Although Joe Ceravolo starred in both
basketball and baseball at Aliquippa High School, most of his long
career in athletics has been as a highly successful cage coach on
three levels. At Aliquippa High School, he was a three year
basketball starter and as a senior led the Quips to the WPIAL championship
game in 1947, earning recognition as All Section and All WPIAL. Joe also had a
big year in baseball in 1947: he was the star shortstop for the
Quips as they won the WPIAL title that year and also excelled in
American legion baseball, where he was picked for the All Star game
and for the Aliquippa VFW baseball team that won the 1947 title.
During his basketball career at Davis & Elkins College in West
Virginia, Joe
was coached by
Press Maravich
and played on three conference
championship teams, helping his club reach the NAIA semifinals in
1950 and being named team captain as a senior. After graduating from
college, Joe played Class AA baseball in the Georgia-Florida
League and decided to stay in the Sunshine State, where he piled up
more than 400 victories as a basketball coach for a winning
percentage over 70 percent. His Florida high school teams won over
270 games including a state title at Twin Lakes High in 1971. Joe
became cage coach at Palm Beach Junior College in 1976 and also won
a state championship there, making him the first coach in Florida
history to win state crowns on both levels. His first team as coach
of the West Palm Beach Stingrays in the US Basketball League, a
spring league that prepares college grads for pro careers, lost the
division title game, and in 1989 the Stingrays reached the league
championship game. Joe originated the 1-4 offense and has written
several basketball books.
Although Joe Ceravolo starred in both
basketball and baseball at Aliquippa High School, most of his long
career in athletics has been as a highly successful cage coach on
three levels. At Aliquippa High School, he was a three year
basketball starter and as a senior led the Quips to the WPIAL championship
game in 1947, earning recognition as All Section and All WPIAL. Joe also had a
big year in baseball in 1947: he was the star shortstop for the
Quips as they won the WPIAL title that year and also excelled in
American legion baseball, where he was picked for the All Star game
and for the Aliquippa VFW baseball team that won the 1947 title.
During his basketball career at Davis & Elkins College in West
Virginia, Joe
was coached by