Titles for our Town: How Tiny Pennsylvania Communities Produced Basketball Dynasties And Shaped Basketball History During the Golden Age

Pennsylvania’s golden age of high school basketball (1950s-1960s) captivated blue-collar, ethnic Americans as standout players on dynastic teams lifted steel-tough towns to unprecedented glory. Norman Rockwell communities in Fountain Hill, Kutztown, and Wampum produced dynasties, led by heroes coached by hardened World War II veterans. Indiana had its Hoosiers miracle team; Pennsylvania produced its heroes and legends, too, as this book reveals. Native authors John Updike and playwright Jason Miller-so inspired by Pennsylvania prep basketball-earned Pulitzer Prizes for their musings over Borough Ball. Life Magazine visited Wampum for a national feature spread. The Russian national team copied the Indians’ unorthodox training techniques. Pennsylvania basketball in this era influenced the sport and the nation in many enduring, unforgettable ways!