Basketball

The Story of CM Basketball

In September of 1958, one year after opening its doors as a four-year Catholic high school, Brother Joseph McKenna, C.F.C., Principal, hired Ronald S. Perry as Catholic Memorial’s Athletic Director and Coach of Varsity Basketball and Baseball.
 
There were only freshman and sophomores in 1958 and no athletic facilities at the school.  Coach Perry hold tryouts and practices in the schoolyard outside the Msgr. Donahue Building, and during the season practices and scrimmages with some junior varsity teams were played at away sites.
 


In September of 1959, with the new school now open, the basketball team entered the Catholic Suburban League for the 1959-60 season with just sophomores and juniors, classified in Class C because of enrollment.  Brother Tom Feerick would assist Coach Ron Perry with the team.  In CM’s first season, the team won 16 and lost 5, qualifying for both the Tech Tourney and the New England Catholic Tournament.
 
For the 1960-61 season, with the school having freshman-seniors for the first time, the basketball program was elevated to Class B where once again they would qualify for post-season play in the Tech Tourney and also the New England Catholic Tournament.
 
In the 1961-62 season, with the talent of a 6’7’’ freshman center, Ron Teixeira, and a supporting cast of players who had played in CM’s freshman and junior varsity programs, the CM basketball team would leave their stamp in excellence for the next decade.  The 1961-62 team would finish the season with a 24-2 record and Class B Champions in both the Tech Tourney and the New England Catholic Tournament and again qualify for post-season tournaments.
 
For the 1962-63 season, the team would be elevated once again, this time to Class A, the Catholic Conference League, where they would compete against the best teams in the state.  The team finished with a 20-4 record.
 
After finishing 26-1 in 1964, the 1965 team would win the New England Catholic Tourney for the second straight year and also the Massachusetts State Championship with an overall record of 28-1, losing only to Power Memorial High School (NYC) led by Lew Alcinder.  Ron Teixeira, CM ’65, would emerge as the State’s first 2000-point scorer and be named a High School All-American.





Other Highlights:
 

• During the decade of the 60’s, Coach Ron Perry is aided tremendously by loyal and knowledgeable assistants, Kevin Thomas and Gus Andrews, along with Brother Tom Feerick and Ed Muller.
•  Attendance at CM’s home basketball games were always at capacity.  Attendance at CM’s away games was usually at capacity.  Tech Tourney games were played in the Boston Garden before large crowds and in some instances, at capacity (13,909).
  
• In 1969, the team finished undefeated, 29-0, winning the Tech and State Championships, along with the New England Catholic Tournament.  Captain Fran Costello, CM ’69, was named a High School All-American.
  
• The 1970 team would go 26-1, losing in the State Finals after winning 55 consecutive games, a Massachusetts State record! 
  
• In the 1970-71 season, CM’s home court victory streak of 93 straight, covering ten years, was finally broken by Archbishop Williams.
• In 1971-72, the team finishes 25-3 and records Tech Tourney, New England Catholic Tournament Championship and loses to Lexington High School in the State Finals.  Captain King Gaskins was named an All-American and is the second Massachusetts high school player to score more than 2,000 points in his career.