Hello Basketball Fans,

  Basketball Fans,

   Get ready for a once-in-a-lifetime trip down memory lane with my new basketball publication, The PHL in the STL. The Public High League: A St. Louis Legacy.

  This 188-page book will celebrate the history and great achievements of those who participated in the great Public High League, which produced some of the best high school basketball ever played in the St. Louis area and the state of Missouri over a ten decade period.

  The players and coaches who competed in the PHL have left a lasting legacy and their contributions to the area basketball scene will never be forgotten.  We will try to recapture some of those great memories through the hundreds of photos collected as well as the great stories as told by the former athletes and coaches themselves.

  The book will chronicle the history of the PHL in many special sections. There will be a special section that spotlights the great players of the league. Read about the exploits of former PHL greats such as Jo Jo White, Bob Ferry, David Thirdkill, Stanley Woods and many, many more. Who was the best PHL team of all time? The 1969 Sumner Bulldogs or the 1988 Vashon Wolverines? Who was the best little man in the history of the league, Bennie Moore of Sumner, Darryl “Pee Wee” Lenard of Central or Joel Shelton of Vashon. This book will provide all of the barber shop material you need to argue over who was the best.

  Read about the great coaches, great teams and programs that are a permanent part of history. Many of the athletes who appear in the section on great players were voted by many of you who filled out ballots because you wanted to see them included. I also spoke to many former players, coaches, media members and sports historians as he put together a comprehensive list that represents the many generations of PHL excellence.

  I have also compiled a list of memorable moments from the history of the PHL, including a brief history of the PHL Christmas Tournament. I will also introduce you to the old “ILL-MO” League, an all-black conference where many of the black city schools such as Sumner and Vashon, competed before integration. I will also spotlight the girls of the PHL, who have really been a force in area basketball since the mid-1970’s.

  Make sure to purchase your copy of “The PHL in the STL” and be a part of the greatness of the Public High League once again.

I hope everyone enjoys this special issue and I will see you at the games.

Publisher and Editor