Details inauthentic
I grew up in Philadelphia, graduated from a Catholic High School in 1964. There were a number of details the producers of the show got wrong.
In the Catholic League title game, the announcers say, it was the closest Catholic League championship in years. Prior to the 1963 season, the Philadelphia Catholic League did not have a regular scheduled Championship game. In 19633, the league split into Northern and Southern divisions, after adding 4 teams. Prior to 1963, the Catholic League consisted of 10 teams. Each team played every other team. The team which finished with the best record was League Champion. To be honest, there were playoff games in 1959, 1961 and 1962. This happened because two teams finished with identical records. The games were not scheduled games.
The show had the Philadelphia City Title game played at night at one of the school's home fields. At the time, the Philadelphia City Title game was played on Saturday afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field, which did not have lights at the time.
The show had East Catholic with female cheer leaders. In 1963, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was so prudish that it would not permit female cheer leaders. Also, Catholic schools were either all male or all female. Even the schools which had both boys and girls were not really coeducational. They were co-institutional, meaning there were separate parts of the school for males and females. There were no coeducational classes.
Several episodes showed Beth Pryor as a member of the East Catholic band wearing slacks. Again, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was so prudish, it required female members of the bands of co institutional schools to wear skirts.
One additional note. In Philadelphia Catholic System, there were a North Catholic High School(due to be closed because of declining enrollment, a South Catholic(which became Bishop Neumann, now Neumann-Goretti, after a boys' school and a girls' school(St. Maria Goretti) were merged, and a West Catholic(originally there were a West Catholic Boys school and a West Catholic girls school, now merged into one school). There was never an East Catholic.
In the Catholic League title game, the announcers say, it was the closest Catholic League championship in years. Prior to the 1963 season, the Philadelphia Catholic League did not have a regular scheduled Championship game. In 19633, the league split into Northern and Southern divisions, after adding 4 teams. Prior to 1963, the Catholic League consisted of 10 teams. Each team played every other team. The team which finished with the best record was League Champion. To be honest, there were playoff games in 1959, 1961 and 1962. This happened because two teams finished with identical records. The games were not scheduled games.
The show had the Philadelphia City Title game played at night at one of the school's home fields. At the time, the Philadelphia City Title game was played on Saturday afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field, which did not have lights at the time.
The show had East Catholic with female cheer leaders. In 1963, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was so prudish that it would not permit female cheer leaders. Also, Catholic schools were either all male or all female. Even the schools which had both boys and girls were not really coeducational. They were co-institutional, meaning there were separate parts of the school for males and females. There were no coeducational classes.
Several episodes showed Beth Pryor as a member of the East Catholic band wearing slacks. Again, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was so prudish, it required female members of the bands of co institutional schools to wear skirts.
One additional note. In Philadelphia Catholic System, there were a North Catholic High School(due to be closed because of declining enrollment, a South Catholic(which became Bishop Neumann, now Neumann-Goretti, after a boys' school and a girls' school(St. Maria Goretti) were merged, and a West Catholic(originally there were a West Catholic Boys school and a West Catholic girls school, now merged into one school). There was never an East Catholic.
- jryan8
- 3 gen 2010