Blast from the Past: PIAA Basketball

[CDLionFL]

30 years ago this spring, Billy Owens put 53 on the board in the PIAA AAAA championship game to lead Carlisle to their 4th straight state championship (I was there for all 4). The feature linked (yes, I know it's our friends at PennLive) tells the story of the heated hardwood wars between Harrisburg and Carlisle during that era and the event that could have changed the course of that era's hoops history. Within the feature, there's also some remembrances of other PA high school hoops stars from the 80s and 90s. For someone who grew up during that era and then played in Mid Penn Division I, this was a great trip down memory lane.

https://readymag.com/u81440244/1011761/

 

[AWS1022]

30 years ago this spring, Billy Owens put 53 on the board in the PIAA AAAA championship game to lead Carlisle to their 4th straight state championship (I was there for all 4). The feature linked (yes, I know it's our friends at PennLive) tells the story of the heated hardwood wars between Harrisburg and Carlisle during that era and the event that could have changed the course of that era's hoops history. Within the feature, there's also some remembrances of other PA high school hoops stars from the 80s and 90s. For someone who grew up during that era and then played in Mid Penn Division I, this was a great trip down memory lane.

https://readymag.com/u81440244/1011761/

I saw the first two of Owens’ state titles.

 

[Op2]

I was going to jokingly respond to this with, whatever happened to Uniontown's Eric Fee. When I was young and living near Uniontown they won a state boys basketball title (I think they won...maybe they went all the way to the title game and lost). They had a starter on the team named Eric Fee who I've always remembered because he had an odd name and because he was slated (as I recall) to go to college at Harvard.

Then I figured that with a unique name like Eric Fee maybe I could just google. And low and behold he came up. And after getting an undergrad at Harvard, he got his medical degree at Penn State.

Go Uniontown Red Raiders!

http://www.bayviewphysicians.com/physician/eric-fee/

 

[meanmiJ01]

The link at the bottom of the article also has the 15 best PA High School teams of the last 30 years. Being a Williamsport guy I saw a lot of those teams play. There is always good high school hoops in PA. As biased as I am that 99 Williampsort team was about as perfect storm that this area could ever imagine. Would put them toe to toe with most any team I have seen.

 

[psu00]

I remember the stoning of the Allentown team’s bus. It was big local news that followed Harrisburg for a few years.

I also remember the West PA team playing Carlisle in their 4th state title game (IIRC) came East early and practiced at our gym. They were asking us how much we had seen Carlisle and what to do to beat them. They seemed to be a little psyched out by Carlisle's reputation before the game.

 

[Lefty Hill]

Carlisle won its third state title in that span vs. Meadville, 48-47, in 1987. You all know Meadville, I’m sure, as the home of Journey Brown.

 

[LionJim]

Remember Herman Harris from Bristol HS? Good player, fine teams.

 

[AWS1022]

Carlisle won its third state title in that span vs. Meadville, 48-47, in 1987. You all know Meadville, I’m sure, as the home of Journey Brown.

But at that time Meadville was the home of Michael Burnett...that dude could play.

 

[PTOWNSKULL]

I played against billy and Jeff Lebo 1985. 77-33 whipping. I had 14.

 

[PTOWNSKULL]

He outshined lebo who was player of year with ferry

 

[bison13]

my buddy from central catholic was a point guard on that team that lost to Carlisle. had some great stories from that game. sadly he passed 2 summers ago, RIP Whitey

 

[NedFromYork]

Have it on VHS!