1922 Yearbook
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Title
1922 Yearbook
Description
The Ambrosian
JUNIOR BASKETBALL
It is quite generally agreed upon by all in a position to judge that during the season
of 1922 St. Ambrose was represented by one of the best if not the very best Junior
teams she has ever possessed. The splendid showing of the Little Saints is all the
more creditable because it was made in spite of unusually severe handicaps.
As a matter of fact, Capt. Hippler was the only one of last year's regulars available
for another campaign, for the remainder of the team new material had to be provided.
Many a coach would have considered it impossible to develop a winning quintet under
such adverse conditions but no such idea occurred to Father Adrian. Undismayed, he
set about his usual task of training new men up to the standard of his teams. At first
the Juniors plainly showed their lack of size and experience but it was not long before
it became evident that the coach had assembled a team of real merit.
In the first two games of the season, those with Brown's Business College of Rock
Island and Wilton High, the Juniors played a fast, snappy variety of basketball which
enabled them to defeat both of these opponents with very little difficulty. Then they
faced the Y Leaders, a team that was expected to defeat the Little Saints with ease.
The Juniors however played an exceptionally good game and handed the Leaders a
30 to 23 defeat.
This unexpected achievement was followed by three easy victories over Atkinson,
St. Patrick's, and East Moline. In each of these games Father Adrian's men showed
their superiority in an undisputable manner. LTp to this time the Juniors had been
traveling at a fast pace and defeating all opponents by a good margin but there was
still a general opinion that they would not stand up against the attack of a big, powerful team.
It remained for the great Cambridge team to put this opinion to the test. Cambridge came to the local floor with a big, husky team of experienced players who were
expected to give the Juniors a real trimming. In this game the Juniors played at their
best and handed'Cambridge a 28 to 14 defeat. By this game the Saintlings gained a
large number of followers who had not realized the strength of the team. The following week the Juniors tasted defeat for the first time during the season. They lost
a hard game to Geneseo through inability to play in their true form during the first
half. During the last half they held Geneseo helpless before their attack but the early
lead gained by the Illinois team gave them the game, 13 to 5.
Then came the never-to-be-forgotten Davenport High game in which the Juniors
went down fighting, unable to overcome a 17 to 10 advantage secured by their opponents. Little need be said about this game as we all remember the brilliant game
played by the Juniors that night and the wonderful fight put up against their much
heavier and more experienced opponents. In regard to the second game with Davenport High which was first postponed and later cancelled little comment can be made;
but the facts of the case are pretty generally known. The actions of Davenport were
altogether unsportsmanlike and it is certain that the remarkable string of victories
hung up by the Juniors in the latter part of the season was considered too great a
menace to Davenport's perfect record. As a basis for comparison of the two teams at
Page Fifty-six
JUNIOR BASKETBALL
It is quite generally agreed upon by all in a position to judge that during the season
of 1922 St. Ambrose was represented by one of the best if not the very best Junior
teams she has ever possessed. The splendid showing of the Little Saints is all the
more creditable because it was made in spite of unusually severe handicaps.
As a matter of fact, Capt. Hippler was the only one of last year's regulars available
for another campaign, for the remainder of the team new material had to be provided.
Many a coach would have considered it impossible to develop a winning quintet under
such adverse conditions but no such idea occurred to Father Adrian. Undismayed, he
set about his usual task of training new men up to the standard of his teams. At first
the Juniors plainly showed their lack of size and experience but it was not long before
it became evident that the coach had assembled a team of real merit.
In the first two games of the season, those with Brown's Business College of Rock
Island and Wilton High, the Juniors played a fast, snappy variety of basketball which
enabled them to defeat both of these opponents with very little difficulty. Then they
faced the Y Leaders, a team that was expected to defeat the Little Saints with ease.
The Juniors however played an exceptionally good game and handed the Leaders a
30 to 23 defeat.
This unexpected achievement was followed by three easy victories over Atkinson,
St. Patrick's, and East Moline. In each of these games Father Adrian's men showed
their superiority in an undisputable manner. LTp to this time the Juniors had been
traveling at a fast pace and defeating all opponents by a good margin but there was
still a general opinion that they would not stand up against the attack of a big, powerful team.
It remained for the great Cambridge team to put this opinion to the test. Cambridge came to the local floor with a big, husky team of experienced players who were
expected to give the Juniors a real trimming. In this game the Juniors played at their
best and handed'Cambridge a 28 to 14 defeat. By this game the Saintlings gained a
large number of followers who had not realized the strength of the team. The following week the Juniors tasted defeat for the first time during the season. They lost
a hard game to Geneseo through inability to play in their true form during the first
half. During the last half they held Geneseo helpless before their attack but the early
lead gained by the Illinois team gave them the game, 13 to 5.
Then came the never-to-be-forgotten Davenport High game in which the Juniors
went down fighting, unable to overcome a 17 to 10 advantage secured by their opponents. Little need be said about this game as we all remember the brilliant game
played by the Juniors that night and the wonderful fight put up against their much
heavier and more experienced opponents. In regard to the second game with Davenport High which was first postponed and later cancelled little comment can be made;
but the facts of the case are pretty generally known. The actions of Davenport were
altogether unsportsmanlike and it is certain that the remarkable string of victories
hung up by the Juniors in the latter part of the season was considered too great a
menace to Davenport's perfect record. As a basis for comparison of the two teams at
Page Fifty-six
Date
1922
Rights
St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust St., Davenport, IA 52803
Identifier
http://cdm16810.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16810coll2/id/8125