It is a difficult task to attempt the summarization of the basketball season this year. As a whole, the Crimson squad fell far short of expectations, as individual units, the players comprising the squad were on a par with almost any team in the fast East Penn League.

   The final circuit standings reveal that Pottsville finished a poor seventh in an eight team league. However, in the individual scoring, Tabby Howells, Pottsville's forward, finished in third position, closely trailing Hauze and Bomm of Allentown and Hazleton. Other members of the squad finished fairly high in the standing and each of the ten members secured at least four conference points.

   Only two league games were won, one against Coatsville and one against Doylestown., but all others were dropped by varying margins. Many games were lost that should, without doubt, have been Crimson victories. The first league game was played with Allentown, the game resulting in a one-sided score in favor of the Canaries. Bethlehem won by as great a score less than a week later on the same floor, since the Armory at the time was being used as a post-office annex to take care of the Christmas rush.

   The next game was again an away tilt, but it resulted favorably for the locals, as they beat Doyslestown, 41-19. The win over Coatsville followed the first league victory in short order, the Crimson taking the long end of a 39-36 score, after forty minutes of regulation play. A five-minute extra period has resulted in a deadlock, the second extra period of five minutes saw the white-jerseyed five slip three points through the hoop to end the game.

   One of the many games that should surely have been a Pottsville victory was the away Pottstown fray, resulting in a 25-24 "town" triumph. The long shots which won the Coatsville scrap proved the undoing of the Crimson and White. Easton edged out a slender plurality to win 46-40 in a tensely exciting game at the Armory, three spectacular shots in the very last minutes of the expiring set-to, sounding the death knell of the Coal City clan.

   Hazleton had little trouble taking Pottsville measure, 42-23 in the game played in their big gym. Although the Pottsville passers doggedly hung on the entire first half, during the second part, the mountaineers gradually pulled away. Expulsion of Eddie Mader because of the personal foul statute with no available substitute of equal ability caused a decrease in the effectiveness of the Pottsville defense.

   Bethlehem followed Allentown again with a victory over Pottsville with a fast offensive drive. Mader, with three personals, had to guard his opponent very cautiously, and the latter tallied 20 points. The most disgraceful showing of the year was against the tail-end Doylestown five on the Pottsville home floor. The passing was ragged, the shooting miserably inaccurate, the team work extremely mediocre, and the fighting spirit of the Doilies stepped them up to a 30-25 win, their first and only league victory this year.

   At Coatsville, two Red Coats had nineteen and twenty points each, Howell had seventeen, and Shellhammer fourteen, with the Crimson squad losing, 54-43, an enormous scoring total. The second Pottstown game should also have registered for Pottsville, but a continuation of the long shot addiction coupled with lazy teamwork, caused the locals to lose 29-22. Easton won, 35-28 on their own floor, and Hazleton descended on Pottsville with a crowd of rooters and took home a favorable side of a 37-28 score.

   The Pottsville quintet naturally took the measure of Branch Township, Port Carbo, and the Alumni in games, 45-11,54-23, 33-28 were the respective scores of these games. As has been stated before, although the Crimson five showed up badly, individually each man ewas a potential star.

   Tabby Howell, high scorer with 156 points was widely picked as forward on the All-League Team. Howell had instinctive basketball ability, and during the first half of the schedule, literally burned up the league. After that he was a marked and extremely well-guarded individual. He led the circuit in scoring almost throughout, but in the Doylestown game garnered only three points while his opponents gather many more. Against Hazleton, he had time to make only one basketball, so that he came to rest in third place in the list of high scorers in the league.

   Leroy Shellhammer was fast and accurate in shooting, and teamed with Howell to form an experienced and formidable forward combination. He played a whirl-wind game at Coatsville, passing and cutting with lightning-like agility. Shelly was on par with most of the league forwards, and the combination of Howell and Shellhammer was on a par with any in the circuit.

   Eddie Mader could compare with any league center, except perhaps Tarone, Robinson, and Hauze. He could jump high, shoot accurately, pass well, and was good in every angle of his position. Eddie was especially adept at committing personal fouls. The team was severely hampered in many games because Eddie was expelled through the personal foul law.

   Johnny Moody played a superior guarding game and was on an equal standing with any guard against whom he played. He was not a dangerous shot, but occasionally tossed a long stab into the hoop. He was a calm, heady player, making every pass count. His defense work against Allentown in the first league game was phenomenal.

   The fifth member of the squad is Les Sherry, a varsity player for three years. Les was small in comparsion to the other men on the team, but his stellar floor work made up for his height. Les handles a ball more cleanly than any one in the league. In the Pottstown fray, Les gave a demonstration of his most perfect guarding game, which drew rounds of applause from spectators.

   Why the above five did not do better in the league can only be conjectured, Howell, spectacular shot, marvelous floor man, good dribbler: Shellhammer: fast as any man in the league, good shot, expert dribbler: Mader, above-average jumper, fast passer, hard player: Moody: conscientious, fast passer, fast cutter, average shot, hard player, one of the best in the whole league on recoveries from the bank-board: Sherry, good shot, hardest player in the league, husky, powerful in a scrimmage for the ball,stellar guard, well versed on the rules and the fine points of the game, splendid guard but short; why they did not sweep all before them is a mystery. Perhaps individualism crept in, making team work below par. At any rate, we can only conjecture.

   Exactly one full team returns next season composed of experienced men. At the end of the year, the following men, by virtue of their consistent wins over the senior five, won the title of first string men: McCormick and Freeze, forwards, Merrick, center, Devitt and Dimmerling, guards. This team functioned spectacularly for one quarter against Hazleton in the last game of the year.

   Merrick, although a guard this year, was high scorer in more than one game and was spectacular, but not always accurate in his shooting. His long shot did a great good in the Coatsville game, but thereafter he overdid the practice. Ed, shifted to center, showed up well as he is a good shot and hard player.

   Dimmerling was a forward all year except the last few games when he was sent in at guard with some success. Bill was tricky and did fine floor work. He cashed the deciding three points in the close Coatsville clash. Bill knows basketball in and out from constant association with the sport.

   Wang Devitt was a calm and conservative player, making every shot count. He is quite husky and has his share of trick shots which should make him a valuable member of next year's team.

   McCormick and Freeze did not play many quarters till near the end of the year, both playing in the Hazleton scrap. Moose McCormick was shifted from guard to forward and did very well in the latter position. Freeze was not a very consistent player, demonstrating bang-up basketball in practice, and then seemingly becoming stage-struck in games. Near the end of the year, however, he found himself. Charles Bryon Holstein was the manager of this year's quintet, having earned this position of responsibility by serving two years in the capacity of assistant manager.