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Drenning ouster a disservice — to BG

As a 28-year former coach with a record of 505-176, I was very disappointed to hear of the dismissal of coach Chris Drenning as the Bishop Guilfoyle boys basketball coach. I am not a diehard BG fan but a concerned citizen about how politics can affect negative outcomes of an athletic program. I think the disgruntled parents of the entitled athletes had so much clout that the BG administration and board sank to such a low level as to let a winning coach go just because their sons were not getting enough playing time. Drenning, like me, always strove to put the players on the ...

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Penn State run stirring memories When I was in graduate school at Penn State (Jan. 1971-Sept. 1972), I greatly enjoyed attending Penn State basketball games at Rec Hall, as I had really gotten into college basketball during my undergraduate years (U of Rochester, Div III). If nothing else, I got to see some standouts on visiting teams, one of which was Princeton, coached by legendary Pete Carril and featuring Brian Taylor, who went on to a very successful NBA career. Taylor was the fastest basketball player I’ve ever seen (Penn State won that game). Penn State ...

Penn State Altoona making strides

‘This team was more like a family’ By Derrick Stilley An impressive Penn State Altoona basketball season, led by coach David McGreal, ended with an 84-61 loss to La Roche in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship. Though this team fell short of its ultimate goal of winning a championship, it will be remembered for its achievements. n Dewayne Jones won defensive player of the year; n Savion Word was a first-team all-conference guard; n PJ Charles was a second-team all-conference center; n Andruw Harman was a second-team guard/forward; n Mason Bush ...

Mishandled Alabama case sending wrong message

By Gene Lyons For the Mirror My own basketball coaching career ended many years ago, when my 13-and-under Billy Mitchell Boys Club squad lost to the Guy Thunderbirds in a one-sided blowout. My guys had laughed their foolish heads off all the way from Little Rock to Guy, a little country town in Arkansas’ Faulkner County. What were they going to play with, cow pies? As an inveterate reader of the sports pages, I knew something they didn’t. Guy-Perkins won the Class B high school championship most years. It’s a basketball town. My guys were strictly Boys Club all-stars. ...

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PIAA needs more flexibility to better reward top teams The most watched sporting event each year by fans is March Madness as 68 NCAA Division I universities compete yearly for gold in basketball. Up until a few years ago, this field consisted of 64 teams. For whatever reasons, four schools (considered on the bubble) were added, and a seventh round, too, in hopes of providing more teams that thought they were left out prematurely. Pennsylvania has its own March Madness yearly, offering six gold medals from 192 high schools in six classes. One thing that bothered me yearly was ...

Coaches’ attire can speak volumes

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror Not that long ago, a man who worked in sales for one of our country’s largest steel manufacturers was expected to wear a coat and tie to the office each day. That man took pride in his appearance and in the sense of obligation he felt to create a positive reflection on the company. Then one day, he came home from work and announced to his family that coats and ties were no longer required. In fact, business casual was the company’s preferred dress code. It may seem like a small adjustment, but for that man, it was a shock to the system. The ...