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This ad appeared in the York newspaper the day of the game.  While York Catholic was playing St. Marys, York William Penn was playing Norristown in the PIAA Eastern Final.

Class B State Championship Game Wednesday March 31, 1948,  Rec Hall on the Penn State Campus in State College, PA York Catholic          44 St. Mary's Central  42 Two very good basketball teams, St. Mary's Central and York Catholic met for the Pennsylvania State Catholic School Championship for Class B honors in State College in 1948.  The game ended with a 45 foot toss at the basket by York Catholic with the time remaining under dispute.   The ball went into the basket, but the question was, "had time ran out." If the basket was to be allowed, York Catholic was a 44-42 winner.  If time had run out, then the score was tied 42 to 42 and an overtime period would be necessary to determine a winner. The referee said "no," the Umpire said "yes'"-the time keeper said the shot occurred after time had elapsed.   In the hours and days following the game, St. Mary's Central Catholic filed  protests with the PCIAA State Office and the PCIAA Administrator, Father Keller.  They argued that the score was 42-42.  In the hours and days following the game, York Catholic celebrated,  staged a victory parade, and looked into entering the National Catholic Tournament in Chicago.  They claimed a 44-42 victory.

At the end of the game, the Referee, Mr. Levine consulted with the neutral timekeeper, a man from State College as well as the time keepers from both York and St. Mary's, they all agreed that the goal should not count, however, they were all over ruled by Harold Yost, the Umpire who said that the goal did count. 
In Rule #2, section 11 of the Official Rules, it states
"if a try for a goal occurs as the gun sounds to end the period, the Umpire declares if the goal went in while the Referee declares if the gun has sounded before the ball left the players hand.  At the same time, the Referee glances at the Timekeeper to indicate if there has been any irregularity with the firing of the gun"
According to the St. Mary's Daily Press,  the "St. Mary's Central Catholic coach, Jimmy Goetz, the athletic Director, Father James  and Lenny Boland" traveled in person to Hanover, the location of the State PCIAA (Pennsylvania Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association) Office (which coincidentally was located in York County) to talk to Father Harold Keller,  the PCIAA administrator.  His response to them, "he might call a meeting of the PCIAA Board of Control to go over the whole thing."  But, April  had soon elapsed, spring had arrived, high schools were beginning  baseball,  the month of May arrived, the leaves were on the trees, soon graduation lists were being posted in newspapers in St. Mary's and York and no word ever arrived from Father Keller or the PCIAA. 
(Note: In those days, there were two separate state basketball playoffs leading to State Champions, the PCIAA for Catholic schools and the PIAA for public schools).
The scoreboard on the wall in State College was never changed and still read 42-42, but  York Catholic has a 1947-48 State Championship banner hanging on the wall in its gymnasium and the game stands in the record books for the ages at 44-42.

Difficulties for St. Mary's included the loss of their center "Big Jim" Schlimm on fouls  and the fact that their other leading player, Tom Bauer could not play because of  a leg infection.  But overcoming these adversities in the fourth period, St. Mary's tied the game at 40-40 on a Victor Straub drive to the basket and then took the lead  42-40  on a Paul Krieg one-handed shot and then gained possession of the ball with a minute and thirty seconds to go.

Both teams were kept on the court as "fans swarmed on the playing floor and fists began flying as partisans from both teams argued pro and con."   Then after more than an hour of  confusion, elation for York's players and fans and frustration for the players and fans from St. Mary's the score was certified as being final. Jack O'Brien of the St. Mary's Daily Press reported that a large contingent of St. Mary's fans had made the trip to State College for the game, and now headed home dejected.
But even though  the scoreboard on the wall in State College was never changed  and read 42-42, the record books credit York Catholic with a 44-42 win and the 1948 State Championship.

The York Catholic "Green and Gold" team coached by John Clark entered the game with a record of 27-2.  They defeated St. John's of  Manayunk 48-40 in the Eastern Finals.  Jimmy Goetz coached the St. Marys Central Catholic "Crusaders" with a record of 19-5.  His four year record going into the game was 119-12. St. Mary's had defeated Pittsburgh St. James 41-34 in the Western Finals to reach the Championship Game. In the 1948, the  PCIAA Class A State Championship game was staged in Allentown and  Allentown Central Catholic defeated Johnstown Catholic 45-41 before 4,000 fans.  During the regular season, St. Mary's Central and Johnstown Catholic had met twice with each winning once.  Johnstown Catholic was led by the outstanding play of Leroy Leslie, who later went to Notre Dame.

In the photo above, the York Catholic team: top row, left to right: Benny Stewart, Elmer Godfrey, Bill Campbell; left middle, Ed Munchel; bottom, left to right: Len Rein, Coach John Clark, and Bruce Nolin; right middle, Jim Graham.     The starting lineup for the St. Marys Central team: Paul Krieg, Jim Handwerger, Jim Schlimm (fouled out in the 3rd quarter and was replaced by Jake Nissel), Kenny Herzing (who played in place of an injured Tom Bauer) and Victor Straub. Jimmy Goetz was the St. Marys coach.   Both Jim Schlimm and Tom Bauer went on to play at Providence College..
                                                                                     Story credits: St. Marys Daily Press, York Gazette and Daily).

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