Carroll College Athletics

A football and basketball standout at St. Peter’s High (Anaconda Central), Joe McGinley’s first cage season on the Hilltop was on the freshman team, since the 1945-46 varsity was made up mostly of Navy V-5 and V-12 sailors. Among the Frosh Saints’ highlights were winning 2 of the 4 games against the University of Montana JV. “Joe McGinley (is a) scrappy little guard/forward whose spectacles appear to know where the basket is from any angle,” the IR reported.

His final two years, he was the varsity’s No. 3 and No. 2 scorer, respectively. As a senior, Joe led the team in scoring in 6 games, with highs of 17 and 16 (twice) points, while averaging over 13 ppg. He was regarded as an outstanding passer and an unselfish player. Football was reinstated at Carroll that fall after an absence of 5 years due to the war, with the 150-pound McGinley serving as a back-up quarterback. He also excelled scholastically, earning Magna Cum Laude in 7 semesters.