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Girmindl's Ghost

A diary of Shaker High School's 2005-2006 basketball season, a retelling of Shaker's fabled 1979-1980 season, and general commentary on high school hoops, updated daily...


"I like sitting in the back row. I found that sitting against the wall is just easier on your back." -Dean Smith, on the comfort of the H-gym bleachers



Welcome!
If you've never visited Girmindl's Ghost before, I suggest you start by browsing through the articles in the FAQ section on the right. That will give you a better sense of what I'm up to here, and why there's a picture of H-gym to the left.

Feedback is encouraged in the comments and to the email address on the right. If you have specific knowledge of either the 2005 or 1979 team, please pass it along!

Check out Girmindl's Ghost at its second home on Timesunion.com!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Today (3/30) in 1980: Sam Perkins played in the McDonald's High School All-American game in Oakland, California. The game featured (and still features) 24 of the best high school players in the country, divided into two teams that practice together for a few days and then play one game against each other. After a press conference with the media and the rest of the Shaker varsity team at the McDonald's on Route 9 in Latham, the team escorted Sam to the Albany airport for his departure to California.

Throughout Sam's career at Shaker, there had always been a small minority of onlookers who doubted that he was truly a national-caliber player and a big-time college prospect. They typically argued that he didn't play agaisnt big competition and that he wasn't strong enough physically to bang down-low in the ACC. Now, much of this was quieted when Sam had huge success on the U.S. Junior National team during the summer of '79. But the doubters were still around even by the end of the '79-80 season.

It's also noteworthy that Sam had not yet dediced on a college yet, although he was down to four schools: UNC, UCLA, Syracuse, and Houston. It wasn't like the McDonalds all-American game wasa going to change any of the scouts' minds - every college in the country wanted Sam. But it was going to be a showcase - good or bad - of Sam playing against top competition on national TV for all to see.

Sam did not disappoint. Although his East team lost the game 135-111, Sam showed that his amazing rebounding ability was not going to be slowed at the college level. He grabbed 24 rebounds, setting a McDonald's All-American game record that still stands today. He also added 12 points, including one magnificent dunk, although he shot somewhat poorly from the field as his outside shot went on vacation for the afternoon. Although his 12 pts/24 boards line wasn't good enough for game MVP (that was shared by Russell Cross and Doc Rivers, each who scored 20 points), it was obvious to all who saw the game that Sam Perkins was going to dominate college basketball. Not someday, but right away.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

One shining moment: Went to the Shaker basketball banquet last night, had a great time. As promised, I will write the season-ending recap this week. First, I got lazy, and then I wanted to wait till after the banquet. So it's coming, I promise.

I did manage to get a hold of this video last night. Converting it to "web-usable" makes it kind of grainy, but if you were sitting there that night, it won't matter. For those that weren't there, I'll set the stage: Shaker is playing CBA, the defending sectional champs, in the finals of the Girmindl tournament. The H-gym is close to sold out, and the place has been rocking all night. Down 9 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Shaker has staged a furious rally, and now has the ball out of bounds with 9 seconds to go, down 1. Now, turn the volume on your computer WAY up, and then hit play. [video courtesy of the Sheehan family]



Aside from the obvious, two things that make the video great are:

1)the guy (I think it's Mr. Sheehan) who screms "GET IN!" right before the shot goes down. That's literally what everyone in the whole place said at the exact same moment.

2)the high pitched screaming of "GEORGIA TECH! GEORGIA TECH!" by someone - don't know who - in the adult section in the seconds after the shot goes in. Just great.

To read about the details surrounding that shot, read my CBA game recap. To hear Brad talk about the shot, read the beginning of my interview with him.

Back later this week with the season wrap-up.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Today (3/11) in 1980: Shaker, the undefeated #1 team in the state, played in the sectional finals vs. CBA. The largest crowd in section 2 basketball history - a standing room only crowd of over 7,000 fans - came out to watch. This game was supposed to be a major stepping stone on the way to greater achievements -the regional and state tournament - and another showdown with Mt. Vernon - loomed in the coming weeks. Win or lose, it was the final local game for Shaker. It was supposed to be a blowout.

