THE BOOK
The Burg Boys
Winning the Hearts of a Town
By: Karen Mundy
Growing up in Waynesburg, Ohio, Karen Mundy often heard stories about the great sports teams in the village, dating back to the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. The Burg Boys, also known as the Waynesburg Mohawks, were successful in football, basketball and baseball, but the basketball teams were phenomenal.
Starting in 1934, the Burg Boys advanced to the state tournament seven times, the last time in 1952. During that time, they quite often had undefeated regular seasons. Everyone wanted to beat Waynesburg, but you could almost count on two hands the amount of teams that did over three decades. The only sad part of the Burg Boys’ history is they were never able to secure that elusive state championship — losing by one point in 1951 in a very controversial game.
The success of the team is one remarkable aspect of this story, but what is really inspiring about the Mohawks is the way young men from various ethnic, racial and social backgrounds came together and became friends, comrades and teammates. They brought the town together and when they played their games — the town came to a halt, stores closed and raucous fans crowded into tiny gymnasiums and huge auditoriums to cheer their guys to one victory after another.
Karen feels privileged to have been able to interview many of the Burg Boys over the years and hear their stories. Some of the memories they shared were heart-warming, some were funny and some were sad. With the closing of Waynesburg High School in 1954, the Waynesburg Mohawks became a team of the past. However, this book, The Burg Boys — Winning the Hearts of a Town, will share their story with a new generation. Yes. Some stories just have to be told…
Three decades of the Burg Boys
1934
First Waynesburg team to reach the Ohio state tournament1934–52
Seven trips to the state tournament1949–53
96 wins, 5 losses1951
Lost the state title by one point in a controversial game1954
Waynesburg High School closes; the Mohawks become a team of the past
The 1934 Waynesburg Mohawk team, coached by Lester Emerson, was the first team to advance to the Ohio High School State Tournament. Team members were, front row from left, Art DelGratta, Kenneth Lewton, Bill “Soup” Barnes, Frank Walker, Herb Johnston, Jim Bankert, Carmen Mirto, manager; back row, Coach Emerson, Angelo Petracca, Moonie Cain, Harry Hahn, Donald Moore, School Superintendent Russell A. Strasser.
