I have been spending a great deal of time at my beloved alma mater. Yes. I find myself taking a stroll down memory lane quite often. I called a few football games for IPT SPORTS. Last Friday’s atmosphere was outstanding. The Millionaires and Jersey Shore scored some serious points. The stands were packed. Cherry and White. Orange and Black. People were everywhere. I also hear we are getting a brand-new entrance and a state-of-the-art scoreboard. Beautiful.

I drop Jensen off every Tuesday and Thursday. Well. He started driving. That’s another story. Birdman is playing hoops, and he is currently helping some youngsters. I will touch base on that a little later. A lot has changed in the past 30 years, but I still get goosebumps whenever I head to the Taj Mahal — especially the Magic Dome.

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 are 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 many years. Keystone State Basketball Camps. He does a great job with his LITTLE MILLIONAIRE program. Boys and girls from the district have been developing their skills for the past five 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. Now Jensen gets mad when I sometimes show. He is no longer one of the youngsters. The Millionaire players now help 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. Jensen might be doing the same this season. 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. Our trophy is in the Commons. 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.

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. Nets.

I retired from coaching, and I got back into broadcasting. IPT Sports and I called all the Millionaire home games last season. I always enjoyed describing my beloved alma mater from high above. Especially now, since I have a great connection with the players. I did my best to replace Ken Sawyer in the early 2000s. But that was very short-lived. I was a one-hit wonder. WRAK’s choice. They pulled the plug. Stay tuned, sports fans. Breaking news coming soon.

Jensen will be on the JV team this winter. He might get a few varsity minutes, too. I am looking forward to watching him from the stands and perhaps the booth. 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 five weeks of LITTLE MILLIONAIRES. Kudos to Demar Wright, Brandon Lusk, Deon Young, Tyree Kirkpatrick, and the other Millionaire players 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.