Instead, 7,000 people watched the most stunning upset in Section II history:

We'll talk about it in detail in the next few days, but for now just a few quotes I gathered about the game, and one story:

Tim Cain '81: "It was the kind of game you just try to block out of your mind."

Jeff Tuecke '81: "After it was over, in the days afterwards, I remember being more embarressed than anything else."

Sam Perkins '80: "I was shocked. I realized it's always possible to lose, but I never imagined it would happen so quick, all at a sudden."

John Brennan '81: "I still, 26 years later, don't know how we lost. I still can't believe it."

I don't remember this game. I was there, but i was only 2 years old. What I do remember is that this game crushed many peoples' spirits, dramatically. Specifically, I remember what it did to my father. He honestly never got over it. It wasn't like it was a big deal in my childhood or anything, but I can say it directly shaped my sports-related upbringing. Anytime - and I mean anytime - I talked about an upcoming sporting event being a definite blowout, my father would shake his head and say something like, "Don't forget, CBA beat Shaker. Anything is possible."

Twelve years later, when Dad and I went back to Glens Falls for the 1992 sectional title game, he had us get there about an hour early. He took me to the seats where we had sat in 1980 - he had memorized the section, row, and seat numbers - and we sat there for a good half hour just staring at the empty court, while he retold me the details of the game, quarter by quarter. It was like listening to someone describe a funeral. And in a lifetime of watching and talking sports with my father - be it the Giants, Yankees, Knicks, Orangemen, Saints, or hishigh school baseball team - I never saw him get as sad as he did talking about March 11,1980.

CBA beat Shaker. Anything is possible.

Full report about the actual game, and plenty of stories, coming over the next few days.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Today (3/10) in 1980: Shaker did not play. Next game is tomorrow, 3/11/1980, sectional finals vs. CBA. Many onlookers were disappointed that the matchup was Shaker and CBA. For weeks, people had been wondering if Big 10 champ Mont Pleasant - who CBA had upset in the semifinals - could give Shaker a game. Now there would be no way to ever find out. Here is the Times Union preview of the championship game:


It's tough to make out the headline, it reads "Shaker, Greenwich on the spot." (Greenwich, led by Tony Traver, was a powerhouse small school in section II.) That's Perkins on the far right, and CBA coach Bill Telasky in the other picture.

The Bison looked to be an overwhelming favorite to repeat as section champs. They had simply dominated and outclassed virtually every opponent in section 2 over the past two season. At 23-0 and ranked #1 in the state, they looked poised to get their long awaited rematch with Mt. Vernon in the state tournament, this time perhaps with the upper hand. More than a few observers, to put it mildly, were looking past CBA.

And that wasn't simply because the BIson were so good. It was mostly because CBA didn't matchup well with the Bison at all. Their frontline players stood 6'4, 6'1, and 6'1, giving up almost a full five inches a man to Shaker's frontline. And Shaker had feasted on such teams all season long, most recently Troy in the section semifinals, who they beat 72-40 with Perkins, Cain, and Tuecke outscoring Troy's frontline 48-6. Back earlier in the week, when a number of area coaches were asked if Shaker could be beaten by any of the other semi-finalist, they answered that it was unlikely, but if it happened it would definitely be Plesant or Troy, since CBA just had no way of staying with Shaker inside.

Even more to the point, CBA had been anything but dominant during the regular season. They began the season 1-4. Since then they were a very respectable 16-2, but their resume was anything but spectacular - they were a very pedestrian 12-6 in the Big 10 during the regular season. One thing they did have going for them was their coach, Bill Telasky. He was widely considered to be one of the best coaches in section 2, and he had put together a masterful gameplan to beat MP in the semis, using a box and one on Plesant poin guard Mark Suasville to deny MP center Brendan Mitchell the ball.

