Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1961-03-07
Mccarthy Aims
For LIST State
Cage Crown
By George Bragaw
Sports Editor


burg might be playing in the
State basketball tournament
would have brought a scott
from most in this area at the
start of the season. Yet, a deci-
sion by Maryland athletic Off
Gals to divide the larger schools
into two separate classes and
the surprising play of Messrs.
Taylor, Fisher, Ward, Wolfe
and company finds the Trojans
in the semi-final round of Class
A play at Cole Field House this
Weekend.
This will be Patty McCarthy's
third try for a State title in his
six years of coaching at the
Gaithersburg school. He coach
ed a squad of Jim LeCompte,
Bobby Costello, Carl Shipley,
Roland Green and Tommy Nor
ris into the finals only to lose
in 1859, after advancing in elm
nations several years previous
ly.
Although this years Trojans
team only reached the 800
mark at 1910 this past weekend
in defeating Oxon Hill, 52-51, in
a wild game for the District 2
title, Gaithersburg has general
ly given good account of itself
against the larger schools.
The Trojans held Walter
johnson, Richard Montgomery
(first game), Northwood to
close victories and upset B-CC
and Northwood. The Trojans
will most likely draw Southern
of Garrett Countrywide upset
powerful Allegheny in playoff
game - in the first round at
Maryland.
Gaithersburg played one of
its poorest games Of the season
last Saturday night in Suitland
High Schools sweat-box in de-
feating the Clippers. Oxon Hill
had won only three Of 20 pre-
Wous contests but managed to
turn an effective, though not
impressive, game against the
Trojans.
With Leon Taylor off in his
shooting Che scored only nine
points to drop his average
under IS points for the season.,
Jimmy Ward picked up the
slack and hit on nine of 16 shots.
Ward scored IA points on out
side jump shots in the first half
as the Trojans held a 1928 half
time margin.
John Wolfe played one of his
best games, grabbing 20 re-
bounds, while Tommy Fisher
scored IA points and got 10 re-
bounds.
The Trojans had a 40-33 lead
at the start of the last quarter.
Minutes later a foul shot by
Tommy Fisher gave Gathers
burg a nine-point lead at 44-35.
But two baskets by Pat Demp-
sey closed the gap to 44-39.
Taylor made it 47-39, but Oxon
Hill. came back again to narrow
the difference. Fisher hit on a
short jumper and sank g. foul
shot with about two minutes
left, giving the Torjans SEEM
ingly comfortable 52-44 lead.
At that point however, the
game became wild and the
officials seemed to lose control.
Gaithersburg lost the ball three
straight times to the Clippers
rough-house full-court press.
On one occasion, Taylor was
spun around as an Oxon Hill
player grabbed his elbow, Leon
flipped the ball to the Official
and trotted toward the foul line
only to hear the official amaZ-
ingly call a walking official
against Taylor and give the
Clippers the ball.
With one second left on the
clock and the score $3.50 Fisher
fouled Dave Pyles in the act of
shooting on a somewhat ques-
tionable decision. Pyles missed
the first shot the glee OF the
Gaithersburg rooters. He made
the second to make the score,
52-51, and when Gaithersburg
threw the ball in bounds 1t was
all over.