The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-22
This \ Sporting World
"A Long Cheer For
 Coach Hugh Greer
By JOHN A. CLUNEY

One of the finest tributes paid to Leavenworth High School in gen- eral, its athletic director Bill Tracy and its city-championship basket- ball squad in particular, was voiced yesterday by Coach Hugh Greer, re. gently appointed as freshman coach ct his lna-mater University of Connecticut. Best of all, 1t was @ personal tribute, for he came to Waterbury upon request of the Lions Club, as part of testimonial luncheon at the Elton, to the Wa terbury boys from Leavenworth who not only won the city honors in high school basketball, but acquitted themselves exceptionally well in the state tournament play at New Hav- en, defeating Greenwich and Tor- rington before losing, by points to the state and New England champions from Hillhouse High of New Haven---winner of the state and New England titles two years in succession
 Having coached Ellsworth High
 of South Windsor to CD hoop
 titles for the past five years, the commendation of Coach Greer to
 the local lads and their coach was
 doubly appreciated; for he was not talking "just to be nice" but from personal observation of the Leavenworth boys in the Green wich and Torrington games at New Haven; lauding them for
 their excellent defensive play
 and for the SPIRIT and twill to
 win" exhibited to him; and from
 knowledge of their struggle in
 sports since organization of the
 local technical high school, which had to battle for its very existence
 as @ school, not too many years
 ago, under the calm but deter
 mined leadership of the late Har-
 riSon s. Allen. After watching Leavenworth defeat Greenwich at
 New Haven, I predicted to Coach
 Bill Tracy that his boys would certainly have to be reckoned with
 every minute they were in the
 tournament" Coach Greer said
 yesterday. That statement, com-
 ing from such a high school bas- ketball expert, now a college coach
 should have been worth sorne-
 thing; and, in the light of sub- sequent events, was pretty much
 Ion the beam. The importance Of
 strong, workable defense and
 the spirit twill to vim cannot be exaggerated, he believes.
 Having seen the Kentucky-Rhode Island State final game of the na- tional invitational basketball tour- nament at Madison Square Garden, Coach Greer was also in position to give the Leavenworth boys, Lions Club members and their guests ex- pert opinion as to the ability of the finaliSts, particularly, Rhode Island, the annual natural rival of Uni- versity of Connecticut in every sport In which the two colleges meet each other. Frank Keaneys team is far from helter- -skelter team" said f Coach Greer, flor 1t has a sound defense and marvellous offense. Best of all 1t will not give up" he said; indicating the basic reason for the college club from Kingston, a 20 to underdog to win the MSG tournament getting into the finals and then losing the game by one point on q free throw.
 As for the civic-minded Lions Club, Ray Snyder, Sid Wakeley and all the others-all honor to them, for being the first civic club to pay public tribute to a school and it's teams that have come up the hard way; another excellent Lions club effort to add to the great hut quiet work they have done for Water bury through the medium of their home for crippled children at Ban tam Lake,