A Great Season Meets Kryptonite

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Butch Walker and the Hilanders, making hoop history in 1961-'62.

Although Peterborough High School had many winning seasons in its storied history, the 1961-’62 Hilanders were big news that winter, posting the best regular season record (16-3) of any PHS team from 1955 to the final year of 1969-’70 before becoming part of Conval Regional. (Notice that Antrim High was having a pretty good year, too!)

Led by forward Butch Walker (pictured), who tallied 341 points in 17 regular season games, Coach Ed Lithgow's Hilanders mowed over all opponents with the exception of losses at Wilton and Milford. Although Walker was leading scorer, throughout the season, the team featured balanced scoring from the likes of Dave Kendall, Bill Kuendig, Dennis Shea, and Mike Gavitt (former star Dave Gavitt’s brother). Other contributors were Al Reynolds, Neil Springfield, Doug Little, Pete Smith and Dick Mackey.

In the 1962 Class M (D3) tournament against Gotham, while Walker led the way with 21 points, it was playmaker guard Little who came off the bench to spark the offense, helping Peterborough to a first round win, 51-47.


In the quarter-finals, however, the run-and-shoot offense of powerful St. John of Concord (now Bishop Brady) eliminated the Hilanders, 59-42. At one point, Peterborough trailed by 24 points, but a dramatic late rally pulled the Hilanders to within 10 before St. John reeled off an 18-0 run in the game’s final minutes.


Although going down in history as one of Peterborough High's greatest teams, the 1961-’62 season marked the third time in Peterborough’s three most recent tournament appearances that St. John had been its kryptonite! 


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