At any rate, it was time to play. Tomorrow night, 3/11/1980. Glens Fall Civic center. 9pm. I'll be there, sitting on my father's lap about 15 rows up, even with foul line. Game report tomorrow.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Coming soon, I promise: I know I said that I'd have my season-ending year in review essasy up by now, but two things have gotten in the way - my real work and, more importantly, my continued thinking about the sesason. I thought it would be easy to write the final essay, but turns out it isn't. So keep checking back. I'm sure I'll write it in the next week or so.

I'm not going to the CBA-Proctor game, although I kind of wish that I was. I'm going out of town Saturday night. However, I'm planning on being at the AP-Malone game and I have tickets to the UAlbany-Vermont game Saturday afternoon, so I'll be spending plenty of time at the RACC. Hope to see you there!

Today (3/9) in 1980: Shaker did not play. Next game is 3/11/1980, sectional final vs. CBA. I'll have a full preview of the game tomorrow.

I was hoping to have my interviews with Tim Cain '81, John Brennan '81, and Jeff Teucke '81 ready to go today, but I've been bogged down with work this week. I have about 4 hours of tape recordings to transcribe, and I haven't had time to do it. Hopefully, I get to that next week.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Today (3/8) in 1980: Shaker did not play. However, the other sectional semifinal took place. The morning Times Union ran the following headline:

Everyone was looking forward to a Shaker-Mont Pleasant showdown for the title. Dave Bleau, coach of MP, however, wasn't as optimistic. He had this to say:
Someone told me the other day that the only interest left seems to be whether or not we can stay with Shaker. I told him that the real pressure game is [tonight against CBA], not next Tuesday.
Mont Pleasant had already beaten CBA twice during the season, and had not lost since mid-December. But it was not to be. The Brothers played nearly a perfect game, and the headlines in the paper tomorrow told the story:

Here's an excerpt from the article:
CBA of Albany, loser both times it played Big 10 champ Mont Pleasant during the regular season, upset the Red Radiers 65-55 Saturday night at the Glens Fall Civic center and earned a berth in Tuesday's Class A finals against undefeated Shaker.

"I'm giving these guys off Sunday and I'm going to enjoy this one myself," CBA Coach Bill Telasky said. "I won't start thinking about Shaker until Monday."

Maybe Telasky won't be able to come up with a master plan to stop Sam Perkins and Company Tuesday, but he certainly pushed all the right buttons to beat Mont Pleasant. The key to the game was the box and one CBA played against Pleasant point guard Mark Sausville. The Red Raider floor leader was held to 10 points (only two field goals) and was into many turnovers.

Brendan Mitchell, Pleasant's 6-6 junior star, scrored 25 points but was not the dominant factor he had been against other Big 10 and Section II teams, including CBA. One of the reasons Mitchell failed to dominate was because CBA kept Sausville from getting the ball to him down low.

"Their boxing Sausville was a definite surprise," said Pleasant Coach Dave Bleau, who saw a 19-4 season end on a sour note and one game short what had been the anticipated Class A showdown agaisnt Shaker and a duel between Perkins and Mitchell.
So there you have it. It's Shaker (23-0) vs. CBA (17-6) on 3/11/1980 for the sectional title. We'll preview the game in the coming days.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Greatest section 2 final ever?: Maybe. But definitely the best basketball game I've ever seen in person. CBA 71, Albany 69 (2 OT). All three finishes - regulation, overtime, and double overtime - included lead-changing or tying hoops in the last 10 seconds. Simply amazing. I'll write more about it tomorrow.

Tonight's game: I highly recommend going to tonight's game. Even though Shaker isn't playing, there are few things more enjoyable than watching a sectional title basketball game. The game is at 7pm down at the Pepsi. Tickest are just $6.50 and it is general admission. There should be a really good crowd. SJC and I will be there, and we'll be sitting in Broadway Joe's having a beer before the game. Stop by and say hi. Prediction: I can't see CBA losing this game, although I think it might be closer than many people are saying. CBA has beaten Albany three times this year, but twice in overtime. I'll go with CBA, 68-60.

One other note: AP beat Glens Falls last night in the Class A title game. Congrats to the Warriors for representing the Suburban well. A lot of people thought Glens Falls was unbeatable, but AP was able to bang inside and play team ball well enough to hold off 33 from Fredette. Their next game is Friday night at the RACC, regional finals agaisnt Malone.

