by Laurel | January 26th, 2012
Standing, Left to right: Assistant Coach Regan, Donahue, Manager Eastman, Graves, Coach Williams. Front Row -- Merriman, Capt. Feldman, Craimer (Mascot), McGuiggan, Malcolm.
26 January 1919
Fastest in History, Open to Meet All Comers
Paper City Fans Believe Their Team Can
Beat Any High School Quintet in the Country
The Holyoke High School basketball team is considered to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, quintet ever turned out by the Holyoke school and this is after due consideration has been given the team of the early ’90’s, which captured the high school championship of America at Buffalo, N.Y.
The present team’s strength lies largely in perfect team work, the motto being the old one “All for one and one for all.” Every member of the quintet is a basket shooter of more than ordinary ability and capable of dropping one through whether near the basket, at the center of the floor or along the side lines. The team is a light one, the members averaging in weight from 123 to about 130 pounds. While “Jimmy” Malcolm is the sharpshooter of the team and has caged over 100 baskets so far during the season from the floor and is usually sure on the free tries, yet Capt. Feldman is perhaps the most consistent player on the team; always in the game, ever in condition, and continually working for the success of the team irrespective of any individual record for himself.
You cannot praise Malcom and “Kisky” however without saying the same for McGuiggan and Merriman, the two guards. Of the two McGuiggan excels and without any doubt is, at the present time, the best schoolboy guard in the state. Merriman has picked up during the season and is a close second. As for Donahue, the center, he has not only developed into a star center who can be depended upon in most instances to get the “tap” but he fits into the team in a manner which could hardly be improved upon and is also a sure shot for the basket. He is the best center which has been developed at the Holyoke High for years.
Of the substitutes Graves stands out above the rest. This young man is a sure basket shooter and is an equal to the members of the regular team. In other years he would be a star man for the varsity squad and he is used time and time again in the regular games. The tam shows no falling off in play when he is placed in action. It is believed in Holyoke that the team would win the high school championship of the country should an opportunity be offered and it is hoped that later in the season games may be arranged with champion teams from other states. The team has not been defeated so far this year and the only close score was with Hartford High.
From The Springfield Republican.
