Beglane

McClancy Coach Leads City Team to Empire Gold

BY BERNIE BEGLANE

New York City - Empire State Games Gold Medal Winners

A telephone call!

Good news…bad news…chit chat?

We have all received calls pertaining to the above.

So did Don Kent, 13 years ago. And in his case the call was of a professional nature.
A longtime basketball coach – 35 years – in the Brooklyn-Queens CHSAA, Kent was on the receiving end of an inquiry from Ray Nash.

Ray, currently president of Bishop Ford High School, Park Slope, wondered if Kent was free to coach the New York City boys basketball team in the Empire State Games.

“‘What are you doing for the next few weeks?’ was the way Ray put it,” explained Don, who will begin his 26th year at Msgr. McClancy Memorial H.S., East Elmhurst, next month.

“Ted Gustus, who was at Nazareth (East Flatbush) at the time, was supposed to be the coach.

Coach Don Kent	Ryan Woods - St. Peter’s H.S.	Conor Monaghan - St. Anselm’s Parish

“However, he turned it back because of being hired as coach at John Jay College.”

Kent readily accepted and the New York City team has enjoyed success ever since.
Proof positive was the 76-75 victory over Hudson Valley in the championship game two weeks ago at Iona College, New Rochelle.

“That gave us our third straight gold medal and the fourth in my 13 years,” stated Don in a non-boastful tone.

“Over the last 10 summers we have finished either first, second or third.”

This year’s triumph went down to the wire. A foul shot by William Williams of Mount St. Michael, the Bronx, gave NYC a 76-74 lead with eight seconds showing on the clock.

Hudson Valley did not give up as Edmond O’Connell of John F. Kennedy Catholic H.S., Somers, went to the foul line for two shots with one second to play.

“After the first free throw was made,” offered the coach, “I called timeout to freeze him.

“It worked as O’Connell missed the second shot.”

Sylden Landesberg of Holy Cross, the Brooklyn-Queens CHSAA Player of the Year last season, was the top scorer for the winners with 38 pts.

He is a six-five guard/forward who enters his senior year at the Flushing school next month.

In the three games leading up to the championship contest, Landesberg produced 30 pts. against Buffalo, 31 against Albany, and 36 against Long Island.

For the four contests he wound up with 135.

Ryan Woods of St. Peter’s H.S., Staten Island, captain of the team, added 16 pts. in the title clash.

Conor Monaghan of Xavier of Manhattan was a standout throughout the tourney, coming off the bench to post 25 pts.

Kent had excellent assistants on his coaching staff, too, in Tom Fraher, varsity coach of Mt. St. Michael’s, and Mike Clarke, junior varsity coach at Regis, Manhattan.

“It has been a great run,” concluded Don. “Fortunately I was home to answer Ray’s phone call 13 summers ago.”