Philadelphia High School Basketball
Public League Title Game Recaps

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1919
At Germantown
West 22, Central 17
  The game between these second-place finishers was arranged after Southern, the original champ at 10-0, was forced to forfeit four wins for using an ineligible player, "Bunny" Freeman. Young, Kneass and Patton were West's leaders.

1930
At Northeast
Southern 26, West 20
  Two free throws by "Reds" Rosen with just under five minutes left broke a 21-21 tie and sent Southern on its way. Charley Goldberger had 12 points.

1932
Best-of-Three/At Germantown
Central 38, Germantown 31
  Cliff Anderson (13 points) and Dolly Katz (10) led the way. Lou Dubin had 18 for G-town.
Central 34, Germantown 20
  Lou Lautman hit for 13 points as Central captured the series, 2-0, and won its first title in 16 years.

1933
Best-of-Three
At Temple's Mitten Hall
Northeast 23, Southern 20
  Harry Foulkrod scored the go-ahead basket and Ralph Dennis added the clincher on a pass from Johnny Topham.
Southern 18, Northeast 13
  Leading scorer Al Fogel (eight points) added his final marker almost five minutes after the game "ended" as he hit a free throw from within a small circle of milling fans.
Southern 24, Northeast 20
  A field goal by Milton Blitz (nine points) created a 14-14 tie and his passes to Al Fogel and George Whartnaby produced the last two field goals as Southern captured the series, 2-1.

1934
  No Game. Triple tie not broken; Gratz, Overbrook and West Phila. shared title.

1935
At the Palestra
Overbrook 27, Southern 25
Bob Keehn, the league's individual scoring champion, fed Bill Zieses for the winning hook shot with one minute left. Keehn had nine points. Southern's Petey Rosenberg scored 12.

1939
At Temple's Mitten Hall
Gratz 29, Southern 24
  Gratz won its first championship with a lineup featuring four Poles — Edwin "Pete" Lorenc, Ed Bodzioch, Stan Nalywinski and Marion Sawicki — and one Ukrainian, Dimmy Oleinick. Oleinick scored 10 points. Tom McCollum had 11 for Southern.

1940
At La Salle College
Southern 33, Overbrook 17
  Herman "Red" Klotz (14 points) and Irv Reichman led Southern, which reeled off 10 of 11 points after halftime ended 11-11. Reichman held 'Brook star Don Butler to three points.

1941
At the Palestra
West 35, Southern 33
  Oscar Grossman (12 points) and Nelson Bobb (10) led West, which led by eight points with one minute left and then held on after Len Weiner popped in six of his 15 points. Southern got off two more shots in the last moments, but both missed and Stan Novak, West's floor leader, cradled the ball as the game ended.

1942
At the Palestra
West 38, Bartram 37
  Nelson Bobb (12 points), Charles "Sonny" Leonard and Oscar Grossman (10 apiece) reached double figures for West. Lou Mangene scored on a layup with 0:05 left to draw Bartram within 38-37. West's fans stormed the court before time expired and the final second was played after a 5-minute delay. After the game, a Bartram fan punched referee John "Jocko" Collins as he was entering the locker room. Police collared the youth. After apologizing to Collins, he was released.

1943
At the Palestra
West 31, Bartram 30
  Overcoming a 16-8 deficit early in the third quarter, West won its second straight championship by the slimmest possible margin. Stu Tomkins led the way with nine points and Johnny Davidian scored the field goal that provided a 20-18 lead. Bartram's Len Weiner scored eight points in the first quarter, but was held to two thereafter by Tomkins.

1944
At Convention Hall
Bartram 50, Southern 45
  Before 10,000, the largest scholastic crowd in city history, Bill Nelson (13 points) hit a set shot and a layup to spark a 10-point spurt in 65 seconds as Bartram broke away from a 37-37 tie. The Clippers won the title in just their fifth season of PL competition. Milton Cohen added 11 points. Ed Lerner (12) and Bill Copestick (10) led Southern.

1945
At Convention Hall
Southern 45, West 21
  Tom Sabol, a star on Southern's championship football team, scored 10 points and dominated the boards to put the Rams on top yet again. Stan "Loady" Brown and Bill Myles also scored 10 points.

1946
At Convention Hall
Southern 34, Northeast 28
  The Rams spurted to a 10-1 lead in the first three minutes as Stan "Loady" Brown (21 points, 11-for-12 at line) led the way. Jack Silver's ballhandling and Irv Berschler's defense helped out. The title was the 15th in Southern's history.

1947
At the Palestra
Bartram 42, Overbrook 37
  Gil Shor scored 13 points and converted a three-point play to snap a 37-37 tie. Ralph Naimoli added 10 points. After an errant pass went out of bounds off the fingers of Overbrook's Barry Love, Dave Hansen broke free for the game's final basket. Larry Goldsborough (11 points) led 'Brook, which entered the game unbeaten.

1948
At the Palestra
Overbrook 37, Bartram 31
  Overbrook's Jackie Moore (12) was the game's only player to score in double figures. Four players fouled out. Larry Goldsborough and Tony Papaneri hit five free throws apiece as 'Brook scored 15 points at the line. Herman Ingerman (eight) led Bartram.

1949
At the Palestra
Overbrook 47, Frankford 44
  Jackie Moore scored 25 points — most ever in a city-leagues postseason game — to make the difference. Dick Dunham added 11 points. Frankford received 14 points from Bill White, but franchise Hal "Hotsy" Reinfeld was held to seven by Moore. Frankford twice drew within two points in the waning moments, but was unable to forge a tie.