Today (3/7) in 1980: Shaker met Troy in the sectional semifinals. The sports section cover headline says it all:

That's a picture of Sam jamming home 2 of his 27 points, with Cain facing the hoop in the foreground.

The biggest crowd ever to watch a section 2 basketball game at the time - 6,181 - showed up for the first ever section 2 game in the Glens Falls Civic center (the record was broken later this week in the finals). They watched the Bison turned in an absolutely dominating performance, dismantling Troy 72-40. From the Times Union:
Shaker's latest triumph...was a textbook example of awesome power on offense and intimidation on defense. Nowhere was Shaker's supremacy more evident than on the front line, where Perkins and his two junior forwards, 6-6 Tim Cain and 6-5 Jeff Tuecke, outscored their Troy counterparts 48-6. Troy center Jon Berkeley, who averaged 18 points/game during the regular season, could manage only two because of Perkins' intimidation.
The Bison scored the first eight points of the game, and Perkins recorded a block on each of Troy's first three posessions. At the end of the 1st quarter, it was 17-7. In the 2nd, Cain began to hit from everywhere and Troy continued to shoot poorly. The Bison led 35-15 at the half. Perkins had 15 in the first half and Cain 13. Troy shot an unbelievably awful 5-for-31 from the field in the first half.

The second half proved to be no different. The Bison won the 3rd quarter 19-12 to take a 54-27 lead at the end of three, and they crusied home in the 4th. Perkins, Cain, and the rest of the starters were removed from the game with 4:39 remaining, to a standing ovation from the Civic Center crowd. The second team played out the 4th and the game ended 72-40.

Perkins finished with an incredibly stat line: 27 points on 12-for-13 shooting, 25 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. His only miss was on attempted tip-in off a missed shot. Incredible. Cain finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Chuck Meehan added 14 and Tuecke 6.

Said Girmindl after the game, "My kids [the Shaker team] have been looking forward to these playoffs for half of the Suburban Council season. Now you're going to see the real Shaker team."

With the win, the 23-0 Bison advance to the 3/11/1980 sectional finals, against the winner of the Mont Pleasant - CBA game, which takes place tomorrow night, 3/8/1980, at the Civic Center.

Here's the partial boxscore:

Shaker (72) Perkins 12 3 27; Cain 6 3 15; Tuecke 3 0 6; Brundige 2 0 4; Meehan 5 4 14; Mitchell 0 1 1; Roe 1 0 2; Brennan 1 0 2; Barker 0 1 1. Totals 30 12 72.

Shaker 17 18 19 18 - 72
Troy 7 8 12 13 - 40

Record: 23-0 (3-0 playoffs)
Next '79-80 game: 3/11/1980, sectional championship vs. TBD, at Glens Falls.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Today (3/6) in 1980: Shaker did not play. Next game is tomorrow, 3/7/1980, sectional semi-finals vs. Troy in Glens Falls.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Searching, searching: I found this interesting. The tracking software I have on Girmindl's Ghost allows me to see what phrases people searched for if they found the site through Google. Some recent Google searches that led people here:

Albany high game John Hans
John Hans shaker elbow
Erwyn suspended Shaker elbow
John Hans Albany basketball elbow cheap

And my my personal favorite:

I hate Devyn Erwyn

Maybe it's reassuring that that last one gets you to Girmindl's Ghost. Maybe not.

Today (3/5) in 1980: The question looming on everyone's mind, delivered as an above the fold splash cover story in the Times Union:


The article first reviewed Shaker's amazing dominance this season: An undefeated record, an average margin of victory of 29 points, only three games that included meaningful 4th quarter play,and only one victory by less than 12 points. It then turned to the question at hand. Could Troy, Mont Pleasant, CBA stop Shaker short of the state tournament?

