American Football Database
Register
Advertisement

The Gilberton Catamounts, sometimes called the Gilberton Cadamounts and the Gilberton Duck Streeters, were an 1920s-era professional footall team based in Gilberton, Pennsylvania. However the team played many of its home games in nearby Mahanoy City because Gilberton's home field, Stoddard Field. was usually flooded.[1] In fact the borough got its "Ducktown" nickname mainly because of persistent flooding.[2]

Gilberton Catamounts
Founded c1920
Folded c1929
Based in Gilberton, Pennsylvania, United States
Home field Stoddard Field
League Anthracite League (1924)
Eastern League of Professional Football (1926-27)
Team History Gilberton Catamounts (1920s)
Team Colors Unknown
Head coaches Charlie Copley
General managers Joe Keating, James Rafferty, and T. Conner

Season-by-season[]

League Year Name W L T Pct. PF PA Notes
Independent 1920 Gilberton Cadamounts
Independent 1921 Gilberton Cadamounts
Independent 1922 Gilberton Cadamounts
Independent 1923 Gilberton Cadamounts
Anthracite League 1924 Gilberton Cadamounts 4 3 1 .500
Independent 1925 Gilberton Cadamounts
ELPF 1926 Gilberton Cadamounts 5 2 2 .714 51 22
Independent 1927 Gilberton Cadamounts
Independent 1928 Gilberton Cadamounts Gilberton Orange Buds
Independent 1929 Gilberton Cadamounts

Big money[]

The team played independently against other teams from Pennsylvania's "coal country". During the 1920s the teams based here paid large amounts of money to talented pro football players. Many players from the National Football League came to play football in this region because of the amount of money paid out. In 1924 Gilberton, under the managership of Joe Keating and James Rafferty, Gilberton acquired three new star players just days before their season opener. The team signed Ben Shaw, Cecil Grigg, and Lou Smyth. All three players were members Canton Bulldogs of the NFL. Ironically in 1924 the team played in the Anthracite League, which was formed to combat the out-of-control hiring of top professional football talent. It is no wonder that league folded after the 1924 season.[3] The team later played in the Eastern League of Professional Football from 1926 until the league folded in 1927.

Fritz Pollard[]

Pro Football Hall of Famer, Fritz Pollard played with the team in 1923 and 1924.[4] Coach Charlie Copley, a former teammate of Pollard's with the Akron Pros and the Milwaukee Badgers, recruited Pollard to play for the Catamounts. He became the first African-American to play football in the coal region. [5]

Hall of Famers[]

  • Fritz Pollard

References[]

Notes[]

Advertisement