1950
At the Palestra
Overbrook 45, Central 44
  Jackie Moore and Bob Alper scored 10 points apiece and 'Brook withstood a late-game assault by Central's Howie Landa. Landa scored 17 points, an effort highlighted by a hook shot and layup that drew Central within 45-44. At 0:06, he took a set shot that rolled around the rim twice before falling out.

1951
At the Palestra
West 41, Franklin 37
  William Johnson (15 points) scored on a layup with 5:11 left to give West the lead for good, 33-32. Earl Jackson and Bill Showell controlled the backboards. John Chaney led Franklin with 15 points, but his final shot was blocked by Johnson with 0:05 left.

1952
At the Palestra
Franklin 49, Lincoln 47
  Led by Bill Matthews (15 points), Claude Gross (13) and Dick Chaney (10), Franklin held on to win its first championship under rookie coach Bill Nelson despite blowing all but two points of the 16-point lead it owned after three quarters. Clarence "Bud" Houck (14) and Ed Givnish (12) led Lincoln. Lincoln coach Sam Browne had coached Franklin to the PL final in 1951.

1953
At the Palestra
Overbrook 71, Northeast 62
  Wilt Chamberlain shot 12-for-29 and 10-for-15 for 34 points as 'Brook won its fourth title in six years. The Hilltoppers shot 29-for-50 at the line and all five Northeast starters fouled out. Guy Rodgers led Northeast with 26 points and at one point made five consecutive baskets.

1954
At the Palestra
Overbrook 60, Northeast 46
  Wilt Chamberlain scored all 13 of Overbrook's first-quarter points and finished with 40. No one else scored more than six. William "Sonny" Hill led Northeast with 11 points.

1955
At the Palestra
Overbrook 78, West 60
  Seven-foot Wilt Chamberlain and 5-6 Marty Hughes scored 33 and 25 points, respectively, before a capacity crowd of 8,500 paid. Vince Miller added 17 points. With chief stars Ray "Chink" Scott and Joe Goldenberg in deep foul trouble, West was led in scoring by Reese Murray and Pete Urquhart (13 apiece). In the '54 and '55 seasons, West had six losses — all to 'Brook.

1956
At the Palestra
West 70, Northeast 58
  Ray "Chink" Scott (22 points) and sophomore Hubie White (20) were best for unbeaten West (17-0), although Carl Lacy and Fred Brockman also hit double figures with 13 apiece. Herb Adderley (21) and Bob Young (18) topped Northeast, which shot 8-for-25 at the foul line.

1957
At the Palestra
Overbrook 66, Lincoln 57
  Wayne Hightower scored 24 points and Bobby Jones added 21 as 'Brook rolled. Fred Schmidt scored 24 points for Lincoln, but Bruce Fleming was limited to six by severe foul trouble.

1958
At The Palestra
Overbrook 52, Germantown 44
  Six-eight Wayne Hightower shot 10-for-16 and 8-for-13 for 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Wali Jones added 10 points. Heavy foul trouble helped limit Walt Hazzard to two points. 'Brook hit seven consecutive shots in the third quarter, but stubborn G-town remained in contention thanks mostly to Earl Proctor (15) and Obie Snyder (13). Proctor added 15 rebounds.

1959
At the Palestra
Overbrook 56, Germantown 46
  Wali Jones (14 points), Ralph Heyward (11) and Walt Hazzard (10) spurred 'Brook to its third consecutive title and 37th straight win against PL opposition. G-town star Obie Snyder scored 18 points, but did not post his first field goal until 1:52 remained in the third quarter.

1960
At the Palestra
West 53, Overbrook 43
  Ernest "Sonny" Jackson scored 17 points as West raised its record to 24-0. Jim English added 12 points. Overbrook's Walt Hazzard scored 10 of his 24 points in the second quarter. West led by at least 10 points throughout the fourth quarter.

1961
At The Palestra
Bartram 61, Franklin 57 (ot)
  Outfighting 6-9 Stoney McMorris, Willie Mobley leaped to grab an air ball and posted a three-point play to give Bartram the lead for good, 58-57. Earl Monroe scored Bartram's previous field goal. Boyd O'Neal had 19 points, 10 rebounds. Bob Lohse, a member of West Catholic's 1959 Catholic League champs, became the first player in city history to play for titlists in both leagues. For Franklin, Austin Garner shot 11-for-25 for 25 points and hit a 25-foot jumper with 0:01 left in regulation to create a 53-53 tie. McMorris had 10 points, 20 rebounds.

1962
At Southern
West 76, Bartram 73
  Frank Card scored 24 points to lead the way. Ken Morgan (19), Deforia Coleman (15) and Lou Gates (14) helped out. Gates went 10-for-10 at the line, with six coming in the last quarter. West had been forced to forfeit two wins at mid-season for using an ineligible player. Chris Kefalos (24), Earl Monroe (21) and Frank Kunze (18) paced Bartram.

1963
At Southern
West 55, Franklin 51
  Lou Gates, a 5-4 whirlwind, scored 13 points and was dynamic in the last 2 minutes as West embarked on a 9-0 run to reverse a 51-46 deficit. The go-ahead points came as Gates stole the ball and hit two free throws for a 52-51 lead. John Thomas Evans (12) and John Beach (10) also scored in double figures. Carmen Garner (14) and Fred Carter (12) topped Franklin.

