1960: Sectional Basketball Title

CCS basketball team downed Schuylerville 58-26. Bill Potvin and Bill Nygard led scoring. Then they slipped into a tie for first place in the County League by defeating Salem 45-37. David Lee was writing the sports report for the WCP at that time. CCS was tied for first with Hoosic Valley and Salem, all with 6-1 records.

Editor Cullinan noted that the Lions Club was interested in building a tennis court for public use.

And then there were two. CCS dropped Hartford 75-26, while moving a game ahead of Salem. Bill Nygard, Chuck Cole and Bob Nygard led local scoring.

Col. Daniel Harry Pratt died at his Florida home. The Old Cambridge boy was one of the first pilots commissioned by the Army Air Force during World War I.

He was a star athlete at Cambridge Union School before enlisting in April, 1917.

CCS began the second half of the basketball season by defeating Greenwich 56-47 on the road.

Potvin, Bill Nygard and Don Vitello paced the Indians.

CCS continued tied, this time with Salem, for first in the League, following their defeat of Fort Ann 46-32. Bill Nygard controlled the boards and scored 18 points.

Then CCS went to 10-l in the league with a 56-42 defeat of Argyle. The one-two punch of the Nygard brothers was too much for the Scots.

The following week they defeated Stillwater 69-49 and took over first place in the League. It was their 11th victory of the season.

CCS took a two-game lead over Salem and Hoosic Valley on the strength of a 54-38 win over Valley. Bob Nygard had 19 and helped brother Bill on the boards.

Principal Bowler again advised the BOE that, even with the recently completed addition, CCS was too crowded.

In March, the village recreation committee looked at sponsoring student bowling after school on Wednesdays. It ws something the central school board should have implemented years before, didn't then and hasn't yet.

The annual Junior-Senior Play was to be "Our Hearts were Young and Gay".

League Champs

CCS Indians stretched their season victory skein to 14 with a win over Schuylerville 47-39. Bill Nygard scored 17 points in the first half and sat out the second.

Then Salem burst their bubble with a 46-45 upset on the CCS court.

The Cambridge Indians were too far ahead to be thwarted. They defeated Argyle 77-33 to take their second straight Washington County League Championship, ending the season with a 16-2 record.

The March 10 issue of the Old WCP featured a team picture and a one inch high banner headline announcing the fact.

Players on that great team were: Freeman Perry, Thomas Canzeri, John Lylis, Dan Severson, Ken Stinner, Chuck Cole, Bill Nygard, Bob Nygard, Fred Knapp, Ed Kent, Don Vitello and Bill Potvin. Head coach was John Herbert, with Merwin Nichols assistant.

CCS would once more challenge at the Class D section II level. Their first opponent, according to reporter David Lee, would be Warrensburg. The game would be played at Glens Falls.

Cambridge's Indians carried their basketball season one game further when they defeated Warrensburg 34-31 in the first round of Section II. The next game was against Voorheesville.

Don Vitello and Bill Nygard provided the offense, what there was; scoring 12 points each.

Section II Champs!

CCS came the closest to basketball glory the boys ever have when it swamped Voorheesville in the sectionals at Mechanicville, 70-40. Bill Nygard had 39 points. Vitello had 15. This broke by one point the CCS scoring mark for a boy in a single game. The 6' 4" senior also grabbed 25 rebounds.

CCS would meet Perth in the Class D finals at Troy High. Nearly the entire Village of Cambridge moved to Troy that Friday night to witness the game. It was an upset over the highly favored Perth club.

CCS led all the way, with Perth narrowing it somewhat at the end. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Perth got going. At one point Cambridge led by 15. Bill Nygard, who was double-teamed most of the evening, still managed 23 points.

Bob Nygard saw little action because of illness. Chuck Cole filled the slot.

They had little trouble with Perth, winning 61-52.

Finally, the Cambridge Indians had gone all the way. The Class D, Section II championship trophy was presented to co-captains Bill Nygard and Don Vitello at Troy High School.

It was like old times when the team returned. Where church, fire and school bells once boomed out the tune of local triumph, the electric carillon in the belfry of the 1st Presbyterian Church, announced the basketball landmark win.

The coach of Dartmouth College basketball, Alvin Julian, was featured speaker when the Masons honored CCS' Section II champs.

Charles John Stevenson was MC.

Principal Bowler reported that Patrician Hall would be available for use as a classroom in the coming year. At the April meeting of the BOE they considered yet another addition to the Central School building.

The CCS baseball season kicked off with a 21-7 win over Argyle, behind the throwing of John Ublacker.

The track team returned for its second season, fielding 10 veterans. Dan Severson, Carmen Olff, Dick McLenithan, Bill Nygard, Glenn Davis, Neal Laverty, Chuck Cole, Chad Morse, Ed Sarri and Charles Clark.

