I appreciate all of the love. Wow. These past few weeks have been incredible. I want to congratulate the entire NEUMANN NATION. Making it all the way to Hershey to compete for a state title was a lot of fun. My phone continues to blow up, and my inbox is full. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who have reached out. The list is quite amazing. Embarrassing actually. All walks of life. It is crazy. I am extremely humbled and thankful for each note. I especially enjoyed hearing from so many of my former players. That is what it is all about. Praises came from all over the map. I loved the shouts and props from folks in the business. Guys and gals that I admire and respect. There were several that I saved for a later date.
The support from the community was outstanding. I truly don’t know where to start. Yes. It helps when you have friends in the media, but good Lord. I still get goosebumps looking at last week’s cover of the WEBB WEEKLY. The articles and photos were great. I also wanted to say thanks to WNEP, WBRE, Lamar Advertising, Clear Channel Radio, and the Sun-Gazette for all their superb coverage. We are trending in Wilkes-Barre Scranton. Much love. Thanks.
Very few get this opportunity. And there have been some great teams and players from Lycoming County. I am not a history buff, but I am only counting a handful since the mid-seventies. Seriously. Correct me if I am wrong. Williamsport. Loyalsock. Montoursville girls. And now NEUMANN. That is pretty impressive. Definitely puts things into perspective. Of course, we wanted to win. Duh. But representing the East last week was a pretty cool accomplishment. I told my guys to embrace every moment. I certainly did.
Towards the end of the regular season, we had individual conversations with every player. Sure, we were winning games, but I personally did not like the way we were playing. Assistant coach Bill Reed and I gave some quick compliments, and then we really laid into them. Closed-door meeting. Enough with the attitudes. We needed to find ways to come together. Take a good look in the mirror. This is your role. Accept it. Trust the process. You cannot do this by yourself. You need your teammates. We need you to be a bench guy. Cheer and support your brothers. Your body language is absolutely killing us, etc. We talked with each kid for about five minutes. We shared with them how if we were going to make any noise, we desperately needed to change everything immediately. Their response was outstanding. We didn’t use any balls that evening. But this was by far the best practice of the season. Our guys were no longer alpha males. They began to believe in each other and started playing like a pack of dogs. This changed everything.
The Golden Knights surely had some ups and downs during this historic run. Some games we played marvelously, and other times we simply did not. But at the end of the day, we were still standing. Survive and advance. My guys found ways to move on. Our guys believed in each other no matter what. 26-4. MID PENN CHAMPS. DISTRICT IV CHAMPS. EASTERN CHAMPS. STATE RUNNERS UP. It was never easy. Trust me. But we got it done. Absolutely we were a talented group, but we learned to play together — as one. Our focus and determination on the defensive end down the stretch were just scary. I owe everything to my players and my assistant coaches.
Look. We didn’t play well against Bishop Canevin. They were legit and as good as advertised. I have watched the tape only one time. Man. If we hit a few of those early shots, I really think it might have been different. Their size and speed were impressive. They started a 6’4 freshman that was jacked. Dude. They were good. But my guys never buckled. They played hard until the final horn. It wasn’t our day. Tough. I called a TO with a minute to go. I don’t remember what I said. But I told them that I was so proud. We were absolutely crushed. To get so close. I gave them all hugs. We shed some tears, and not much was said. I don’t know if it has set in it yet. But that was a fantastic voyage. I have no regrets.
I told you before that coaching today is extremely hard. I only do it because I enjoy the interactions with my guys. The wins are nice, and so are the individual accolades. But they do not compare with some of the wonderful moments we share. I have been doing this for a long time. It is simply a 12-month hobby. Balancing everything is easier said than done, kids. Coaching is a thankless part-time gig, and I only do this for the experiences. I have so many great stories from this past season. Stuff that you will never find on TV or in the papers. Yes. The 2022 SJNRA Golden Knights will be remembered forever. I was very blessed and thankful to have a front-row seat for the entire journey. Chapter closed — time to do some fishing. Cheers.
