LOOKING BACK

That’s the Way the Ball Bounces

Although James Naismith invented basketball in 1891, Thurmont High School didn’t field its first school team until 1926.

Basketball’s popularity at the time was spreading throughout the county, and Thurmont was actually late to the game. Frederick High and Emmitsburg High already had teams playing other county teams. Emmitsburg’s team had hit the court in 1925.

Roger Culler formed the team near the end of 1925 and worked with the boys, teaching them the rules and skills. He saw the team’s potential and thought he had a winning team.

The Thurmont High team played its first game on January 16, 1926, against the St. John’s Athletic Club in Frederick. It was a home game played in the Thurmont Town Hall. At this time, the town hall was a 46-year-old building that also served as the fire hall for the Guardian Hose Company and a town event building.

It was a rough opening for the Thurmont boys. St. John’s soundly defeated the team. The final score was 58 to 7. “After piling up a big lead, the local club sent a number of substitutes into the fray,” The (Frederick) News reported. Apparently, Coach Culler was hoping desperately to find a player who might get some traction against St. John’s.

F. Moser was the leading scorer for Thurmont with 4 points. St. John’s leading scorer was Alton Lipps with 20 points.

Thurmont’s second game against Frederick High on Jan. 19 was even worse. With a final score of 67-4, Frederick scored more than St. John’s had, and Thurmont put even fewer points on the board. Thurmont didn’t even score in the first half of the game. They fared better during the second half because Frederick High played its second-string boys.

“Although bewildered, the losers fought their way through to the end, displaying a determined spirit,” The Frederick Post reported.

“The basketball game will probably be adopted in Walkersville High School next year, it is rumored, as a new gymnasium has been proposed for that facility, providing a place for practice and games,” The (Frederick) News reported.

With the addition of Walkersville High having a team, the next step expected was the formation of a north county league under the direction of the Public Athletic League.

While boys and girls would go on to enjoy basketball at the high school for another 23 years, the school does not seem to have produced a championship team at the state level.

When Catoctin High School opened in 1969, combining Emmitsburg High and Thurmont High, things improved for the Thurmont boys.

The boys team had back-to-back winning seasons in 1979-80 and 1980-81. It was a first for the program.

The team also won a league/conference title, earned playoff berths, and advanced to the MPSSAA state semifinals at Cole Field House in 1981. This was also a program first.

The team continued to play well and has made other state tournament appearances since that time.

Girls basketball at Catoctin High has been even more successful. The team was an MPSSAA state semifinalist in 1985, 1994, and 2005; state finalist in 1986 and 2022. In 2006, the team won its first state championship.

An early Thurmont High School basketball team.

The old Thurmont Town Hall, where home basketball games were played.

Thurmontimages.com