A reminder that these articles are submitted on Friday. So, I have no clue how the Lady Lancers faired in their PIAA AAA State Semifinal against IMHOTEP. My fingers are crossed, and I am hoping they find a way to advance to Hershey. That would be fantastic. But regardless of what happens — I am so proud of this team. I have so many ties to this squad. My lovely bride teaches in the district. The assistant coaches and I are boys. We go way back. I am also friends with several of the parents. Jeremy Kennedy and I sometimes kayak and save lives. Feel free to ask him about it. Dean Kriebel is my new BFF. I could go on and on. But there is one in particular that I am blessed to know. He is the man.
Curtis Jacobson is now in his 9th season. What he has accomplished as a coach is truly amazing. Curtis is tough, and his teams continue to turn heads. The Lancers are heading back to the State Semis on Friday. Remember that Loyalsock is a small PUBLIC school in North Central Pennsylvania. You don’t understand how hard it is to make it this far. The commitment. The drive. The time. A once in a lifetime for many. But Curtis and his gals have done it in back-to-back seasons. Incredible. His teams always play hard. They go full throttle. Tough and scrappy. Having some gals that can play always helps, but the entire squad embraces his concepts. The Lancers are 28-2. They are one of the premier gals in the State. PUBLIC school.
“I’ve always said that nobody should outwork us,” Coach Jacobson recently told reporters. “That is something you can control. When we looked at the teams that were beating us. We needed to ramp up our schedule. We took some lumps, but it prepared us. We got exposed to what it takes. Now we are seeing some success.”
Turn back the clock 16 years, and I was the hoops coach at Montoursville High. The Warriors were legit, and this was my most talented squad. Vince Molesky was our scorer. Travis Heap steered the ship. David Krezmer was the X factor. Matty Ayers kept things entertaining. Big J Marshalek grabbed rebounds. Dale Upright never went to class. He was homeschooled. Eric Flood used his fouls. Cody Haupt was our athlete. Curtis Jacobson was our captain. We were solid and had a great run. It was a tremendous season for the Blue and Gold. We finished at 18 and 7. We got nipped in the district semis at the buzzer. The Warriors were city champs that year. We made T-shirts. Montoursville beat SOCK, SJNRA, and South. We even upset the mighty Millionaires in the Dome. I have it on DVD. Great memories.
I keep in touch with all of those guys. One of my favorites stayed local and is teaching at Loyalsock High School. My man also coaches the Lady Lancers. Curtis Jacobson wasn’t our most talented player, but he was brilliant. He understood the game and played great defense. Jacobson was a natural, and he always led by example. He was a total team-first guy, and he did whatever was required. Curtis was another coach on the floor. He was the glue that kept us together. Again. Curtis was the man.
I wrote a story on Curtis many moons ago. He was coming off his first district crown. The Lancers went 24-4. Jacobson was also named the best gals Coach of the decade by Doctor Chris Masse. Only four years in. What?
“It’s not about the individual accolades, but it sure was nice,” Jacobson told me back then. “There are so many deserving coaches in our area and to be named as one of the best is quite an honor. We’ve had a great group of girls who have bought in. They continue to work hard and are a pleasure to coach. I owe a lot to my family. Especially my wife, who serves as my assistant coach.”
Curtis and his bride Kerri (Datres) were expecting their first child when I scored that quote. Kerri still has a huge role with the Lady Lancers’ program. Kudos to them for making it work. Some folks have date nights but would rather hang in the gym. They have two beautiful daughters. Skylar is now 5, and Hadley will be 2 in April. Thankfully, they look like mom. Both gals were scared when I said hello at the golf fundraiser this summer. Yes. It is a family affair. Go LANCERS.
I am super proud of my young friend. He is so modest when it comes to his successes. Curtis always gives credit to his girls. I enjoy seeing my former player doing his thing. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to be great. Watching him on those sidelines makes me smile. I especially get excited when he calls or runs one of my plays. Coaching goes well beyond the Xs and Os. It has nothing to do with the wins and losses, too. Curtis Jacobson is one of my all-time favorites. My old starting two guard is the man. Period. Much love, kid. Congrats to you and the team on another fantastic run. Hopefully, the Lancers will find a way to get over the hump. Cheers.
