About this time in 1998... A bittersweet day for Lehman Boys Basketball

The 1998 Lehman Boys Basketball team was coming off a dismal 4-17 season. The future looked very bright for the 1998-2000 Lehman Boys Basketball team. I remember sitting at the District Finals at UD and told then Coach Henry Stolly, "We will be playing here next year". With five seniors; Kyle Goubeaux, Tommy Middleton, Eric Hewitt, Bryan Tobe and Ben Kohlhorst coming back and the junior class of Sam Mikolajewski, Ryan Ratermann, Tony Staley, Tony Cianciolo, Jake Sinclair returning. The 1998-99 Cavaliers were going to be awesome.

In May of 1998, Henry Stolly called a team meeting. He informed the basketball team, he was resigning to take the JV coaching position and a teaching position at Bellefontaine. "We were all stunned because everyone in that locker room that day knew that the 1998-99 Lehman Basketball team was going to be good, very good".

Former Lehman Basketball players, I will leave this space for you to put your thoughts from that morning.

Henry Stolly came to Lehman in 1994, inherited a 5-16 squad and had four seniors, Rob O'Leary, PJ Thornberry, Aaron Nuss, Mitch Hoying coming back. Juniors Matt Hartings, Craig Bergman and Kevin Geise rounded out the 1994-95 roster. That team started off 5-1. Beating Marion Local, Covington, Jackson Center and Botkins to start the season.

In August of 1998, Lima Native Jerry Fries was hired. Fries was at the helm for 4 years, 1998-2002, Mike Piatt was there from 2002-2007, Bruce Vanover 2007-10 and Isaiah Williams 2010-13.

I think Lehman needs to get a committee together in the years to come and say hey: We need to hire a coach who will be here for 10 plus years, build a winner on a consistant basis and cut down the nets after a District Championship on a consistant basis.

My Favorite NBA Playoff Moments

1994: Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon lead The Knicks and Rockets to the Finals. Houston winning in 7

1997: Michael Jordan leading the Bulls to a 5^th championship

1998: The Bulls needing 7 games to get past pesky Indiana

1999: The New York Knicks becoming the first #8 seed to advance to the NBA Finals

2000: The Lakers 4^th quarter rally against Portland in Game 7. Beating the Pacers in six hard fought games to take the crown

2002: The Lakers getting past the Kings in 7 and the Celtics making it to the Conference Finals

2003: The Pistons starting a run of five straight Conference Final appearances

2005: The Pistons beating the Heat in seven and Robert Horry’s Game 5 heroics in Detroit

2008: The Celtics and Lakers advancing to The Finals

2009: Orlando advancing to The Finals

2010: Celtics and Lakers going the distance with LA coming out on top

2011: Dallas beating Miami in The Finals

2012: The Celtics Fans Chanting "Let's Go Celtics" at the end of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals for the Final 4 minutes