1964
At Lincoln
Germantown 67, Bartram 65
  Jim Butler, who shot just 2-for-13 from the floor, gave Germantown its first title in 48 years of PL membership by making an under-and-up layup with 0:02 remaining. Bob Reid totaled 19 points, 23 rebounds. Leroy Lark added 17 points, 19 rebounds. Germantown overcame 29-for-96 shooting by winning the rebound battle, 75-56. For Bartram, Richard "Toby" Tyler (20) scored six straight points to force a 65-65 tie with 0:43 left. Bobby Lewis added 14 points.

1965
At Southern
Lincoln 74, Franklin 71
  Larry Cannon poured in 31 points — including 11 in a row in the third quarter — and grabbed 15 rebounds as Lincoln won its first championship and extended its record to 26-0. Dave Scheinfeld added 18 points and Glenn Brenner scored the go-ahead field goal in the final minute on a corner jumper. Cannon added clinching free throws. For Franklin, Walt Diggs scored 24 points and 6-9 Greg Fillmore dominated inside.

1966
At Northeast
Edison 78, Germantown 70
  Edison maintained control throughout as Rick Jordan scored 10 of his 20 points in a 22-14 first quarter. Erv "Stu" Staggs (20), Nate Mask (15), Sam Gore (12) and 6-9 Jack Stevenson (11) also reached double figures as the starters did all the scoring. Stevenson plucked 16 rebounds. Staggs held Donnell Greene, G-town's recordholder for points in a game (46), to seven points. Bill Scott had 18 points.

1967
At Lincoln
Overbrook 49, Germantown 42
  Eldred "Jay" Bagley scored six of his team-high 19 points in a 12-7 opening period as Overbrook established early control. Mike Gale shot 9-for-10 from the line en route to 17 points. For Germantown, which shot 13-for-58 and fell 30 points short of its scoring average, 6-7 Willie Sojourner had 25 points.

1968
At Northeast
West 57, Overbrook 55
  Lou Miller took a pass from Brady Small (21 points) and scored an open layup at the buzzer as West gave coach Doug Connelly his sixth title. Freddie Stokes added 17 points and Ernie Jones grabbed 20 rebounds. Ron Eleby (19) and Eldred "Jay" Bagley (14) led Overbrook in scoring.

1969
At Lincoln
Edison 69, Southern 67
  Dennis Mathews had 22 points and 16 rebounds and Romie Thomas mixed 16 points, five rebounds, four assists. With 0:02 left and the score tied at 67-67, Bob Peterson converted a one-and-one for the win. His first shot missed, but 6-11 Roland "Tree" Grant (21 rebounds) was called for goaltending when he swatted the bouncing ball off the rim. Southern's Elgren Green had 31 points and 12 rebounds.

1970
At Lincoln
Overbrook 57, Gratz 56
  Jerry Thomas (17) and Gary Garvin (16) led Overbrook in scoring, while Andre McCarter had 12 points and five assists. Joe Anderson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for coach John Chaney's Bulldogs, who stormed back from a 56-43 deficit before falling short.

1971
At Lincoln
Overbrook 69, West 48
  Andre McCarter had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Overbrook won its sixth title under coach Paul Ward. Jerry Thomas (16 points, nine rebounds), Rich Laurel (13, seven) and Kevin Washington (16 points) helped out. West's Tom Hooks had 18 points and 16 rebounds.

1972
At Lincoln
Bartram 75, Germantown 70
  Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant had 30 points, Roger Steve scored 18 points and Joe "Mad Dog" Pride mixed 13 points and 17 rebounds for Bartram, which won the last quarter, 23-14. Five-six guard John "Flip" Groce provided a spark when he made a steal and dribbled the length of the court through traffic for a layup. Marty Lee (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Mike Sojourner (15 points, 12 rebounds) led Germantown.

1973
Sonny Hill Winter League
(PL Season Ended by Teachers' Strike)
At the Palestra
Gratz 68, Olney 66
  Joe Gore (16 points) hit a jumper with 0:19 left to break the game's 12th tie, then added two free throws. Greg Pouncy added 22 points and 15 rebounds. Dana Clark (23 points) and Milt Colston (19, 14 rebounds) were Olney's leaders.

1974
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
West 48, Gratz 46
  Mark Dwight (14) and Tim Smith (10, 11 rebounds) were the only West players to score in double figures. Sixth-man Clarence Hamilton had six assists and made a one-and-one with 0:55 left to provide a 48-44 lead. For Gratz, Marvin Brown had 14 points and 20 rebounds.

1975
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
West 62, Gratz 40
  Mark Dwight scored 22 points, Tim Smith had 18 points and 11 rebounds and 6-6 sophomore Gene Banks claimed 15 rebounds. Gratz's Keith Johnson had 11 points and 18 rebounds.

1976
At the Palestra
West 89, Overbrook 78
  Junior Gene Banks (23 points, 22 rebounds) and sophomore Clarence "Eggy" Tillman (26, 20) dominated inside and junior Darryl "City Lights" Warwick had 20 points and five assists. Junior Lewis Lloyd was Overbrook's best with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Robert Carter had 23 points.

1977
At the Palestra
West 61, Overbrook 51
  With All-America Gene Banks watching from the bench (he was suspended for violating team rules), Clarence "Eggy" Tillman had 24 points and 12 rebounds before a turnaway crowd (8,000-plus). Mike Powell, who started in Banks's place, had 13 points. The Speedboys finished the season at 30-0 and were 79-2 in Banks's 3-year varsity career. Overbrook's Lewis Lloyd had 19 points and 13 rebounds.

