Marion Scott, a 1949 graduate of Cheltenham High School, was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics in March 1951.

According to local historian Chuck Langerman, Scott’s contract came after the Athletics decided to integrate Black athletes. He pitched in the Athletics’ farm system, never making it to the Major Leagues, but nevertheless a pioneer as the first African American player signed in the franchise’s history.

The club was based in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954 under legendary manager Connie Mack before moving to Kansas City in 1955, then to Oakland in 1969 where they currently reside as the Oakland Athletics.

Scott lived at 1717 Willow Avenue in the La Mott section of Cheltenham Township and was a star basketball guard and baseball pitcher for the Panthers, according to Langerman.

CHS junior drops 1,000th career point

Josiah Hutson, a junior and a three-year started for the Panthers’ boys’ basketball team, scored his 1,000th career point on Tuesday, January 30 against William Tennent High School.

Cheltenham, now atop the Suburban One League Freedom standings, edged Tennent 82-79, SurburbanOneSports reported.

“I knew I was near it, but I didn’t know I was that close,” Hutson said. “I really didn’t have any emotions. It was an exciting moment, but I couldn’t really do too much because I wanted to still be locked into the game. I was proud, but I wanted my teammates to know that the job still wasn’t done. I didn’t really show too much excitement. I just wanted to get the job done, and we could celebrate it afterwards.”

“He came in as a ninth grader and was on our most successful – at least from a win standpoint – 30-2 team, and he was a starter on that team,” Cheltenham’s head coach Patrick Fleury said. “He’s held a lot of different positions, he’s been through the ups and downs. These last two years have been the most challenging years. We accept the challenge, and we run towards it and not run from it, and he’s learned that.”

Hutson is the eighth male player in CHS history to reach the 1,000-point milestone and the third to do it in their junior year. He joins Harris Mansell (’05) and Patrick Mansell (’06) to have that distinction.

Fleury has ties to all three, coaching Hutson and playing with both Mansells (and assisting on the basket that vaulted Harris to the milestone), SuburbanOneSports said.   

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Photo: suburbanonesports.com, CSD