by Larry Miller
Recently, friend Con Marshall shared with us the story about Rich Fahey and his record-setting achievement with Chadron's Assumption Academy basketball team more than 70 years ago. That story is immediately underneath the photograph below.
Con, of course, is the go-to guy for anything you want to know about northwest Nebraska sports, agriculture......well, just about anything and everything over the past half century or so! Con has been more than kind in sharing his stories and photographs with Dawes County Journal over the years. But when he passed along the Rich Fahey story, I think my memory went on vacation.
While I didn't know about Fahey's record, I did know – but had forgotten – that Fahey had played for Assumption Academy back in the 1950s....AND that I already had a very good photograph of that 1951-52 Panther basketball team!
Another good friend and frequent contributor to Dawes County Journal site is Jim Sandstrom – a Chadron native and boyhood friend (and former baseball teammate of mine) from the late 1950s. Although a few years younger than Fahey, Jim also played ball for Assumption.....AND.....has sent me several Assumption Academy class and team photos over the years. It was a few years ago, but I had forgotten the photo below, which is a splendid shot of that 1951-52 District Championship team. It includes, of course, a nice clear image of all the Panther players, Coach Bill Sollars and Father Miles. And the smiling No. 6 in the front row is......Richard Fahey! Wish I'd remembered to re-post it with Con's story!
Thank you, Jim, for sharing story ideas AND photographs!