1978
At the Palestra
West 68, Mastbaum 56
  Seventh-man Mark Davis, who'd attended Mastbaum as a junior, posted 20 points and nine rebounds as the Speedboys won their fifth straight title under coach Joe Goldenberg. Kevin "Rock" McCray had 12 points and seven assists. Burt Biggs, who went on to fame as boxer Tyrell Biggs, started for West. A few weeks earlier, West's state-record, 68-game winning streak had been snapped by Overbrook. For Mastbaum, Ray Thompson had 16 points and 15 rebounds.

1979
At the Palestra
Overbrook 63, Franklin 52
  Ricky Tucker had 19 points and five assists and Jeffrey Tucker (no relation), Richard Congo and Tony Costner claimed 16 rebounds apiece for the Panthers, who went 34-1 to set the city record for wins in a season. Franklin's Vaughn Taylor had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

1980
At the Palestra
Overbrook 72, Franklin 61
  Tony Costner had 26 points and 14 rebounds for 'Brook (34-0), which set the city record for the highest number of wins in a perfect season. Darryl "World" Brown (15 points) and Steve Black (13) helped out. For Franklin, Earl Hightower (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Phil Burton (15, 12) did well inside and Kevin "Mug" Brown had 11 assists.

1981
At Lincoln
Franklin 84, Frankford 71
  Reggie Faison (29) and Keith Walker (20) led the scoring and Vic Alexander mixed 15 points and 18 rebounds as Franklin won its first championship since 1952 and became the first North Philly winner since Edison in 1969. For Frankford, Anthony Chennault scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds.

1982
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Mastbaum 78, Franklin 71
  Dana "Dano" Garner (18 points) made the decisive play with 47 seconds remaining when he dribbled the length of the court, flipped in an opposite-hand layup, then added a free throw for a 74-70 lead. Mastbaum's first title came in its 37th PL season. Timmy Brown added 17 points and eight assists. Leon Washington scored 20 points for Franklin. Percy Warfield had 17 points and 16 rebounds.

1983
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Overbrook 52, West 49 (ot)
  Herman "Coozie" Willis (19) and Ahmad "Ahkkie" Gilbert (18) led Overbrook in scoring. With 0:38 left in OT, Octavius "Tate" Davis made two free throws to provide a 51-49 lead and Gilbert added another at 0:16. West then sandwiched a missed one-and-one by 'Brook with two misses from the floor. Marc Anderson had 11 points and nine rebounds for West.

1984
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Franklin 53, Dobbins 49
  Jerome "Pooh" Richardson had 17 points and Will Bolds collected 11 points and 11 rebounds. With 0:18 left, Greg "Bo" Kimble (26 points, 20 rebounds) converted a three-point play to pull Dobbins within 50-49. Richardson made a free throw at 0:13, then Dobbins's Eric "Hank" Gathers missed a 17-footer at 0:04. Rodney Miller's two free throws completed the scoring.

1985
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Dobbins 86, Southern 62
  Greg "Bo" Kimble had 27 points, 12 rebounds and three assists as Dobbins won its first title in its 40th PL season. Eric "Hank" Gathers added 27 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Sophomore Doug Overton had 12 points and 4 assists. For Southern, Lionel Simmons had 18 points and 11 boards.

1986
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Southern 66, Univ. City 64
  With 21 points and 18 rebounds, Lionel Simmons led Southern to its first title since 1946. Robert "World" Stokes (20 points) and Marshall Taylor (12 points, six assists) were the other key contributors. Stokes won the game with 0:07 left when his 10-foot banker was goaltended by Vincent "Butter" Smalls (12 points, 11 rebounds). Eric Kegler then dribbled the length of the floor and lipped the rim with an 18-footer. UC's David Scott had 21 points.

1987
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Southern 75, West 66
  Six players scored in double figures for Southern, led by Nelson Brown (18). The Rams trailed, 30-29, at halftime, then scored the first 14 points of the third quarter. For West, Mike Monroe had 26 points and 13 rebounds.

1988
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Frankford 71, West 64 (4 ot)
  Frankford, a PL member since the 1916-17 season, won its first championship in a classic war of attrition. Both teams lost four starters to personal fouls. Frankford's ninth man, guard Jeffrey Mack, made a huge steal in the third OT, then made another in the fourth. The Pioneers took the lead for good, at 64-62, on Jason Warley's rebound basket with 2:34 left. Warley had 22 points and 23 rebounds. His brother, Carlin, a sophomore, had 16 points and 15 rebounds. For West, Mik Kilgore had 27 points and 10 rebounds.

1989
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Frankford 75, Gratz 66
Carlin Warley collected 16 points and 20 rebounds for Frankford, which used no subs. Jason Warley had 20 points and nine rebounds. Cori Lewis totaled 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals. For Gratz, the leaders were Harry Moore (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Aaron McKie (19 points).

1990
At the Civic Center
Gratz 80, Franklin LC 60
  Rasheed Wallace, a 6-8 freshman, led the rout with 23 points as the Bulldogs won their first PL championship since 1939. Harry Moore had 15 points while Aaron McKie added 14 points and eight assists. For FLC, Faron "Meatball" Hand had 19 points, eight rebounds.

