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– PHOTO: THEODORE J. SIMONS, JR.

Solvay Tigers Basketball 1951-52
Standing: Coach Jerry Friedli, Al Cervi, Jerry Neufang, Ed Showerman, Jack Major, Dolph Schayes, Coach Mike Gasapo.

Kneeling: Fran Letizia, Tom Smolinski, Pat Simiele and Joe Cichocki.

This is the Solvay Tigers 1951-52 basketball team, champions of the Syracuse Boys Club League, in a photo taken when the team was visited by NBA great Dolph Schayes and his Syracuse Nationals player-coach Al Cervi. The Syracuse Nationals maintained a close relationship with the community and the players were more like neighbors than celebrities. Cervi was coach and Schayes the star when the Nats won the 1954-55 NBA Championship, defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 in the title series. The Pistons later moved to Detroit and the Nats became the Philadelphia 76ers.

Biddy League champs
This Solvay Tigers team, composed of players 10 to 12 years of age, played in the first National Biddy Basketball Tournament in Scranton, PA, in 1953, after going undefeated in league play and sweeping the Syracuse Boys Club tournament. In Scranton, the team lost to the team from Peoria, Illinois, which I believe won the national tournament.

The Solvay team:

BACK: Robert Weslowski, Robert Petrocci, Jimmy Smolinski and Daniel Acchione. (Smolinski was named most valuable player of the Syracuse Boys Club tournament.)

FRONT: Coach Mike Gasapo, Jerry Blair, John Rudy, David Amato, Louis Letizia and Coach Louis Baichi.

Absent when the photo was taken were players Richard Beagle and Jerry March.

 
Solvay, dear old Solvay
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Police / Firemen Solvay Tigers basketball
Solvay Process pioneers Solvay High basketball
Santa spotted at Craig's Solvay High girls teams
House on Sixth Street  
Contact: JMajor9863@aol.com
 
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