The article interviewed three coaches (Don Bassett of Catholic Central, Damian Fantauizzi of Saratoga, and former Bishop Maginn coach Don Weaver). Here was the general consensus, offered by Weaver:
"I don't feel Shaker will get beat this year."
However, the coaches did agree that anything was possible:
"Any high school team is beatable when you get down to this part of the season," said Bassett."
Still, it was going to take a particular set of circumstances to pull of the upset:
All three coaches feel that if anyone is capable of preventing Shaker from comleting a second consecutive perfect record against Section II competition, it will have to be Troy or Mont Pleasant.

"CBA just gives away too much height," said Bassett. "They would have to take the air out of the ball, and even that will be very difficult."
The three coaches were then asked what it would take to beat Shaker:

Bassett: "It's not going to be easy...Troy [Shaker's semifinal opponent] will have to try to beat Shaker down the floor, and use some halfcourt traps...And Mont Pleasant will have to keep Mitchell out of foul trouble...Shaker can get by with Perkins on the bench, they can just move Cain inside...you're not going to beat Shaker by shooting from the outside - and you can't go into the game thinking you're going to beat Perkins by taking him away from the basket on defense. You have to score from the inside, but you have to pick and choose your spots for going to the basket." Bassett also thought Shaker might actually be easier to beat this year, despite having a much more dominating season that last year. "Last year, if you collapsed on Perkins, Mike Sally would just kill you from the outside. I don't think either of Shaker's guards this year [Brundige or Meehan] have that kind of range."

Fantauzzi: The key is to collapse on Perkins and pressure the ball out front. "You have to deny Shaker the easy pass...and your guards have to be able to hit from the outside, that will open things up. But you have to be patient."

Weaver: He thinks the key to beating Shaker is smart defense. His Maginn team had Shaker on the ropes during the previous seasion [a 50-49 Shaker victory] and he shared his game plan with the paper. "We forced Perkins to the outside wing, which was exactly what we wanted to do. Unfortunately, he made 9 of 10 long ones to beat us. But that is what you have to do. Double Perkins and try to box out their forwards...Mont Pleasant might have the best chance...Maybe Mitchell can contain Perkins. The real question is whether their forwards can matchup with Cain and Tuecke."

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Today (3/4) in 1980: Everyone was gearing up for the upcoming week of basketball. The schedule looks like this:

Semi-finals

Fri., March 7th, 1980 (7:30pm): #1 Shaker (22-0) vs. #13 Troy (11-11)
Sat., March 8th, 1980 (7:30pm): #2 Mont Pleasant (18-4) vs. #3 CBA (16-6)

Finals

Tuesday, March 11th, 7:30pm: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

People were getting very excited about the prospect of a Mont Pleasant-Shaker showdown. MP had one of the few players in the area - 6'6" Brendan Mitchell - who had shown (in a preseason scrimmage) any willingness to even challenge Perkins inside. And after last year's sell-out crowd of 4,500 at the Siena ARC for the Catholic Central-Shaker title game, everyone was confident that the new Civic center would be filled to capicity of Tuesday's title game.

The Times Union ran pretty good previews and coverage of the games all week long. Most of it suggested Shaker simply could not be beaten. One exception to that was Al Hart, who had written a rather ominous column a few weeks back, arguing that maybe Shaker could be beaten in the sectionals:
Undefeated Shaker has to be the overwhelming favorite to capture the Section II, Class A basketball tournament. But I think that...they can be beaten.

I know. Shaker is [unbeaten] this year and has lost just one game in the past two years. And 6-foot-9 Sam Perkins is one heck of a performer. But I think Mont Pleasant, for one, can beat Shaker.

Why? Brendan Mitchell, Mont Pleasant's junior ace, is 6-foot-6 and could hold his own against Perkins. Richard Dix and Bobby McDouglad can neutralize Shaker forwards Tim Cain and Jeff Tuecke, and Pleasant's backcourt of Mark Sausville and Vic Isabella is - in my opinion - far superior to Shaker's. True, Shaker has a better bench, but MP coach Dave Bleau has his team in good shape and he might not need to rotate more than 6 or 7 players...that is, if they meet.