1991
At the Civic Center
Gratz 47, Franklin LC 43
  After Wilfred Kirkaldy drew an offensive foul on FLC's Faron "Meatball" Hand with 0:08 left, Levan Alston converted a one-and-one at 0:06 to clinch the win. Andre Griffin (14) and Alston (13) led Gratz in scoring. Tyrone Weeks (15) and Hand (13) topped FLC.

1992
At the Civic Center
Franklin LC 63, Gratz 50
  Faron "Meatball" Hand (14 points, 16 rebounds), Tyrone Weeks (eight points, 18 rebounds) and Sean Colson (13 points, six assists) led the way for FLC, which won its first championship. Gratz was held to 33 percent shooting from the field and was outrebounded, 49-28. Rasheed Wallace had 27 points, 12 rebounds and nine blocked shots.

1993
At the Civic Center
Gratz 63, Franklin LC 45
  With 8,500 watching, Rasheed Wallace totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots as the Bulldogs (31-0) became the first city team to enjoy a perfect season since Overbrook in 1980 (34-0). Lynard Stewart added 14 points. Gratz was named the consensus No. 1 team in the country and the No. 3 team in city history by the Daily News. No one scored in double figures for FLC.

1994
At St. Joseph's University
Franklin LC 56, Gratz 55
  In the most amazing finish in PL playoff history, Michael Robinson (13 points) fumbled the ball, then ducked under the upraised arms of a defender and swished a 30-foot three-pointer with 1 second left to win it. It was the first time since 1968 that a championship was won on a last-second shot and the lead was FLC's first of the game. Rasiheed "Noot" Arnold poured in 34 points before fouling out. Lynard Stewart and Terrell Stokes scored 12 points each for Gratz.
  Note: The school district later found that FLC had used ineligible players during the season. The district stripped FLC of the title and awarded it to Gratz.

1995
At the Civic Center
Univ. City 44, Gratz 43
  Franchise swingman Rasheed Brokenborough went just 1-for-9 from the floor, but managed 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists as the Jaguars won their first title in their 22nd season and completed the first girl-boy sweep in PL title history. Brokenborough finished with 1,774 career points, No. 3 in PL history. Anthony "Chop" Harris (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Alfonso Wilson (eight, 12) helped out. Gratz had a chance to tie in the waning moments when Terrance "Fats" Smith was fouled. He made the first free throw, then missed the second. Gratz's Erik Hood grabbed the rebound and lofted a follow. The ball bounced tantalizingly on the rim three times before dropping off to the side.

1996
At the Civic Center
Edison 74, Gratz 68 (ot)
  Mark Peterson shot 15-for-16 at the line en route to 27 points (nine in OT) and added 10 rebounds for the Owls, champs for the first time since 1969. Omar Logan added 17 points. After Gratz's Marvin O'Connor (35 points) scored with 2 seconds left in regulation to provide a 58-56 lead, Edison forced overtime on an amazing play: Tyrone Forrest made a three-quarters court pass to Albert Crockett, who caught the deflected ball on a short hop and made an all-in-one-motion turn and flip to the basket from 15 feet. The ball banked in!

1997
At the Palestra
Gratz 68, Eng. and Science 46
  Steve Kennedy collected 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks while Marvin O'Connor (13 rebounds) and Jarett Kearse also scored 14 points. Shatee "Meatball" Cooks added 11 points and 10 boards. Lynn Greer led E&S with 19 points to finish his career with 1,991. Also, he set PL and city playoff records with 138.

1998
At the Palestra
Franklin 61, Franklin LC 56
  Alex Wesby scored 17 points, snatched 22 rebounds and notched five blocks as the Electrons won their first title since 1984 and denied their block-away neighbor. Calvin Johnson (15) and Kevin Isley (10) also scored in double figures and Gary Palmer had five assists. For FLC, Charles "Tuna" Pringle scored 17 points and sub Cameron Milton added 12 points, five steals.

1999
At St. Joseph's University
Franklin 69, Gratz 63
  Forward Denelle Holly, in 30 minutes off the bench, shot 8-for-11 and 2-for-3 for 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Electrons sent coach Ken Hamilton (456-184 in 28 seasons; most wins in PL history) into retirement with his second consecutive title and fourth overall. In the final three rounds of the playoffs, Holly shot 22-for-29 en route to 53 points and collected 45 rebounds. Jason "Smooth" Dunham (20 points), Calvin Johnson (13), Gary Palmer (10 points, seven rebounds) and Hanif "Julio" Styles (four assists) lent assistance. For Gratz, Jermaine Robinson (16) and Percell Coles (14) led the way.

2000
At Temple's Liacouras Center
Straw. Mansion 60, Gratz 49
  The Knights spurted to a 10-1 lead, got 22 points and 13 rebounds from Omar Thomas and held off a late-game challenge to win their first-ever title and spit out the bad taste of an 0-16 lifetime record against Gratz. Gregory "Fatty" Cunningham had nine points and nine assists while freshman Maureece Rice added 13 points, three assists and three steals to negate the rough times suffered by Darryl Jones -- limited to 16 minutes by foul trouble; departed with 7:44 left. For Gratz, only Percell Coles (18) reached double figures and it was his trey that sliced Mansion's lead to 41-38 with just under 4:00 left. The Knights stormed to 10 of the next 14 points. Mansion coach Gerald Hendricks dedicated the win to his 17-year-old son, Kyle, a national-class breaststroker who'd been left quadriplegic in a swim-practice accident 17 months earlier.

