The opponent was Bedford High school and the site was the Boston Garden and it was the fabled Tech Tourney. In 1974 male teachers all wore neckties and all women teachers wore dresses had fresh hairdos and high heels that made them look much more professional than the teachers of today.
All girl gym suits were ugly and even the prettiest lass had trouble looking good while wearing such attire.
Nearly all mothers were home when a child returned from school.
On a black and white TV that took at least five minutes to warm up we were watching Nancy Drew, Laurel and Hardy, Howdy Doody with Phineas Bluster and the peanut gallery and the Lone Ranger also Roy and Dale with Trigger and Buttermilk.
Bob Licare Sr., a legendary State Coach Hall-of-Famer was at the helm. Dickie Licare now the Central Catholic coach was the playmaker for his dad’s team. He was considered by many to be a mini coach on the floor before going to and playing hoop at Merrimack College.
The coach warned his team that Mike Elias was a big force to be reckoned with after scoring 37 points against a strong team, well coached by George Gregoire from Lowell’s Central Catholic team. Licare tells the local press that Elias is the “McCoy” and the “best player I’ve seen in a long time.”
The red and black of North Andover had been finalists in this tourney 3 times in 5 years. Holy Family dealt them a heartbreaking loss 5 years ago eking out a one point win and last year it was Rindge Tech by four points 54/50. This year’s version of “turkey owners” were hot from the start and young Dickie was dishing out like any army mess sergeant gone amok and the offense was really clicking. At one point in the 1st period the slick guard had five assists and his team had a 15/3 lead. North Andover’s Scarlet Knights led at the 1st quarters end by the score of 21 to 11. High schools played 4 quarters in 1974.
If the Bedford coach and his players thought that the Licare boys would cool off in the second period they were in for a rude awakening. A 29 point 2nd stanza was the NA response. Taking a 50 /21 lead into the end of the first half had many of the people from both sides surprised. Defense was always the byword at the local suburban school and to see his troops amass such a lead had the coach very leery of a letdown.
His team had Andy Brien still of the town. Brien whose sister, a fine woman player at the school, is these days a very successful coach of the school’s girls team who by the way, preaches the “D” to her charges. The aforementioned Dickie Licare Billy St. Cyr, Brian Smith, Will Uttley, Tom Teichman who is still a “townie” and later a fine hoop official who this past year watched his son perform for his school. Tommy Enright (who will still greet you at the village store), was a tough scorer and a rugged defensive player.
St. Cyr and Sid Peterson were given the ominous job of guarding the Bedford big threat Mike Elias and he must’ve felt like a Siamese twin to these guys, if he went to the bench one of these guys was with him. They stuck to him like flies on flypaper. I’m sure many of you remember flypaper.
Elias didn’t have many clean looks at the hoop and although he found a way to score 17 points seven were scored in the fourth quarter when the outcome had long been decided. The coach Licare took a page from Red Auerbach’s play book when he sent in a sixth player, Jerry Gordon pulled a John Havlicek when he had 5 steals 4 assists and score 14 points.
Uttley hit for 8 points and along with teammates Enright, Smith, and Cunningham gave a clinic on defense at the Garden this day. Peterson threw in 19, Gordon 14 and Brien for the winners. Hitting for 11 points and running the offense to perfection the coach’s son went to the bench with the team of followers from the town giving him a standing ovation.
The coach was all smiles as he finally won a State Title in Boston Garden. He and his wife Janet winter in Florida and one wonders if they remember the games of the past and this great season as Cape Ann League Champs to go along with this title. It took North Andover 12 trips to the tourney before they could finally nail a championship down.
I’m sure the coach won’t admit it as he never mentions his career to anyone and I’ve been privileged to spend much time with him after he retired and he was pretty closed mouth about his record. When entering the North Andover Fieldhouse take notice of the banners his teams won. I’ll bet that the first State Championship will always be special for two reasons one being the winner and to his team being led by his son to victory.
This year’s 1974 Scarlet Knights removed a huge monkey off their backs by defeating Bedford High for the State Division 2 Crown at Boston Garden and erased all past disappointments by pummeling them 81/47.1 wonder if the parents and sister of Dickie and Bobby knew that maybe the best was yet to come from these fine hoopsters.
It was a hoop dream come true for a basketball town.
