BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

March 15 1956

Coach Mike Pappas’ Pawtucket Boys’ Club hoopsters made it three years in a row by defeating Bunker Hill of Boston 102-85 in the New England Boys’ Club championship final game. Vin Brennan led the locals with 26 points, followed by Billy Truesdale with 20, Pete Tringa 17, Joe Dragon 16 and Ken Jackson 11. In the semifinal tilt, Truesdale hooped 24, Brennan netted 21 and Jackson canned 20 in an 85-74 win over South End of Boston.

1966

Lonnie Matteo sank the clinching free throw with 20 seconds remaining to propel St. Mary’s to a thrilling 26-25 win over St. Mathieu’s and advance to the championship game of the Blackstone Valley Girls’ Intermediate Basketball League. Unbeaten Holy Trinity, the defending champ, crushed St. Jude’s 45-11 and will meet St. Mary’s in the league’s finale. Karen McCann and Bev Morrissey poured in 17 points each and Claire Hosey added 10 for the winners.

1976

Bobby Brown, Davies’ 6-foot senior who earned a reputation as the best long-range bomber in the Blackstone Valley, had the 500 fans oohing throughout by firing in a gamehigh 23 points and taking the MVP award but it was not enough as the First Team prevailed 75-68 over the Second Team in the annual All-Star schoolboy basketball game sponsored by the Cumberland-Lincoln Boys’ Club Alumni Association. The first team had four players dent double digits led by Pawtucket West’s Steve Galuska with 17 points, followed by Cumberland’s Mike Mueller 15, Ken Vaudreuil of Central Falls 12 and Ranger Steve Nisbet with 10.