2001
At Temple's Liacouras Center
Gratz 40, Frankford
  This game was largely unentertaining and was often downright boring through three quarters. But in the fourth, Gratz turned up the defensive intensity, the rooting sections got involved and things got much more interesting. When the Bulldogs made their winning burst, the lineup included three subs -- soph Omar Johnson, junior Augie Woodlin and sr. William McNeil -- and all made major contributions. McNeil scored eight points in the quarter and it was his steal, 60-foot drive and not-easy dunk that put the Bulldogs ahead for good, at 36-34. Michael Cuffe (11 points) then went 4-for-4 at the line. Frankford shot just 9-for-30, but went 14-for-19 at the line. It also was guilty of 22 turnovers; 10 in the last quarter. Kevin "Chip" Green had 12 points, two assists and three steals. Nicholas King added eight points, five blocks.

2002
At Temple's Liacouras Center
Straw. Mansion 73, Northeast 62
    Northeast, making its first final appearance since 1956, was outscored, 13-0, over the final 3:15 after Troy Roundtree converted a follow. Mansion went ahead for good, 65-62, as Delton Morgan-Hines (13 points, 10 rebounds) converted a three-point play off a follow at 1:02. At the other end, deep sub Paul Calloway tried a shot from the top of the key. Dawud Morris (15 points, five blocks) flashed from out of nowhere to block it and sub guard Wayne "Whispers" Harrington completed a fastbreak with a layup. Mansion eased home from there. Maureece Rice, the PL scoring champ for the second consecutive years, was off (6-for-21) from the floor, but he went 8-for-10 from the line, still finished with a respectable point total (21) and made six steals. For Northeast, Chaz Crawford posted 12 blocked shots along with nine rebounds and six points; soph Kyle Lowry zoomed and varoomed for 20 points (14 in the third quarter) and also made four steals; and Roundtree shot 10-for-17 and 2-for-2 for 22 points and grabbed eight boards.

2003
At Temple's Liacouras Center
Bartram 64, Gratz 62 (OT)
   Todd "Kojak" McCoy, usually a complimentary player, exploded for a career-high 23 points (9-for-13, 5-for-6) as the Braves captured their first title since 1972. He also wolfed down 14 rebounds. Charles Jones added 21 points, despite going 5-for-14 at the line, and four assists. Jason Cain mixed eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks. He also forced OT by hitting the second of two free throws with 7.9 seconds left in regulation. Khalil Abdus-Salaam played strong defense on Gratz's main scorer, Mark Tyndale (10 points). In OT, Bartram received an early field goal from sub Antwan Garfield, then went 11-for-18 at the line. Gratz used nine players. Eight scored from six to 10 points.

2004
At Temple's Liacouras Center
Gratz 71, Frankford 53
   After going without a field goal in a four-point first half, Mark Tyndale went crazy and finished with 27 points. He had six in the third and 17 in the fourth and canned his last eight shots from the floor; most followed hard, athletic moves to the hoop. He shot 9-for-18 and 9-for-15 while adding eight rebounds. Tyrone "Tamir" Smith mixed 15 points and five assists while Jason Hickenbottom (12) and Malcolm Welles (11) also scored in double digits. Maurice Miller, Frankford's only double-figure scorer, nailed four treys en route to 20 points. The Pioneers eased within five points at the start of the fourth quarter, then faded.

2005
At Temple's Liacouras Center
   Central 52, Prep Charter 46: The Lancers, coached by '71 grad Haviland Harper, won their first title since 1932 the hard way, spotting PC a 10-0 lead in the first 2 1/2 minutes. They scrapped a press and crawled back with tough man-to-man defense, forcing the Huskies into 34 turnovers. Game MVP Scott Rodgers totaled 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals and he contributed a spectacular sequence -- flying block at one end, layup at the other -- to provide mid-second-quarter momentum. The Lancers scored the last basket of the half on Andre Woodlin's layup to take a 24-22 lead and rang up seven more points in the first 47 seconds of the third quarter. Woodlin had 14 points, seven boards, three steals. Led by Rodney Green (20 points, seven rebounds), PC cut Central's lead to 47-46. Kenny St. George, 1-for-12 to that point, drove from the right corner for a dipsy-doodle layup at 0:40. PC's next two possessions resulted in turnovers while Rodgers went 2-for-4 at the line. Green missed a trey, St. George rebounded and finalized the scoring at 8.6 with a free throw. Green, who won game sportsmanship honors, shot an astounding 81 percent from the floor (39-for-48, 86 total points) in PC's four playoff games. PC, a fourth-year Pub member, was the first charter school to reach the final.

2006
At La Salle Univ.
  Gratz 62, Comm. Tech 36: The Bulldogs stormed to a 14-4 lead, basically maintained until halftime (25-16) and then scored the first 12 points of the third quarter to reduce the game to rubble. It was the biggest spread in PL finals history, surpassing the 24-point win Dobbins collected against Southern in 1985 (86-62). Game MVP Malik Alvin (21) shot 9-for-13 and Velton Jones was versatile with 12 points, five rebounds and three apiece of assists and steals. Brandon Combs notched seven boards and three blocks and scored all eight of his points while the Bulldogs were claiming their 14-4 pad. CT, a first-year Pub member and formerly a Bartram annex, shot 15-for-60 total and 2-for-28 on treys. Ben Whitt went 2-for-15 from distance after going 7-for-14 in the semifinal win over Imhotep. Andrew "Scootie" Randall totaled 10 points, seven rebounds, four blocks.

