Favorite WPIAL gymnasiums?

[HailToPitt725]

A while back, there was a thread on the football board discussing favorite stadiums around the WPIAL. What are some of your favorite basketball gymnasiums from around the WPIAL?

Also, how did you come to that decision? Is it a newer, nicer facility like Montour or a historic gymnasium like Wash High? Is it a smaller, more intimate facility or is it a much larger gymnasium like Bethel Park? Does it even have a special, unique floor like Gateway?

What say you?

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

St. Mary’s Lyceum gymnasium in Lawrenceville is my actual choice.

I played there, coached there, just love the history. Newspaper clippings from the 60s lining the halls, true urban basketball stuff.

My proud parent choice is Taylor Allderdice because my daughter goes there now but the gym is pretty basic, if spacious.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

Wash High

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

I guess mine weren't WPIAL, sorry about that!

 

[PittPap]

I guess mine weren't WPIAL, sorry about that!

Washington H.S. for sure. Bowl design w/seats not benches.

 

[Voice of Danno]

Vincention was the absolute worse. My garage was bigger and I couldn't fit a hoops court in it.

 

[Millerton]

St. Mary’s Lyceum gymnasium in Lawrenceville is my actual choice.

I played there, coached there, just love the history. Newspaper clippings from the 60s lining the halls, true urban basketball stuff.

My proud parent choice is Taylor Allderdice because my daughter goes there now but the gym is pretty basic, if spacious.

Loved St. Mary Lyceum. Played there in a holiday tournament. The balcony that wrapped around the entire court with the pennants of all the schools hanging over the railing. They also had big brackets of the tournament on the wall for everyone to see. Not high school i know

 

[JRPITT]

A while back, there was a thread on the football board discussing favorite stadiums around the WPIAL. What are some of your favorite basketball gymnasiums from around the WPIAL?

Also, how did you come to that decision? Is it a newer, nicer facility like Montour or a historic gymnasium like Wash High? Is it a smaller, more intimate facility or is it a much larger gymnasium like Bethel Park? Does it even have a special, unique floor like Gateway?

What say you?

Wash High

 

[Cap pitt]

New Castle high school, by far, my job takes me to a lot if gymnasiums in western pa and eastern Ohio, full college size court too most hig school courts are not full size, holds around 2500 to 3000, just a beautiful facility

 

[brdst11]

St Mary's is a great gym and was a fun place to play once you could figure out the over and back rules.

It isn't a current high school gym but one time it was, since Lawrenceville Catholic played their games there.

Loved St. Mary Lyceum. Played there in a holiday tournament. The balcony that wrapped around the entire court with the pennants of all the schools hanging over the railing. They also had big brackets of the tournament on the wall for everyone to see. Not high school i know

 

[Pizzaboy2]

With

Wash High

With Ron Faust standing by the scorers table,classic!

 

[DT_PITT]

St. Mary’s Lyceum gymnasium in Lawrenceville is my actual choice.

I played there, coached there, just love the history. Newspaper clippings from the 60s lining the halls, true urban basketball stuff.

My proud parent choice is Taylor Allderdice because my daughter goes there now but the gym is pretty basic, if spacious.

Nothing like St Mary’s Lyceum. Matt Carroll tour up our 8th grade team there.

Do they play games older than 8th grade with it being so small?

 

[DT_PITT]

St Mary's is a great gym and was a fun place to play once you could figure out the over and back rules.

It isn't a current high school gym but one time it was, since Lawrenceville Catholic played their games there.

It’s easy ... it’s the first line you cross!

 

[vikings1980]

St Mary's is a great gym and was a fun place to play once you could figure out the over and back rules.

It isn't a current high school gym but one time it was, since Lawrenceville Catholic played their games there.

Does anyone remember the referee, Joe Hollar, that used to work a lot of games at St. Mary’s?

 

[TheLogicalTake]

I’ll second the New Castle pick. Even their middle school court was intimidating with the cage around the top back in the day. Great atmosphere up there

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Nothing like St Mary’s Lyceum. Matt Carroll tour up our 8th grade team there.

Do they play games older than 8th grade with it being so small?

