Joe Kelly

Basketball, Class of 2002

Tidioute High School Basketball Standout at only 5'11" and 140 pounds! During his Tidioute High School senior year (1952)—Joe's team surprised the county "basketball giant," Warren Area School, by beating them 48-38 (Joe scored 24 of the 48 points for Tidioute!); This turned out to be only the start of a magical season for the Tidioute cagers. Only 15 games into the same season, Joe had already scored 364 points, leading his closest competitor (Jerry Carr of Sheffield) by 194 points and the team was 15-0; During one game versus Marienville—Joe scored an unheard-of 42 points!; By the end of his senior year, Joe had scored 565 points (248 field goals)—207 points ahead of the County's second leading scorer (J. Pierson—Youngsville), and made 69 of 109 foul shots; The Bulldogs that year ended with a record of 20 wins and only 3 losses and as the Upper Allegheny Valley League Championships; Joe was named to the Little A-P Third Team the A. P. Sports Writers and received a basketball scholarship to Gannon University; Joe came back to the area to dominate local basketball playing amateur ball for the Tidioute Vets, the Tidioute Athletic Club, and for the Tidioute Hawks(During one game—Joe scored 45 points!!); Joe's Upper Allegheny Valley League Record of 565 points stood for 19 years before being broken by Paul Yucha (Youngsville), Joe was the first to congratulate Paul; In addition: Joe was a Tidioute High School Varsity Basketball starter for 4 years (1949-1952); His teams won 4 UAVL Championships during these years; and was named to the PIAA All-State Team in 1952; Joe continues to live in the Warren Area and is a basketball "watermark" for future Warren County cagers.