By Jack Mariano
Editor’s note: Jack wrote this overview of the Coatesville – Octorara basketball matchup last week, before the game was played Saturday night. I am so behind on email that I took a few hours off from my day job this afternoon to catch up. That is when I came across Jack’s post. With the adage ‘Better late than never’ in mind I’ll post this immediately in front of the Daily Local’s game story. Sorry Jack!
When the Braves from Octorara take on the Red Raiders from Coatesville tomorrow evening in Oxford Area High School gymnasium, it’s more than a basketball game, it’s an event and it’s personal.
Octorara’s scoring and rebounding star, James Brown is a second cousin to Coatesville’s scoring phenom Tymeir Miller. Tymeir’s father, Pat is on the banner that hangs on Octorara’s gym wall displaying the school’s 1000 point scorers. Pat achieved this in the mid- 1980s.
Jim Brown, James Brown’s father is also recorded on that banner.
Talk about bragging rights. Tymeir scored his 1000th point for Coatesville during Saturday’s semi-final game against Great Valley, which the Red Raiders won 63 to 52. Tymeir tallied a game high 22 points.
Although James Brown mustered only 9 points (well below his 15 per game average) he pulled down 12 rebounds in the Braves 66 to 61 win over West Chester Henderson.
The Red Raiders (12-0 regular season) have also seen the return of star shooter Kris Miller to their line up after missing most of the season with a medical condition. The Miller-Miller combination netted 36 points for Coatesville.
The Braves on the other hand were led in scoring by Charles “Chucky” Cooper with 23 points.
Where the Braves (11-1 regular season) may have an advantage against the larger ‘Quad A’ school lies in the fact that DeQuan Newton has stepped up his game dramatically, scoring 17 on Saturday and Mauriece Bowers chipped in 7 points.
Newton has the physique of a forward but plays like a guard. He could be a force to be reckoned with.
With Anthony Dinorscia and Mike Navarro coming on strong, Octorara could conceivably control the low post. The Red Raiders will definitely have a say in that because their advantage, besides the great play of the Millers, is their storied history.
Coatesville won the 2001 PIAA State Championship at the AAAA level with the leadership of John “Tootie” Allen (who went on to play for Seton Hall University and now plays professional basketball in Europe).
The coach of that Championship team, Mr. Jim “Scoogie” Smith is once again at the helm of the Red Raider squad following the earlier resignation of Rick Nelms, for family reasons. Coach Smith once helped coach the Octorara Braves and was an intern teacher at Rt. 41 and Highland Rd. in the early 1970’s.
Looking over Coatesville’s historic past, you find names like Hubie Brown, 1963, who went on to star at LaSalle University. Walt Funk and Ross Kershey , two very storied coaches for the Steel City Team and of course Richard “Rip” Hamilton who has won a college championship with the University Of Connecticut and a NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons and currently plays with the NBA Chicago Bulls.
As coach Lambert looks down the line and sees coach Smith on the other side, it would be interesting to know what is going on in his mind. Knowing Gene, it will be the ultimate respect but the competitive fierceness.
The Braves may have larger games ahead as they venture into the District and hopefully to the state playoffs but this match up has huge implications and five years ago, the two teams probably would not have played each other, even for fun. This is like Temple playing Duke.
Coatesville will be the last AAAA team that the Braves will have to face from here on out.
Octorara lost to Coatesville last year in the semifinal round but ventured deep into the post season. It would be safe to say that the experience that Octorara attained by playing eventual State Champion Neumann Goretti from Philadelphia would prepare them for an opponent like Coatesville heading into this Ches-Mont Championship game.
By the way, Temple did beat Duke earlier this year.