2007
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  Prep Charter 49, Gratz 48: The Huskies survived as Gratz missed three "last shots," one of which was launched after the game "ended." After 6-10 Markieff Morris partially deflected a close-in flip shot by Josh "Scrap" Martin and 6-9 Marcus Morris, Markieff's identical twin, batted away Alibaba Odd's follow, the clock melted down to 0:00 and the Huskies' fans/cheerleaders stormed the court in celebration and "We Are the Champions" played over the sound system. One problem: the clock should have been stopped. The referees summoned the Huskies back to the court and put 1.3 on the clock. Martin inbounded to Charles White, who missed a left-wing trey. PC's joy was repeated, this time with even more intensity. Just two days after Neumann-Goretti's Rick Jackson posted 26 points, 17 rebounds and eight rebounds in a CL semi, Markieff went pretty much stat for stat with 23-18-8. Marcus had 10 points, 10 boards and five assists. Gratz turned three straight steals into six consecutive points and a 48-47 lead before Markieff took a pass from Tyree "Chuck" Harris and followed his own miss for what turned out to be the winning basket. Tommie "T.J." Sykes (13), White (11) and Ishmawiyl McFadden (10) scored in double figures for Gratz. White added eight rebounds and four assists. The loss made Gratz 7-9 in title games over the last 19 seasons, with three setbacks by one point and two others in OT. (One of those one-point losses, to Franklin LC in '94, was later erased due to the Bobcats' use of ineligible players.)

2008
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  Comm. Tech 70, Frankford 61 (2 OTs): Though poor shooting and sloppy play made this one somewhat hard on the eyes through three quarters, it became quite the goodie in the fourth quarter and extra sessions as CT claimed a title in only its third Pub season. (CT was once an annex of Bartram, which won a PL title in its fourth season, 1944.) Andrew "Scootie" Randall, the coaches' choice as PL MVP, saw scant first half action due to foul trouble. He guided the Phoenix down the stretch while finalizing his numbers at 16 points, 12 rebounds, five assists. Manny Jordan, at 6-5, 255 pounds, won game MVP honors with 17 boards and six blocks in addition to nine points. Antonio "Gee" Monroe had 14 points and five assists before fouling out early in the first OT and Chris Jones saved eight of his 11 points for the OTs. Lou Biester (also Bartram '03) became the first Pub coach to win titles at different schools since Bill Nelson at Franklin in '51 and Germantown in '64. For Frankford, Malik Tinsley collected 21 points and 15 rebounds, Malik Ballard added 20 points, seven boards and four assists and Khayree Brown had 13 points, 11 boards. The teams combined to shoot 58-for-154 from the floor (38 percent) and 24-for-46 at the line (52). This was the league's last full-blown title and was followed the morning after by a rousing assembly, witnessed by all students, during which Randall announced his commitment to Temple.

2009
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  Imhotep 49, Franklin LC 43: This first-ever Pub final featuring NO neighborhood schools went to the charter in its fifth year of membership. A largely forgettable game became a sweetheart in the fourth quarter and there was major excitement with 42.3 remaining after Denzel Yard hit a trey to draw FLC within 43-42. Thereafter, game MVP Sam Prescott (24 points, just like Yard) went 6-for-9 at the line to assure the title. Overall, he shot 7-for-13 and 10-for-15 while adding 13 rebounds and three apiece of steals and blocks. Yard's line included four boards, two assists and three steals. Yard’s percentage of FLC’s points (55.8) was the highest in a Pub final since FLC’s Rasiheed “Noot” Arnold managed 60.7 (34 of 56) in ’94 vs. Gratz. Overall, Yard poured in 132 points in five playoffs for 44.3 percent of 298. In this game he was the only Bobcat with more than one field goal and the other guys combined to shoot 6-for-26. Imhotep's Parrish Grant Grant finished with 10 points, five assists and two steals while likely becoming the first player in Pub history to start for championship teams at two schools (also Prep Charter in ’07). A year earlier, North Catholic’s Velton Jones had become the first guy to start for title teams in two leagues (also Gratz in ’06).

2010
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  Imhotep 58, Bartram 46: Completing a three-playoffs-in-four-days run, the Panthers became the first Pub team to capture back-to-back championships since Franklin in 1998-99. Ameen Tanksley won game MVP honors with 14 points while Erik Copes controlled the inside with 13 rebounds, seven blocks. Five others scored from six to nine points and 17 markers were provided by subs (Bakari White nine, Earl Brown eight). Scoring-wise, only guard Tyrone Garland (32 points, six treys) made an appearance for the Braves. The others combined to go 5-for-37 from the floor.

2011
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  Imhotep 57, Constitution 44: With Ameen Tanksley (15 points) again earning game MVP honors, the Panthers became the first Pub squad to win three consecutive titles since West Philadelphia collared five from 1974 to '78. Tanksley scored six points in a 12-6 third quarter, enabling Imhotep to create space after the first half ended 22-20. Tyhiem "Redz" Perrin made it 41-28 on a layup and three-point play off passes from David Appolon. During its three-year dominance, coach Andre Noble's squad went 55-2 and outscored its opponents, 3,911 to 2,435 (average of 69-43). And in the last three rounds of these playoffs, it forced opponents to shoot 46-for-146 (31.5 percent) and commit 56 turnovers. For Constitution, a special-admit school in only its second year of PL membership, Daiquan Walker scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half.

