Pete" Lorenc (eight) and Marion Sawicki (seven) led in scoring for Gratz, which posted 13 of the game's final 15 points.
Sawicki provided the spark with back-to-back rebound baskets. John "Tubby" Curran (five) was the only SC player to score
more than two points. With three minutes left and his team down, 20-13, Pirate coach John "Jocko" McGarry yanked all of his
starters except for captain John "Duke" Hannan.

1940

At Convention Hall

Southern 33, South Catholic 26

  Len Weiner led the way with eight points. Late in the third quarter, Warren "Reds" Jordan (two) and Gene Dongiven combined
to bury three long stabs as Southern overcame a 19-18 deficit. Herman "Red" Klotz had a strong floor game. Michael "Mickey"
Hannan led SC with seven points. The losers employed a zone defense for the first time all season.

1941

At Convention Hall

South Catholic 27, West Phila. 24

  SC went scoreless for the first 7:00 before 9,622, but used the firepower of Charlie Hannan (10) to recover and storm ahead,
25-18. After West rallied within 25-24, SC twice waived foul shots and Charlie Hannan scored the clinching layup on a pass
from his cousin, Michael "Mickey" Hannan. Nelson Bobb led West with seven points.

1942

At Convention Hall

West Phila. 38, La Salle 25

  Nelson Bobb (13), Oscar Grossman (nine) and Charles "Sonny" Leonard (eight) led in scoring, thanks mostly to the passes of
Francis "Bud" Williams. John Mlodzianowski scored eight points for La Salle.

1943

At the Palestra

West Phila. 29, Roman 28 (OT)

  The winning basket came as Charles Lamons (11 points) executed a steal and scurried in for a layup. West forced OT by
scoring the final seven points of regulation, a run capped with 0:07 left when Stu Tomkins (12) swished a set shot from a foot
beyond halfcourt. Joe Rogers (11) and Jack McCleary (10) led Roman.

1944

At Convention Hall

Bartram 36, South Catholic 27

  Before 12,506, the largest basketball crowd in state history, Bob "Ace" McCann and Norm Tener scored nine points apiece
and Bill Nelson started a 14-point surge. Prior to the game, Nelson received word he'd been inducted into the U.S. Army Air
Force Aviation Cadets. Joe McDonald (11) topped SC.

1945

At Convention Hall

South Catholic 37, Southern 36

  Larry Foust scored 11 points and provided the margin of victory with a tap-in at the buzzer. The crowd was 12,500 and an
estimated 5,000 were turned away. Joe Hannan added 10 points. Charles "Hotsy" Bellak (12) and Tom Sabol (11) led Southern.
With 1:30 left, scoring leader Stan "Loady" Brown was injured in a collision with SC's Joe Gorman and he was given unlimited
time to regroup. He returned to finish the game, assisting Bellak on two late field goals.

1946

At Convention Hall

La Salle 33, Southern 23

  With another record-breaking throng (13,000) in attendance, John Weglicki starred at both ends of the court. He led La Salle
with 10 points in just 21 minutes and limited Southern scoring machine Stan "Loady" Brown (24.1 league average; best in
Philadelphia-area history) to one field goal; Brown scored three field goals against others and finished with 13 points. Jim Phelan
scored nine points for La Salle. Ticket sales were halted 45 minutes before the start of the preliminary game. Police estimated
7,500 were turned away.

1947

At the Palestra

St. Joseph's Prep 40, Bartram 38

  Tom Rittenhouse (12 points) and John Gillespie (11) sparked The Prep, which survived Bartram's last-minute rally. With two
seconds left, Bartram's Lou Lista made one free throw and then waived the second. Going for a tie, Ralph Naimoli (13) was
unable to connect on a long shot.

1948

At the Palestra

La Salle 39, Overbrook 38

  Charles "Buddy" Donnelly made the difference when he sank a two-hand set shot from beyond the foul circle with 28 seconds
left. Donnelly and Tom Checchia had 11 points apiece. Jackie Moore (13), Larry Goldsborough (12) and Alan Stein (11) led
'Brook, marking the first time three teammates reached double figures in City Title history.

1949

At the Palestra

West Catholic 41, Overbrook 38

  Ernie Beck scored a game-record 20 points for West, which built a 41-32 lead with a minute remaining. Ed Garrity added 13
points. Jackie Moore (14) topped 'Brook. West coach Joe Langan called Beck "the greatest high school basketball player I've
ever seen."

1950

At the Palestra

La Salle 55, Overbrook 31

  The Explorers received 20 points from Tom Gola and limited 'Brook to one field goal in a 27-5 first half while winning their
third City Title in five years. Charlie Mohr's tip-in began a 17-0 run that gave La Salle a 21-4 lead. Fran "Wacky" O'Hara
added 11 points. Jackie Moore (12) led Overbrook.