No, I dont think so re: above 8th grade. I assistant coached at St Raphaels in Morningside and it was even smaller! Most of our strategy was based around pressing teams not used to such a tiny gym. A friend of mine who coached at the public school in Chinatown in NYC said there was a gym with two big columns in the gym (covered by carpet and some sort of foam barrier) that they would run pick plays off of.

Matt is a year younger than me, we were friends (he hit a ton of home runs in little league baseball.) He was dunking two handed at St Als by 8th grade. The funny thing is in the NBA he wasn't "athletic" but of course by like normal human standards, he was one of the most athletic people I've ever met. His brother Pat was excellent of course too. In fact on the same little league team, we had future MLB player Neil Walker as our 9 year old "call up" player if we were short a guy, so we had two pro athletes and another son of a pro athlete all on the same team.

 

[DT_PITT]

No, I dont think so re: above 8th grade. I assistant coached at St Raphaels in Morningside and it was even smaller! Most of our strategy was based around pressing teams not used to such a tiny gym. A friend of mine who coached at the public school in Chinatown in NYC said there was a gym with two big columns in the gym (covered by carpet and some sort of foam barrier) that they would run pick plays off of.

Matt is a year younger than me, we were friends (he hit a ton of home runs in little league baseball.) He was dunking two handed at St Als by 8th grade. The funny thing is in the NBA he wasn't "athletic" but of course by like normal human standards, he was one of the most athletic people I've ever met. His brother Pat was excellent of course too. In fact on the same little league team, we had future MLB player Neil Walker as our 9 year old "call up" player if we were short a guy, so we had two pro athletes and another son of a pro athlete all on the same team.

I probably coached against you when you played (Sacred Heart).

 

[Millerton]

Does anyone remember the referee, Joe Hollar, that used to work a lot of games at St. Mary’s?

Do you mean 'Screaming Joe'? He'll yeah funny sh☆t.. i had home games with him too. His over and back calls were the best.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

RIP Screaming Joe aka Westview Joe

My dad said one time he was reffing football and threw a flag for a penalty, then his hat for a second penalty, and then he ran out of things to throw so he spit to mark the third one.

 

[Millerton]

RIP Screaming Joe aka Westview Joe

My dad said one time he was reffing football and threw a flag for a penalty, then his hat for a second penalty, and then he ran out of things to throw so he spit to mark the third one.

Lol, I can see it

 

[vikings1980]

Do you mean 'Screaming Joe'? He'll yeah funny sh☆t.. i had home games with him too. His over and back calls were the best.

He was the best and I think his name was actually Hollar.

 

[vikings1980]

I probably coached against you when you played (Sacred Heart).

I coached at Sacred Heart as well, JV. My team was really good but couldn’t beat St. Al’s with Matt and Kevin McCabe. It had to crush long time Notth Catholic coach and Matt’s grandfather Don Graham when Matt moved to Eastern PA after 8th grade.

 

[DT_PITT]

I coached at Sacred Heart as well, JV. My team was really good but couldn’t beat St. Al’s with Matt and Kevin McCabe. It had to crush long time Notth Catholic coach and Matt’s grandfather Don Graham when Matt moved to Eastern PA after 8th grade.

I was there around 89-92.

 

[vikings1980]

I was there around 89-92.

Carroll graduated ND IN 2003 which puts him leaving 8th grade in 95.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

He was the best and I think his name was actually Hollar.

Joe Halder, though Hollar would have been perfect.

 

[DT_PITT]

Carroll graduated ND IN 2003 which puts him leaving 8th grade in 95.

My memory is a little muddy as you can tell. What I can say for sure was that the guy I coach with told me that it was Matt Carroll, but the years don't line up. I'm pretty sure my seasons at SH were 89-90, 90-91, 91-92. But I could be off by a year on this also.

 

[vikings1980]

My memory is a little muddy as you can tell. What I can say for sure was that the guy I coach with told me that it was Matt Carroll, but the years don't line up. I'm pretty sure my seasons at SH were 89-90, 90-91, 91-92. But I could be off by a year on this also.

