What a month of March it has been. From the well above average temperatures to the full moon, red moon, and lunar eclipse to the great accomplishments by local area athletes.
March came in like a lion and went out like a lion for some very talented teenagers. When you reach the last column of the month, and we still have a basketball team trying to finish the season with a gold medal around their neck, it’s been a great season. That is again the case this year in Loyalsock Township. This year, it’s the Loyalsock Lady Lancers led by the husband-and-wife duo of Curtis and Kerri Jacobson.
As I’m penning this article, they’re getting ready for a PIAA 3A State Final Four showdown with Imhotep Charter. Here’s to hoping this will be another chapter toward finishing things up as Hershey Kisses rain down on them in a season of a lifetime.
What an amazing job Curtis and Kerri have done since taking over the Lancer program. For those who may not know or remember, Kerri’s maiden name is Datres. I know the couple very well and have spent much time around their families when it comes to the baseball diamond and the basketball court. This I can assure you — if I had a daughter, this is the coaching team I would want her to play for. The pair have wrapped their young family around the girls they coach and just keep adding to their extended family. This includes their assistant coaches and all who help with the program.
Although it may be the goal of every coach that ever laces them up to finish with a state title, there are a lot more important lessons in life to be taught along the way. This is something I was fortunate enough to experience with my sons, and as I get older, I realize there was just so much more than winning that last game. Those special bonds help make that extended family, and as time passes, those relationships are valued even more.
I think it is often lost to many how much is learned and how important athletics are to the development of young boys and girls that then become young gentlemen and ladies. In many cases, it can surround them with a family that is there for a lifetime through the good, the bad, and the challenging. I’ve been blessed to experience this on many levels.
Dean Kriebel recently sent me a message reminding me where he was 3 years ago, at the time he was diagnosed and facing the challenges of cancer. I had a connection to Dean, his wife Amy, and family through basketball. Little did we know how many times our paths would cross after that or that daughter Lacey would end up playing for Kerri and Curtis one day. At the time, all we knew was we wanted Dean to live and to be a friend, a husband, a dad, and hopefully one day share not only his basketball knowledge but his life knowledge as he and Amy have faced many challenges. Well, with the love, prayers, and support of everybody around him, Dean has done just that. I wish I could tell you the whole story, but I would need a lot more paper. I will say he used a four-letter word to fight, survive, and then let the world know how he felt about the dreaded disease. Thoughts and prayers to Dean on his continued wellness.
Cancer affects everyone reading this column in some manner. My family went through my father’s battle. Coach Jeremy Eck, who was Jimmy baseball coach, then faced his mother’s battle the following year. I have witnessed many others who have succumbed to cancer. I have also seen Dean and many others like Kris Datres, Kerri’s aunt, live to fight another day. The truth is, when first diagnosed, none of us truly know what our fate will be; we only have our faith and the faith and love of those around us.
We never really go to a ball game wanting to think about cancer or how many will have it out of all those in attendance. However, one thing’s for sure: the athletic community takes the dreaded disease head-on in many ways. Most important, maybe, is to raise the spirits of those affected and remember those who fought.
The relationships built through sports provide an unbelievable prayer chain for those affected and their families. There are so many questions and so many thoughts that are best left in God’s hands. The power of prayer enlists others to be able to help from anywhere.
My 19-year-old nephew Jed, as some may know, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was just last baseball season when his biggest worry was about getting the next batter out. I ask if you would add him to your prayer list. It would be greatly appreciated. I also want to thank everyone who has wrapped their arms around Jed, my brother Brian, and his family at this difficult time. Especially Hughesville Head Coach Chris Kish, the local high school baseball community, and the Penn College staff and players. We got you, Jed!
God Bless America.
