I have been spending a great deal of time at my beloved alma mater. Yes. I find myself taking a stroll down memory lane. I called a few football games for IPT SPORTS. Beautiful stadium. I love the new track—incredible setting. I drop Jensen off every Tuesday and Thursday. He is playing hoops for the Millionaires, and he is currently helping some youngsters. I will touch base on that a little later. A lot has changed in the past 29 years, but I still get goosebumps whenever I head to the Taj Mahal.

Jensen and I have been taking this trip for many seasons. We sometimes wave to the footballers who are finishing up practice. While the band is outside marching, occasionally, there is a tennis match or cross-country meet holding up traffic. There is swimming, gymnastics, and volleyball, too. WAHS is a very busy place, and there is always something to do. Holy deer. I counted ten in the C lot last evening.

Allen Taylor is a great dude. I have known and worked with Coach T for several years. He does a great job with his LITTLE MILLIONAIRE program. Youngsters from the district have been developing their skills for the past six weeks. Over 125 kids. They practice and learn the fundamentals two days out of the week. The entire community gathers on Saturday mornings to watch games in the gymnasium. Now Jensen gets mad when I show up a little early to watch. He is no longer one of the youngsters, and the Millionaire players are now helping coach. I will stand in the corner and shake a few hands. This gym is a very special place to me and my fam. The MAGIC DOME is grand.

I can’t possibly tell you the number of times I stepped foot on this floor, nor can I describe my euphoric feelings when I walk through the doors. It still looks and smells the same. Yes, there have been a few upgrades. You see, this court and I go back a long way. I practically lived in this historic gym back in the day.

I started as a fan and eventually became someone who occasionally got to “participate” in practice. Okay, I can totally fib and insert a few bogus stat lines, but I was the ninth man on an eight-man rotation. I had the best seat in the DOME for my entire scholastic career. We went to Hershey in 1995. We finished second in the State that year. A fantastic run that was overshadowed by the team that won it all in 1999. I didn’t get any PT in that game. No worries. But I was on fire in pregame warmups. I did score 12 points in three minutes during our last home game. No YouTube back then. I may have it on VHS. Coach Pete White is the man. We still talk, and he will reach out from time to time. He tells me to not sell myself short. Coach reminds me that I was a big part of our team’s success. That means a lot coming from the guy. But I seriously think he only kept me around because I had a car, and I helped boost the team’s GPA. It’s my column, Pete.

I then became a coach when my playing days came to an end. Oh, what an honor was to watch my Montoursville Warriors knock off the Mighty Millionaires in 2008. That night still ranks as one of my greatest moments. It was the upset of the century. I also got to coach two District 4 Championships in the DOME when I was at St. John Neumann. Now that I am retired, perhaps I will get back to broadcasting games. Stayed tuned. Breaking news? Yes. I always enjoyed calling my beloved alma matter. I did my best to replace Ken Sawyer. That was very short-lived. WRAK’s choice.

Jensen will be on the JV team this winter. I am looking forward to watching him from the stands. Again. This place is spectacular. I have been a fan, player, coach, broadcaster, and now a proud parent in the MAGIC DOME. Special thanks to Coach Taylor and his group for another fantastic six weeks of LITTLE MILLIONAIRES. Kudos to Demar Wright, Lamar Ballard, Brandon Lusk, Tyree Kirkpatrick, Josh Aarons, and the other Millionaires for lending a hand. Basketball is the best. We wish you the best of luck this season, and I can’t wait to see you again. Cheers.