Then again, perhaps [no one will come close] and this treatise will be pointless. I'm just saying that I don't think a Shaker trip to the regionals on March 14th should be taken as a foregone conclusion. The Big 10 plays some pretty good basketball, too.
Most observers thought this was utter nonsense. And, as we'll see tomorrow (3/5/1980) in a Times Union cover story, even the coaches of those "pretty good" Big 10 teams didn't have a whole lot of hope that they were going to take down the Bison.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Erwyn Suspended: Here's the link. Here's all the info I have:
(Albany) - One of Albany High School's star basketball players will not be on the court when the Falcons take on the Schenectady High Patriots in the semi-finals this weekend. 6-foot 8 forward, Devyn Erwin, was caught on video elbowing Shaker point guard, John Hans, in the face during Sunday night's game. Hans suffered temporary vision loss and a chipped tooth. Erwin was never penalized.
During an interview with CBS6 News on Thursday, Albany Schools Athletic Director Frank Owens said the decision was made to allow Erwin to play. But on Friday, Section 2 league officials decided Edwin will have to sit the bench for this weekend's game.
That's probably a good result. Obviously, it won't put John's teeth back together, but maybe it will send a message that will prevent this kind of thing next year.

I'll be writing my season wrap-up for the '05-06 year tomorrow. Look for it sometime over the weekend.

Today (3/3) in 1980: Shaker did not play. Next game is 3/7/1980, sectional semi-finals against Troy, at Glens Falls Civic Center. Click here (and scroll down) for the 1980 Class AA tournament bracket.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

State playoffs: If you are interested in tracking the remainder of the New York State basketball playoffs, this website provides brackets and scores from every section. Very handy.

Rumors: Not much to talk about today, but rumors are flying over at syracuse.com that the Albany player who knocked out Hans might face some discipline. Someone said that WTEN showed a tape of it, but I haven't seen it yet. I also don't know the extent of Hans' injuries, although from what I gather he's pretty much fully recovered, save for a few chipped teeth. And obviously, that's the most important thing in all of this.

As I said on Sunday/Monday, I didn't have a great view of the incident because of my relative location to it in the bleachers. So I'm going to reserve all judgement now until I see the tape. I can tell you that my intial reaction at the time was that it was more than just a incidental collision. But that was largely based on seeing Brad very adamantly protesting to the referee about it. I've heard various eyewitness acounts - ranging from "it was totally an accident" to "obviously intentional" - so I'm pretty sure I'll need to see the tape to make a judgement.

However, I did have an excellent view of Brad going down at midcourt in the 1st quarter, because I was sitting on press row at the time. In my opinion, that one was hardly accidental. It was a pretty clear takedown. But again, if a tape exists, I'd like to see that before drawing any real conclusions. One thing that bothers me about what I'm hearing is that both incidents (the takedown of Brad and the elbow to Hans) came directly after the Albany player had their shot blocked or otherwise was stifled on offense. That might indicate that it's not dirty play per se, but instead a lashing out in anger or frustration.

Of course, I have no idea how discipline works in these situations, and even less of an idea of what kind of disciplinary action - if any - is appropriate. I do know that the goal of any discipline system should be to prevent this kind of stuff from happening in the first place. But the best way to do that? No clue. If it's clear that the elbow to Hans was intentional, then I'd think the same system used to discipline an on-court fight would be appropriate. I don't know what that system is, but it's probably a suspension for one or more games, depending on the severity and the prior record of the offender.

I'll update you when I find out more.

UPDATE: Just saw the Erwyn/Hans video on WTEN. Here's what I learend from the broadcast:

1)Albany High has reviewed the two tapes and has determined that it "was not conclusive that it was intentional" and thus they have decided not to discipline Erwyin.

2)The Section 2 executive committee is going to meet tomorrow AM to review the tapes and consider disciplinary action.

Oddly, one thing the news said is that Albany called Erwyn's old coaches to inqurie about this, and they all said he was a choir boy on the court. That doesn't seem possible, given what I've heard people say about his on-court behavior.

