April 5, 2011

1962-63 Division Avenue High School basketball team coached by Jimmie Amen

Click on picture to enlarge

Front row: Paul Linder, Danny Abrams, Louie DeFrancesco, the late Jimmy Cain, George Rosenbaum, manager Mark Garber

Back row: coach Jimmie Amen, Lou Zinser, John Plass, Pete Greene, Rich Sandler, Tommy Connelly, Richie Ligouri, Howard Alexander.

According to Lou Zinser '65, "The Division Avenue basketball players who stand out the most from my era were Jimmie Cain '63, who had the best shot release, along with Ernie Villatore '61 and Gary Parker '62. I did not have the pleasure of playing with Ernie and Gary because I was younger.

"Being a soph on the 1962-63 team and lucky to start. I was in awe of my teammate Howie Alexander who a great player but was known as a chucker because of all the shots he took, " stated Zinser. "One day as I was dressing in the looker room, I noticed just before a game Cain and Tommy Connelly rubbing atomic balm in Howie's jock. Just before warm ups, he was rubbing and grabbing yelling 'Damn, my balls feel like they're on fire.'"

"Needless to say after he found out who did it, his shot selection was improved and which taught me a great lesson, look to your draws before putting them on. Thank God I didn't hog the ball."

Photo from 1963 yearbook
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 5, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    It was Danny Abrams -- '64 -- a Junior on the team

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 5, 2011 at 9:38 PM

    Marilyn Monsrud Frese '63 wrote:

    There was no Abrams in the '63 yearbook (for the Var. Basketball Team '63) so I looked him up in his Jr. class group photo...and it does look just like the kid in the BB photo. His whole name is Daniel Abrams.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Frank BarningApril 5, 2011 at 9:40 PM

    First name added for Danny Abrams. Thanks for the input.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ktrayApril 23, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    Howie Alexander was the only black kid to attend Division during my six years (62-68). As a little junior high kid he was one of my heroes. A great basketball and football player. Wonder what he went through while walking down the lilly white halls of our school and wonder if the" jock strap" incident was really that innocent of a prank. Didn't Jerry Jewel recruit him to Division?
    Mr. Amen was a beloved PE teacher and coach and taught me a lot about the game of basketball and life.

    ReplyDelete