I think I came right after you. I was JV and Frank L was varsity.

 

[DT_PITT]

I think I came right after you. I was JV and Frank L was varsity.

I knew Frank well, and his son too of course.

 

[vikings1980]

His son was in 6th grade when I started, as was Matt Carroll

 

[JRPITT]

With


With Ron Faust standing by the scorers table,classic!

Still does. Great coach, great discipline, great results!

 

[DT_PITT]

His son was in 6th grade when I started, as was Matt Carroll

Yeah ... you definitely started coaching the year after I left. But now I’m left to wonder who that player was from St. A who tore us up.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

EJ McCluskey Gymnasium

 

[AndrewJCU85]

EJ McCluskey Gymnasium

EJ McCluskey Gymnasium
All the great players and teams. Players such as Jeep Kelly, Herman Harris, Wilt and the greatest Steeler of all time Dave Johnson.
Teams such as Ambridge with DiVenzio and Wucyek, Beaver Falls with Oscar Jackson, General Braddock with Hosea Chanpange, 5th Avenue with Clancy, Will Clarke, Puffy Kennedy and Macklin. Also all of the great Schenley and Chester teams. An amazing stretch of high school basketball.

 

[Hailpitt]

These are all old school “Hoosier” type gyms. 1. Beaver Falls ( fans close up in stadium style seating that surrounds the court+ they have photos of the many greats who played there— check out Namath).
2. Aliquippa. It is like the New Mexico college gym( built into the ground).
3.Midland ( now Lincoln Park) Been updated but the ghosts of Midland past still keep it real)

 

[Panther Holla]

My HS years were 1972-76 at Turtle Creek. The two worst gyms were Swissvale and Edgewood. Band boxes with linoleum floors and practically no room beyond the base lines.... Sto Rox had a cozy set-up, too. If you ran past one baseline you could end up on a stage or down a flight of stars. We had a section championship team the year we played there, but SR clobbered us, something like 105-68... Wash High, great venue. We pulled out a close win there my senior year.... I loved Monessen's gym; we went 3-0 there in playoff games.... the newer schools like West Mifflin North, East Allegheny and Penn Trafford had sparkling, vast gyms.

 

[Cap pitt]

The McClusky gym??? It's ok, Sharon high has a nice gym. Used to watch Hoyle tourney there for years

 

[epittm]

A while back, there was a thread on the football board discussing favorite stadiums around the WPIAL. What are some of your favorite basketball gymnasiums from around the WPIAL?

Also, how did you come to that decision? Is it a newer, nicer facility like Montour or a historic gymnasium like Wash High? Is it a smaller, more intimate facility or is it a much larger gymnasium like Bethel Park? Does it even have a special, unique floor like Gateway?

What say you?

I’ll give a vote to my old high school gym in new Brighton. This is pre 1970 because it was converted into apartments when new Brighton built its current high school. The old gym was calledDawes Gym. It was in a castle shaped building with turrets and all. In fact, fans had to buy a ticket and then ascend one of two turrets to get to the seating. Both sides of the floor had a 4foot high wall to separate the seating from the floor. Behind one basket was a 15 foot wall with more seating. Behind the other basket was a wall with no seating. It was a very intimate setting and could get really loud. I saw some great teams play there and some great individual players including Norm Vanlier, Simmie Hill, and Denny Wuycik. If any other posters were ever in Dawes Gym, I’m sure they will attest to its uniqueness and atmosphere.

A while back, there was a thread on the football board discussing favorite stadiums around the WPIAL. What are some of your favorite basketball gymnasiums from around the WPIAL?

Also, how did you come to that decision? Is it a newer, nicer facility like Montour or a historic gymnasium like Wash High? Is it a smaller, more intimate facility or is it a much larger gymnasium like Bethel Park? Does it even have a special, unique floor like Gateway?

What say you?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I actually shot hoops here....

 

[DT_PITT]

I actually shot hoops here....

Where is that?

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Where is that?

Knightstown, Indiana. Tens of thousands of tourists visit every year because of the movie. They now play an "all state" high school game there too, with throwback uniforms. Such a cool piece of history