Here was my take from the tapes: It's pretty tough to judge. It's not a classic sucker-punch and he doesn't do anything that makes you go, "oh man, he's simply trying to deck him." But he does raise his arm as he runs by, for no apparent reason, and that's more than a bit strange - it's not a natural motion, you don't just do that running down the court. Put it together with my other observations of his play, and other people's descripton of his play, and it looks pretty intentional. If I were the arbiter, a one-game suspension seems appropriate, with a stern lecture about harsher future consequences.

Still, it's not so blatant that the section 2 committee is definitely going to suspend him. I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Today (3/2) in 1980: Shaker did not play. Next game is 3/7/1980, sectional semi-finals against Troy, at Glens Falls Civic Center. Click here (and scroll down) for the 1980 Class AA tournament bracket.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Simply Chilling: [This has nothing to do with Shaker hoops, or even high school hoops, but I had to post it.]

I hear this commerical has been out for a few weeks, but I just caught on to it. Play this video (make sure the sound is on). If it doesn't give you chills, then either:

1) you aren't old enough to remember these moments.
2) you aren't human.

I've watched it 10 times, and I'm still mesmerized.

A letter from Coach Holmes: Coach Holmes asked me to share this letter with all of my readers, so I'll do just that. I'll be back later this week with a wrap-up of the season. This was a fantastic year, and the loss to Albany is, for me, already fading as I look back upon this truly magnificent season.

Anyway, here's Coach:
Dear Matt:

Please share this with the readers of Girmindl's Ghost. We have truly had a season to remember. As disappointing as it was to end it, it is even harder to face that we won't be together again for any more games, practices, and team gatherings. I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to thank some people for their part in our success.

First of all wanted to write to express a sincere thank you to you for everything you have done to promote our team and school. It has been tremendously refreshing to read all your insights and observations.

I would really like to thank our students, specifically the "6th Man" Group for your outstanding and spirited support. Our players were so lucky to have fellow students and friends so supportive. Believe me, they were very grateful. You've shown us what true school spirit is all about!!

I would like to thank our parents for your unconditional support throughout the season. I realize how huge a commitment having a son that plays Varsity basketball is and how big the demands are. I certainly appreciate the sacrifices you have made on behalf of your son.

I have a fantastic staff to work with. Shawn Hennessey is a former player of mine, who played on our 1991-92 championship team, that did an exceptional job as Modified Coach developing his players and the team concept. Dan Bonono coached our Freshmen team to an 18-2 record and helped our program in a lot of ways (scouting, open gyms, camps, ect.) My J.V. coach and office partner Steve DeMarco has been a solid and loyal member of our staff for all but one of my sixteen years as Varsity Coach. He is most definitely a "program first" coach and always will be. I can't even express in words how fortunate I am to have Varsity assistants like Mike Brehm and Steve Sheffer, but I'll try anyway. Mike is an outstanding coach in his own right and compliments our team with his tremendous knowledge and communication skills. He keeps everyone loose with his keen sense of humor and mannerisms. Steve is a "do anything and no task too small" type of guy. He would do any thing for our program, cares deeply for our players, and is all about Shaker Basketball. During the bulk of the season, Steve, who works for the U.S. Postal Service, was working nights staring at 1:00 A.M. and sometimes 3:00 A.M. to noon. He rarely, if ever, missed practice, unless his job required him to travel out of town. I can't think of a coach, in my position, who is as lucky as I am to have such great guys and friends to work with.

Lastly, I can't say enough about our team. I had great, great kids who believed in our program and staff. Our Seniors were outstanding leaders who gave every ounce of energy they had to the team. As it has been documented, I had to literally kick them out of the gym after every practice. I had serious doubts about our underclassmen before the season. They were quickly squashed when the season started and when they were thrown in the fire in our first tournament. I am very excited about the potential and progress of this group for the future.

I can't believe how how lucky as a coach I have been to have a player like Brad Sheehan. Not just because he is a scholarship player going to ACC school, or scored over 1,000 points, or been on two Suburban Council Championship teams, or player of the Year in the Suburban Council. It's because he is a fine young man that is all that is right about high school basketball. He is the whole package: serious student, dedicated player, great teammate, and a quiet, but effective, leader. The rest of our Seniors have been a group that I'll never forget and always treasure our association and journey together. There is no doubt in my mind they will be successful in whatever endeavors they choose.