1951

At the Palestra

St. Thomas More 39, West Phila. 36

  With 0:45 left, John Wallin (15 points), the sixth of 12 children, took a fullcourt pass from John "Misty" Fannon (10) and
canned a layup to break a 35-35 tie. Frank "Bud" Brannan (10) added a clinching basket. Bill Showell (11) paced West.

1952

At the Palestra

West Catholic 57, Franklin 46

  Through the first three quarters, West coach Jim Usilton Jr. divided the playing time evenly between two, five-man platoons.
Joe Sturgis wound up with 11 points while Jim Smith, Walt Maxwell and Charles Singley had 10 apiece; it was the first time
in City Title history four teammates reached double figures. Marty Milligan was a passing wizard. For Franklin, Claude Gross
scored 18 points and Bill Nelson (Bartram '44) became the first City Title player to return to the game as a coach.

1953

At the Palestra

West Catholic 54, Overbrook 42

  Before 8,461 fans (4,000 were turned away), West Catholic held 6-11 Wilt Chamberlain to 29 points by surrounding him
at all times with four defenders. Chamberlain shot 9-for-25 from the floor and 11-for-19 at the line. Bill Lindsay played the
"floater" in West's defense and also scored a game-record 32 points, shooting 12-for-13 and 8-for-11.

1954

At the Palestra

Overbrook 74, South Catholic 50

  Wilt Chamberlain scored 32 points to tie the game record set in '53 by West Catholic's Bill Lindsay. Jim Sadler added 17
points. 'Brook completed a 20-0 season and became the first PL winner since Bartram in '44. Fred Giordano led South with
11 points.

1955

At the Palestra

Overbrook 83, West Catholic 42

  Wilt Chamberlain contributed a game-record 35 points as 'Brook finished 18-1. Six-five Vince Miller was right behind with
31 points, making 14 of his 15 baskets on corner jumpers. Chamberlain finished his three-year varsity career with 2,252 points
(later reduced to 2,206; 46 were scored in games against the alumni) and an overall record of 56-3. The other starters were
Marty Hughes, Dave Shapiro and Howard Johnson. Pat Carey scored 11 points for West.

1956

At the Palestra

North Catholic 68, West Phila. 67

  Bobby McNeill (29 points), Jim Kenny (16) and John "Josh" Keenan (13) paced North to the win in its first City Title
appearance. Playmaker Jack McColgan hit a jumper to break the game's 16th and final tie, 57-57, and McNeill followed 15
seconds later with a three-point play. For West, which scored the final four points to make things close, Ray "Chink" Scott shot
11-for-24 en route to 31 points and grabbed 25 rebounds.

1957

At the Palestra

Overbrook 56, North Catholic 41

  Ballhandler Bobby Jones scored 21 points to lead 'Brook, which trailed just once, 2-0. Wayne Hightower chipped in with 14
points. Larry Sarafinas (14) and Joe "Zeke" Zawacki (12) paced North, which was attempting to win its fourth consecutive City
Title in a major sport after capturing basketball and baseball in the 1955-56 school year and football in the 1956-57 school year.

1958

At the Palestra

Overbrook 71, Neumann 54

  Wayne Hightower used his 6-8 height to generate 23 points and 18 rebounds as 'Brook completed a 22-0 season and ran its
winning streak to 31 games. Ralph Heyward added 13 points and 15 rebounds while Richie Richman, the football team's
quarterback, also scored 13 points. Jim Gannon (18) and Andy Terifay (13) led Neumann.

1959

At the Palestra

Overbrook 72, West Catholic 53

  Wali Jones (24 points), Ralph Heyward (20) and Walt Hazzard (16) were hard to stop as 'Brook became the first team to win
three consecutive City Titles and ran its record under third-year coach Paul Ward to 66-2. Jones shot 10-for-14 from the floor
to pace the Panthers' 29-for-57 showing. Jim Boyle scored 16 points for West.

1960

At the Palestra

Bonner 55, West Phila. 46

  Frank Corace shot 9-for-14 en route to 19 points and added 11 rebounds as Bonner became the first suburban team to
capture the City Title. Charles "Bud" O'Donnell (13) and Bob DeFino (12, 13 rebounds) also hit double figures in points. Ernest
"Sonny" Jackson topped West with 17 points. The Speedboys entered the game 24-0.

1961

At the Palestra

St. Thomas More 51, Bartram 50

  Joe Burton (14 points), Larry White (12) and Bob Zell (11) were the leading scorers for Tommy More. Burton added 11
rebounds. With 0:21 left, Zell converted a one-and-one to provide a 50-48 lead and White hit one free throw at 0:06 after
making a steal. Bartram's Willie Mobley (14) canned an uncontested layup at the buzzer. Teammate Boyd O'Neal had 13 points
and 20 rebounds. Bartram's Bob Lohse, a sub for West Catholic in '59, became the first player to represent two schools in City
Title games. More coach Jim Purcell played for the Golden Bears in '51, but did not see action in the City Title game.

