1948-49 Lancaster Red Roses (EPBL)

1948-49 LANCASTER RED ROSES

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
11-18 .379, 6th place

Lancaster started the 1948-49 season in trouble. Even though the team started decently with 2 wins in five games, the financial issues surrounding the club flared up, forcing the league to temporarily suspend the club's actions until they could square things away with the home court, payroll and travel. In early January, owner Roxy Wise replaced Matt Guokas with George Eshelman and the business showed other signs of improvement. The team's suspension was "lifted" and they re-entered league play on January 9. With a new coach and some new personnel (Bells Colone and Johnny Emich), over the few weeks they would continue to add other players to try to bolster their fortunes. They never really put it together, and by season's end they were forced to forfeit their last two games and finished in 6th place, well out of the playoff picture.  Bill Zubic stuck with the team from beginning to end, averaging 22.2 PPG.

 

Head Coaches:

• Matt Guokas (November 11, 1915 - December 9, 1993) 2-3
  
• George Eshelman (April 15, 1913 - June 14, 1989) 9-15

PLAYERS:

Bells Colone (January 23, 1924 - July 1, 2009)

Red Dehnert (January 24, 1924 - September 23, 1994)

Jim DiGiacomo (b. December 19, 1928)

George Ehemann (September 11, 1918 - July 10, 1991)

Johnnie Emich (January 21, 1918 - May 20, 2001)

Dick Fitzgerald (November 18, 1920 - April 13, 1968)

Dave Fox  (May 24, 1926 - May 9, 1984)

Marshall Gemberling (August 6, 1924 - September 10, 2004)

Art Hillhouse (June 12, 1916 - October 27, 1980)

Bill Hoover (September 27, 1920 - October 17, 1999)

Steve Juenger (February 10, 1915 - November 18, 2003)

Jerry Kelly (June 14, 1918 - July 23, 1996)

Bud Long (February 10, 1924 - January 9, 2009)

Bink Manning (August 29, 1920 - April 7, 1986)

Don Markward (April 2, 1919 - June 14, 1985)

Ed Masterson (January 24, 1923 - May 21, 1991)

Jack McCloskey (September 19, 1925 - June 1, 2017)

Stan Novak (April 10, 1923 - October 21, 2006)

Tom O'Connell (November 10, 1923 - February 5, 2011)

Joe Proksa (June 30, 1914 - October 25, 1999)

Fred Sheffield (November 5, 1923 - December 8, 2009)

George Shoemaker (December 21, 1927 - October 16, 2000)

Mac Simpson (February 28, 1927 - May 17, 2013)

Sammy Van Hook (June 29, 1916 - April 5, 1997)

Bill Zubic (August 7, 1918 - July 24, 1994)

1948-49 Harrisburg Senators (EPBL)

1948-49 HARRISBURG SENATORS

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
18-12, .600, T-1st place

Tie-breaker: Lost to Reading, 68-66

Semi-Finals: Defeated Reading, 2-1

Finals: Lost to Pottsville, 2-1

Hoping to improve on last year's disappointment, Joe Cackovic, star player of the team, took the coaching job at the start of the season, but after 8 games was relieved of his duty so he concentrate on scoring (he would average a team-best 15.0 ppg). After a mediocre 8-8 start, they would go 10-4 the rest of the way to tie for first at the end of the season. They would lose to Reading, 68-66, in a short playoff to determine regular season winner. They would force the same Reading club in the playoffs, beating them in three games to advance to the finals. After splitting the first two with Pottsville, Harrisburg would lose, 88-69, in the rubber game to fall short of the Eastern League championship.

Joe Cackovic

Head Coaches:

• Joe Cackovic (February 21, 1923 - December 16, 1984) 4-4 Also played. See below
• Steve "Pie" Eckhart (December 26, 1912 - September 12, 2002) 2-1
• Russ Tuckey (March 24, 1904 - April 1986) 12-7 

PLAYERS:

Joe Cackovic (February 21, 1923 - December 16, 1984)

Jim Coughlin (August 18, 1919 - March 27, 1969)

Dick DeWees (March 18, 1929 - July 19, 1986)

Jackie Goepfert (May 24, 1932 - May 1, 2002)

Stretch Hall (June 23, 1926 - December 10, 1989)

Jimmy Hernjak (June 10, 1927 - December 27, 1980)

Johnny Hopper (January 9, 1923 - June 12, 1996)

Dave McWhite (November 6, 1919 - December 8, 1997)

Danny Sandler (b. March 21, 1927)

Jeb Stewart (November 15, 1924 - January 10, 1993)

Vince Smith (August 20, 1922 - January 17, 2019)

Mike Yovic (July 23, 1923 - July 19, 2001)

Johnny Hopper

Danny Sandler

Dave McWhite

Jeb Stewart

1948-49 EPBL

The third season of the EPBL saw the league drop to seven teams. Both the Philadelphia Lumberjacks and the Hazleton Mountaineers dropped, but added the Athletic Association from York.  Reading would move to Allentown to try to find better home court but would return to Reading a few weeks later. It would prove to be a very competitive season, with Williamsport, Harrisburg and Reading all tying for the regular season title with Pottsville only two games back. Williamsport would win the regular season title in a three-team playoff but get knocked out in the playoffs in the opening round to Pottsville. The Packers would go on to win the crown over Harrisburg.

• Harrisburg Senators
• Lancaster Rockets 
• Pottsville Packers
• Reading / Allentown Keys
• Sunbury Mercuries
• Williamsport Billies 
• York A.A.