It’s good to be back from my short hiatus. I took a little break because I was coaching. Now that the season is over, things are slowly getting back to normal. These are crazy times. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day sports fans.

So, I enjoyed my first year at the helm. Not going to lie — coaching basketball is hard. Many do not realize everything that goes into it. I wish it was as easy as just showing up to the practices and games. I love ALL of my guys, but dealing with the kids these days is somewhat of a chore. The age of social media has changed the entire landscape. Finding a balance between the parents and administrators is also easier said than done. Then we throw in a global pandemic to the mix. Unbelievable. It made things nearly impossible. Mask up kids.

I am extremely proud of my guys for hanging in there. Not just our team but everyone in the area. The 2020-21 season can only be described as an unpredictable magic carpet ride. There was so much uncertainty. Very difficult to find a rhythm. It was seriously day to day. Everyone struggled. Tough for our youngsters to comprehend. Just remember. No summer league, no team camp and very few workouts. Official practices started in November and then we had to shut it down. The Knights picked it up the second week of January. We started playing immediately. Sometimes 3-4 games a week. It was a blur. Our fingers were crossed every time we laced them up. Yes. We were very fortunate and thankful for the opportunities. It was tough.

My Knights had a tremendous year. We finished 17-4 and brought home another PIAA District IV crown. We were sensational in an 82-53 win over North Penn-Liberty at the Magic Dome. It was a great moment. The Knights were then nipped 72-70 by Pottsville Nativity in the State quarterfinals. Nativity ended up winning the Championship on Thursday. Kudos to the Hilltoppers, but man we had our chances. We didn’t play well, and still made things interesting. Unfortunately, this game was NOT held at a neutral site. We had to travel to Pottsville to play them on their home floor. Don’t get me started. Again. Congrats to Nativity. They won. We struggled and were 8-19 from the stripe. But I have yet to receive a valid response from the PIAA. That’s tough.

We were ALL extremely blessed to simply have a season. I have several friends in the business that were not given this opportunity. I congratulate all of our area hoop teams and staffs. Props to the admins and officials for their sacrifices. Special shout to my man Curtis Jacobson and his Lady Lancers. The same goes for Uncle Ron and the boys team. They will play for a State Title this weekend. Unbelievable. No matter what happens. Everyone should be proud of what ALL of our team’s accomplished. It wasn’t easy. Cheers.