The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-05-03

The Rink Five last week closed a
remarkably successful season of bas-
ket ball by defeating the German
Catholic Club on their own floor,
having previously easily defeated
them on the Rink floor and in win
ming this game crushed the hopes of
the last aspirant for the title of
Champions of Wayne County"
This title meant something this
year because there was so much
interest taken in the game and so
many teams aspiring to the title
that it meant a strenuous schedule
of games for the winner, and the
Rink Five have decisively proven
that they are entitled to be called
champions" by defeating all corners
not only on the Rink floor but also
on their own floor. Probably no 9th
er athletic team who have won hon
ors in Wayne county ever had so
many rivals and such a hard fight
for the title.
The opening game of the season
was played against the Hawley team
who Wed with Seelyyille for last
years championship and they were
easily defeated, Then started a
seven-game series with the previous
seasons champions, Seelyville. At
the beginning no one thought that
the Rink team had much chances
against these seasoned Seelyvillers,
as they (the Rink Five) had never
played together previous to this sea-
son, and Seelyville closed their last
season with the wonderful record OF
only one defeat; so that when the
opening game of the series was play
ed at the Rink about one-half of
Seelyville came down to see their
boys show the Honesdalers how to
play the game and many of those
who saw the game will no doubt re-
member that they started off with a
rush and had Gagged three baskets
before the Rink team got started,
but!-well, the score ended, as we
now know, 35 to II in favor of the
Rink Five, and the Seelyville people
went home in a dazed condition and
wondered for several weeks how ii
happened. The series went to six
games, the Rink Five winning the
| 9th game on the Seelyville floor.
In the meantime Eddie Murphy"
the White Mills noted athletic, had
organized a basket ball team in
| White Mills which many thought
would be a winner, and they did
| prove to be much stronger than
/ Seelyville. This series also went to
six games, the Rink Five winning
the sixth game on the White Mills
floor in a hard fight thus defeating
two aspirants for the title by winning
| four of six games played with each
The hardest fight was yet to come
! A team representing the Alert Fire
! Company, who called themselves the
Alerts, had been organized from the
! best players obtainable in the town
and after playing few preliminary
games challenged the Rink Five to q
| series OF five games. These two
teams showed themselves to be the
most evenly matched of any, the
series being undecided until the very
last game which was decisively wor
by the Rink team by superior team
work and staying qualities. Score
20 to 10.
Co. E-"The Beef Trust"
the next Wayne county team to chal
lenge the Rink boys for the champ
ionship but were outclassed in every
way, the Rink Five winning three
straight games.
At intervals between these loca
games the Rink Five had been play
ing many different teams from othe
counties and by defeating Milford
two games on Thanksgiving Day, ant
Susquehanna two games New Year
Day, these two teams being tht
champions respectively of Pike an,
Susquehanna counties, have tn,
right to be called "Tri-Count.
Champions. The Taylor team, witt
claims to be champions of Lacka
wanna and Luzerne counties by de
feating Wilkes-Barre Ninth Regi
ment, were also defeated once, bu
the Taylorites returned the compli
ment, so that that series stands ;
tie. This Taylor team has been play
ing together eleven years, and tn
fact that the Rink Five tied them II
their series, is quite an accomplish
ment, as this is the Rink Five's frs
season.
In all the Rink Five played forty
one games and lost but eleven. Tn
only teams which were able 10 TAX
games from them without being de
| - H.