As much as I don't want to admit it, or give in to it, our journey is over. It's a team and a season I'll never forget and, once again, thanks to everyone who made it such an unbelieveable ride.

Sincerely,

Coach Holmes

Today...er, yestrerday, idunno, (2/29) in 1980: Shaker played its sectional second round game on leap year day in 1980. So today we're kinda covering two days of history. Nothing much happened on March 1st, 1980, so we'll just pretend today is February 29th.

If you recall from the 1980 Class A sectional bracket, Shaker's game today was a quarterfinal matchup against a well-known opponent, Burnt Hills. The game was scheduled for 7:30pm at Mechanicville Middle School. (Now that's a whole other story - for some reason, in the late 70's and early 80's, tons of sectional games were played at Mechanicville Middle School. I assume that it's the old high school and that it has a huge gym, but i can't say for sure. If someone out there knows the story, let me know).

If you recall, Shaker twice handily beat Burnt Hills during the Suburban regular season, although each time they had some early problems. In early January, the Bison shook off a poor first quarter and won going away, 63-38. Then in February, Shaker had only a 5 point halftime lead before running away in the second half with a 68-46 victory. There's an old saying in college and high school basketball that it's "hard to beat a team three times in one year." Logically, that's a really dumb statement, but it is true that the third matchup between teams is often a better one than the first two.

And it held true tonight. Burnt Hills gave the Bison everything they could handle, and Shaker was flat the entire evening. Luckily, the came alive for one fabulous 19-2 run in the middle of the game and won without too much trouble late, 65-54.

The first quarter played very tight, with Shaker winning 14-12. Said Coach Girmindl, "We were flat. Very flat. It's tough to play a team the third time." In the second quarter, Burnt Hills really turned up their game. Using a slowdown offense and hitting their shots, the Spartans took a 24-18 lead with 1:30 to go in the half. Shaker had yet to trail at halftime all year, and the crowd smelled a gigantic upset.

But the Bison came alive. Jim Howard hit two free throws and then stole the inbouds and scored, cutting the lead to 24-22. Burnt Hills then tried to stall of the last 75 seconds of the half, but after missing with less than 10 seconds to go, Tuecke quickly got the rebound out to Meehan, who hit Cain on the run for the tying layup as the buzzer sounded. 24-24 at the half.

The beginning of the third quarter was the turning point of the game. The Bison opened the second half on a 13-2 run, and never looked back. Brundige and Meehan turned up the pressure on the Spartan guards, and Perkins came alive with his inside game. Burnt Hills played the Bison close to even the rest of the way, but never got the lead to less than eight. The final was 65-54, the closest game of the season for Shaker except for the close call against Saratoga. It was also the smallest margin of victory for the Bison against a Suburban opponent during the previous two years ('toga was not in the Suburban yet).

Perkins finished with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks. Cain added 11, Meehan 9, and Brundige 7. The Bison improved to 22-0, but certainly looked shaky doing it. They would have to put up better performances in the coming weeks if they hoped to win the section, and eventually the state, title.Said Girmindl after the game, "A close game was good for us. From now on, they're all going to be tough."

In other second round sectional play around the league in 1980:

#13 Troy upset #5 Linton
#3 CBA beat #7 Saratoga
#2 Mont Pleasant beat #6 Albany

That means the bracket looked like this for the semi-final round:

What good fortune for the Bision, getting to play the #13 seed in the semi-final!

Here's the partial boxscore from the B. Hills - Shaker game:

Shaker (65) - Perkins 9 10 28; Cain 5 1 11; Tuecke 3 0 6; Brundige 3 1 7; Meehan 4 1 9; Howard 1 2 4. Totals 25 15 65.

Shaker 14 10 24 17 - 65
B. Hills 12 12 12 18 - 54

Record: 22-0 (2-0 playoffs)
Next '79-80 game: 3/7/1980, semi-finals against Troy, Glens Falls civic center.

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