In 1939, Bohm Townsend, via Townsend Grocery, organized one of the most amazing and colorful basketball teams in Maryville history — made up mostly of former Spoofhounds and Bearcats, and played its home games at Washington School and in the Martindale Gymansium at Northwest.
The team named for Townsend’s Chicago supplier of goods—Chicago’s Leadway Foods —would challenge local teams such as the Tri-Cs at the Conception Seminary Auditorium, become a power in the St. Joseph Metro League, and challenge Kansas City teams, including the Kansas City Police. By 1941, it was ready for its close-up. It took on the two most powerful AAU teams of the era — Phillips 66 and 20th Century Fox of Hollywood/Beverly Hills multiple times during the season.
It had grand plans, including playing at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Maryville planned home and home games with 20th Century Fox in December 1941, but between the first game at the St. Joseph Auditorium on December 3, a planned game in Hollywood on December 20 had to be canceled after Pearl Harbor, which also messed up other parts of its schedule. Maryville lost to Phillips 66 in the semifinals of the regional AAU Tournament.
