This Day in Norwood History-March 24, 1905-First Year For Norwood Boys Basketball

Creditable Record

Boys Basket Ball Team Makes a Good Showing

As a rule, a first-year basketball team in a town, is rarely successful, either as a team or in a financial sense. Several first-year teams have started in nearby towns this past winter and met with dismal failure. The Norwood high school boys basketball team has, on the contrary, surmounted all obstacles and overcoming numerous difficulties, has completed a harder season than any future basketball team will have to contend with in Norwood. From now on any team started m Norwood will have some experienced players to fall back on and will not be forced to match a team of “green“ players against one composed of men of several years experience.

When the idea of a basketball team for Norwood high was first suggested, it was laughed at, for it did not seem possible that green material could be so developed as to produce a team that would defeat more than hair the teams it encountered. The hoys, however, were confident that a good team could be found and so organized with Michael Nugent as captain and Horace E. Roby as manager. By dint of much pleading, Village hall was secured for the team and a schedule with some oF the best High school teams in the state was arranged. Gordon B. Trowbridge was secured for coach and with the limited facilities for practice, did excellent work in molding the material into shape. Practice began in the latter part of November and the first game was played the first day of December, when Norwood defeated Canton. Games have been held every Saturday night with but two exceptions, until the close of the season, two weeks ago.

Some of the prominent High schools over which she scored victories are South Framingham, Waltham, North Easton, Chelsea, Cambridge, Milford, Revere, Canton and Dorchester 2nd. A number of games were played from home and the majority of these games Norwood lost, seemingly “hoodoed” by a strange hall. Although our boys did not win their games away from home, they won something which is much more to be desired, the reputation of being “as gentlemanly and clean a set of players as any team we have played’ ‘as read a letter received by the manager after the South Framingham game. In no game did Norwood have any trouble while away from town and a team which can play as rough a game as basketball and be at all times free from intentional roughness or “dirty” playing is deserving of praise and Norwood is not ashamed to have it represent her.

Owing to the exorbitant price charged for Norwood’s only available hall, the team has made but little money. It has been run on its merits and has received no contributions from outsiders, as has the basehall team in years past.

Michael Nugent, the captain of the team, deserves praise for the way in which he has filled his office, as well as for the skill he has shown in his position as forward. Harry Ryan, the other forward, has developed into a rapid man and hacked by this year’s experience, will undoubtedly make a good showing on next year’s team. Atwood, Norwood’s center, has made an excellent record, not only at center but at throwing goals, and rarely has a center been found who was his superior. Norwood’s back-field has witnessed a number of changes. Horace Roby at first placed left guard, but upon the organization of a second team, obliged to devote all his time to the management of the two teams. Bernard Donnell has proved Norwood’s mainstay in most of her games and has shown himself to be a hard man to oppose, his method of blocking goals has been so successful that with the execution of the Milton game, his opponents have scored but little. Warren Smith, Norwood’s
other aggressive guard and the prime favorite of the “gallery rooters who back Timmie to the limit,” is probably the speediest player on the team. In a game, he is the hardest worker on the team and his skillful blocking as well as phenomenal long-distance basket-throwing, has contributed in no small measure to the success of the team. Howard Winslow, who has taken part in most of the games, both at forward and back, has played an excellent game, having a fine eye for goals. Henry Baston has been utility man, and though used but few limes has made an excellent showing. Gibson and Cottrell have also played with the team, Gibson’s height anti-reach at center rendering him often impregnable to a smaller opponent.

Next season will doubtless find practically the same team in the field and those who have defeated Norwood the past year will find it an entirely different task next season when Norwood’s team is not “green.”

Horace E. Koby has made a very competent manager and has succeeded by his tireless efforts, in accomplishing work which many prophesied would fail, and has left things in such a condition that next year’s team will find a much easier road to travel. The ADVERTISER extends its best wishes for the success of next winter’s team.

THE NORWOOD ADVERTISER, March 24, 1905