2012
At Community College of Phila.
  Constitution 85, Boys' Latin 60: In an ironic twist, the Generals (18-9) likely became the Pub champ with the most overall losses while racking up the second highest victory margin (to Gratz' 26-point win over Comm Tech in 2006) in a final. ConHigh forced seven turnovers in the first 6:51 and seized a 13-4 lead on a steal/dunk combo by high-wire-act Savon Goodman (24 points, five dunks, 12 rebounds, six steals). Then, things only got better. Daiquan Walker totaled 15 points and seven assists to earn game MVP honors while Craig "Poppy" Slade, who'd missed the semifinals after losing a tooth in a quarterfinal, grabbed 10 boards and played shutout defense. His uncles, identical twins Mike/Mark (Lincoln football '79) and William "Randy" Slade (Dobbins basketball '85), had also won Pub crowns. Amonie "Moonie" Holloman (15) and Fajion Jones (13) also scored in double figures. Yahmir Greenlee (20; most posted during helter-skelter time) and Maurice "Doo-Wop" Watson (14), who in a quarterfinal had surpassed Wilt Chamberlain to become the No. 2 scorer in city history, topped BL. Roughly 80 percent of the spectators departed before game's end.

2013
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  Imhotep 67, Vaux 66: Rysheed Jordan exploded for 45 points, the No. 1 effort in city history in any version of a championship game (Pub/Cath/City Title; Wilt Chamberlain dropped 40 in the '54 Pub final), but was unable to hit a buzzer-beating, right-wing jumper after Abraham Massaley canned a layup with 12 seconds remaining. The crown was Imhotep’s fourth in five years and avenged a 22-point, home-court setback incurred during the regular season. MVP Brandon Austin fouled out at 49.5 with 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Deryl Bagwell (15) knocked down four treys and Basil Thompson posted nine apiece of points/rebounds. Jordan hit his first 17 free throws and finished 10-for-21 (4-for-9 on treys) and 21-for-23. He packed 16 points into the fourth quarter, which began with Vaux facing an 11-point deficit. He also finished with six apiece of rebounds/steals. The other Cougars were 9-for-28 from the floor. Imhotep was the first Pub squad to win football (Class AA)/basketball (overall) titles in the same school year since Frankford (both overall) in 1987-88. The hoops Pioneers topped West Philly, 71-64, in four OTs, and one of their stars was Vaux coach Jamie Ross.

2014
At Temple's Liacouras Center
  King 46, Constitution 44: In its 38th season of Pub membership, King turned its first title-game appearance into a happy occasion. The teams combined to shot 25-for-88 from the floor and 5-for-22 beyond the illegal arc (at the college distance of 20 feet, 9 inches). A high school arc (19-9) was never painted onto the court. Soph Jabri McCall sparked the Cougars with nine quick points (including a four-point play) midway through the third quarter, lifting their lead from 21-20 to 30-21. Akeem King's two free throws advanced the Generals within 46-44 at 19.5 and McCall missed a pair at 10.2, but off a timeout at 5.8 Ahmad Gilbert was short with a trey from the top of the key. McCall (13) and Sammy Foreman (12) paced the Cougars in scoring while Jahmir Taylor battled for 14 rebounds/four blocks. Constitution's Kimar Williams used 8-for-8 marksmanship at the line to reach 12 points. Gilbert claimed 11 boards while Chad Andrews and guard Floyd Preito halved 18. Sean Colson became just the third guy in 76 seasons to coach a Pub champ after starting for one (Franklin Learning Center in '92), joining Bill Nelson (Bartram '44; Franklin in '52 and Germantown in '64) and Vince Miller (Overbrook in '55, Frankford in '88 and '89). Also, he was the third former NBA/ABA player to win a city leagues championship, matching Fran O'Hanlon at Bonner in '88 and Tom Ingelsby at Carroll in '95. Like Colson, they also started for title teams in high school (O'Hanlon at St. Thomas More in '66; Ingelsby at O'Hara in '68). King was 7-3 (.700) in regular season league play, the lowest winning percentage for a Pub team that wound up winning the crown since Franklin's .667 (6-3) in '52.

2015
At Saint Joseph's University
  Imhotep 77, Constitution 75: The Panthers won their fifth championship in seven years in noteworthy fashion, overcoming a 55-45 deficit and catching a gigantic break when Constitution's last bucket -- layup by Chad Andrews-Fulton off a fastbreak feed from Kimar Williams -- was correctly ruled to have been sent hoopward a split-second after the final buzzer. Soph guard Daron Russell won MVP honors by totaling 19 points and four assists; his dish to DeAnte Robinson (spinning flip shot) put 'Tep ahead for good, at 74-73, with 0:17 left. Khalief Tinley (12), Robinson (11, eight rebounds), Devin Liggeons (10, three blocks) and Jaekwon Carlyle (10) also scored in double figures. Williams drilled three treys en route to 27 points while Andrews-Fulton (nine rebounds) shot 7-for-7 and 7-for-9 for 21 points. Star forward Ahmad "J.R." Gilbert added nine points and eight boards before fouling out with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. Imhotep became the third school in Pub history to win boy/girl crowns in the same season, joining University City in 1995 and Central in 2005. The Panthers were the first to have also captured a Pub football crown (AAA) in that school year. And by the end of the season, they were the most-defeated champion at 22-10. The 152 combined points were the third highest total in Pub finals history, trailing 167 by West Philly-Overbrook in '76 and 155 by Franklin-Frankford in '81.