New members were Mike Severson, Carl Adams, Bill Potvin, Jack Lylis, Bob Craig, Seth Craig, Jim Kenyon, John Tonneson, Cliff Walrath, Ben White, Allan Bell, Bob Inslerman and Ray Purdy.

CCS baseball season rolled with a 10-6 win over Greenwich and 5-3 over Fort Ann.

Then they lost to Stillwater 3-0.

Fred Knapp was writing school sports that spring, and had to bring the bad news that CCS lost a second game, 9-1 to Hoosick Falls, committing 13 errors.

It was Ublacker's first loss in three starts.

Then the boys broke out with a 10-2 win over Schuylerville.

The track team helped safe guard "The Old Oaken Bucket" trophy with a 46-43 win over Salem.

Dan Severson was a double winner. Severson put the shot 48' 9".

That month, Foster Goodrich of S. Cambridge was named president and director of sales of Stanley Home Products.

Goodrich was born in Cambridge in 1908. He attended Cambridge Union School, playing football on the great teams of the 1920s.

Carson Fuller, director of summer recreation, announced that plans were complete. The popular swim program was to begin July 5.

Ryder and Link architects were drawing up yet another addition to the Central School.

Dick Skellie won the go-kart racing feature at Lauderdale Speedway. Nine Karts started the feature. John Bassett won a heat race.

The following week, Phil Clark won the 25 lap go-kart feature at Lauderdale Speedway.

Because of insurance risks, go-kart operates were banned from using the old school grounds for practice.

Go-Kart racing really caught on. Dick McCauley laid out a 3/4 mile course over a rolling field near Shushan, and would host the "Petit Grand Prix".

The winning driver was to receive a victory wreath from an area beauty queen and would take the checkered flag around on a victory lap. There would be no admission charge.

Mrs. Donald Skellie of Greenwich was appointed women's phys. ed. director, in place of Eva Hopkins, who was granted a years leave.

A large crowd were on hand for the annual water carnival of the Cambridge Recreation Program at Hedges Lake, climaxing the season. Carson Fuller was director and chief swim instructor. He and his assistants distributed 303 Red Cross cards among the children. Lessons given totalled 2,891. The average attendance for the program was 110 kids a day.

That August John Herbert was placed in charge of the complete basketball program, with Merwin Nichols as JV coach, and two assistants to work with junior high.

Carson Fuller was authorized an assistant for football.

CCS opened for the fall on Sept. 7, with another record enrollment: 1,095 students.

That Sept. 7th, Grandma Moses celebrated her 100th birthday and CCS opened the football season with a largely new cast. Tony McEvoy wrote the stories for the WCP. The first game was a victory over Salem 24-13. The following week they fell to Stillwater 19-0.

Lose Title By a Point

CCS bounced back from defeat to top Schuylerville 38-13. They continued to roll, topping Hoosick Falls 26-0.

Next, they plowed under Fort Edward 20-6. This left them died for first place in the League.

CCS lost the county football title by a one point loss to St. Peters. Then in the finale, they shut out Greenwich 21-0. They missed the championship by a single point.

The third annual football banquet was held at the Hotel Cambridge. The Holy Name Society sponsored.

John Kennedy was elected to the US Presidency, although Washington County stayed Republican. Town of Cambridge's Theodore T. Buckley was elected county sheriff.

The Lions Club continued to work on a community tennis court.

A large truck visited CCS that winter. It was loaded with a model fall-out shelter.

Seth Craig Jr. was the reporter for the Old WCP. CCS opened the 1960-61 basketball season with a win over Argyle, 57-52. Ken Stinner led scoring with 25 points.

The starting five was Nygard, Morse, Stinner, Pemrick and Potvin.

Tom Carlson and Fred Knapp played well.

Then they took Greenwich. At that time Greenwich was in Class C, while Cambridge was in Class D.

Bob Nygard led scoring the next week with 17 as CCS stopped Fort Ann 51-45.

CCS experienced their first basketball loss of the season at Stillwater, 53-41. Bill Potvin was high scorer with 15.

Then Hoosick Falls handed them a second loss, 45-43. The defending Section II champs were vulnerable. CCS led until the final four minutes.

Harrison and Rowley led Hoosick Falls with 15 and ll.

Another addition to the Central School was drawn and was in the hands of the State Ed. Dept. for approval.

The locals downed Hoosic Valley 68-54. Ken Stinner set a new school scoring record by wracking up 37 pts. This broke the old individual record of 36 held by John Luke.

(NO. I HAVE BILL NYGARD WITH 39 IN CLASS D SEMI-FINALS ---P7 1960)

Stinner had 14 field goals and 9 free throws.

The Cambridge Chiefs, made up of grads from the area, played in the Northway Basketball League. Players were Fred Petteys, Frank Green, Don Vitello, Leo Bartuski, Ron Seifort, Bill Nygard, Howie Andrews, Denny Bornt and Joe Scarfo. They took on the likes of the Glens Falls, Ballston Spa and Fort Edward.