With the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s recent decision to eliminate regional postseason tournaments and the recent death of one of the Western Massachusetts Tournament’s most popular stars, Bob Kovalski of Hatfield, I’d like to remember the 1960 Smith Academy team that 60 years ago helped put the tournament on the map.
The title won by the 1960 Smith Academy team, from the state’s smallest high school, drew national attention and had western Massachusetts abuzz.
The Smith team turned down a berth in the Small Schools Tournament at UMass and informed the Western Mass tournament committee they would accept their invitation to the big tournament. Half of the 29 male students in grades 10 through 12 were on the Smith team, which played in a gymnasium at town hall that held 200 fans. The team that had won the Hampshire League beat the large schools to win the title, a feat that is compared to the movie “Hoosiers.”
The now famous Smith players were Kovalski, Ken Kulesza, Tony Symanski, Jim Southard, Jim Majesky, Ed Malinowski, Marty Wilkes, Charlie Symanski, Bill Celetka, Bernie Pelis, Terry Michaloski and Dick Harubin.
Walter Krzeminski
Easthampton