1962

At the Palestra

West Phila. 61, St. Joseph's Prep 52

  West coach Doug Connelly enjoyed a City Title victory in his fourth appearance as Ken Morgan (17), Deforia Coleman (15)
and Frank Card (14) paced the scoring. Morgan scored eight points in a 19-10 second quarter. Matt Guokas Jr. (15) and Tom
Duff (12) were high for The Prep.

1963

At Lincoln

West Phila. 65, La Salle 56

  John Thomas Evans, a bit player until late in the regular season, shot 9-for-13 en route to 23 points and plucked 15 rebounds
as the Speedboys triumphed again after falling into a 13-3 hole. Don Miller (15) and John Beach (14) helped. Frank Gaidjunas
(25) and George Smith (21) led La Salle.

1964

At the Palestra

Germantown 77, Dougherty 62

  Dougherty saw its hopes of a 25-0 season dashed as Lou Gambrell shot 13-for-22 for 26 points, Charlie Orme added 16
points and Bob Reid and Leroy Lark claimed 14 and 13 rebounds, respectively. Bill Nelson became the first man to play in the
City Title game for a champion (Bartram '44) and then produce a champion as a coach. For Dougherty, Mike Kempski scored
18 points while Earl Williams (14, 13 rebounds) and Maurice Savage (13, 15) were productive in two categories.

1965

At the Palestra

Neumann 75, Lincoln 66

  This time it was the PL representative's turn to miss posting a perfect record. The 26-0 Railsplitters were spanked as Mike
Barrett (22), Frank Gillen and Joe Russell (17 apiece) handled the major portion of the scoring and Joe McBride and George
Belka split 30 rebounds. Larry Cannon scored 28 points for Lincoln.

1966

At Lincoln

Edison 56, St. Thomas More 52

  Erv "Stu" Staggs scored 17 points and Jack Stevenson, a 6-9 late bloomer, gathered in 10 rebounds as the Inventors became
the first PL team to bring the City Title to North Philadelphia since Gratz in 1939. Nate Mask (13 rebounds) and Sam Gore
scored 10 points apiece. Tom Flaherty (15) led More, which got within 53-50 with 1:30 left before Mask hit three free throws.

1967

At the Palestra

North Catholic 50, Overbrook 45

  Hank Siemiontkowski scored saved nine of his 10 points for a 15-10 fourth quarter and Ron Kurtz (16) was steady throughout
for the Falcons, who shook off an 11-3 deficit. Bob Wheeler, Dennis Bohn and Bill Shouldis split 24 points. North tripled its
rebounding output in the second half, improving from seven to 21. Bill Turner (14), Mike Gale (13) and Eldred "Jay" Bagley
(11) led 'Brook.

1968

At the Palestra

West Phila. 57, O'Hara 50

  Freddie Stokes scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and fellow 5-8 guard Brady Small added 10 of his 20. Ernie Jones
(12) and Greg Newman (10) led in rebounding. For O'Hara, Tom Ingelsby scored 19 points and Lou Ferro grabbed 16 boards.

1969

At the Palestra

Edison 57, Roman 54

  Romie Thomas (16) and sub Lynn Greer (12) scored in double figures while center Bob Peterson totaled eight points, eight
boards and nine assists. Greer had consecutive baskets to spark a 10-0 run that lifted the Inventors into a 50-44 lead. Jim
O'Brien (18) and Mike Bantom (12 rebounds) led Roman, which shot 15-for-75 from the floor and 24-for-42 at the line.

1970

At the Palestra

Overbrook 70, Dougherty 52

  Jerry Thomas worked for 20 points and 11 rebounds and received double-duty assistance from Gary Garvin (19, 10) and
Vince Ellison (nine, 14). Andre McCarter added 14 points and three assists. Dougherty's Joe Newman had 12 points and 12
rebounds.

1971

At the Palestra

Overbrook 76, St. Joseph's Prep 56

  The Panthers used 11-for-14 shooting in the first quarter to establish early command. Andre McCarter generated 19 points, six
rebounds and six assists while Rich Laurel (17), Jerry Thomas (14) and Kevin Washington (12) also scored in double figures.
Maurice "Mo" Howard led The Prep with 20 points and sub Brian Kenney added 16 after watching the first 12 minutes.

1972

At the Palestra

St. Thomas More 53, Bartram 45

  The Golden Bears reaped 15 points from Ron Holmes, 12 from Emery Sammons and 11 from Carl Kenty and stormed to a
17-2 lead in the first 6:59. Larry Sanders claimed 15 rebounds. Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant (18) and Roger Steve (15) paced
Bartram, which missed 14 of its first 15 shots and committed six turnovers during that same span.

1973

No Game

  (no official Public League champ; teachers' strike)