By Blox Content Management

Copyright buffalonews

In late 1972, I was the coach of the St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church Girls CYO basketball team in Depew. We weren’t a very good team, but the girls made up for their lack of abilities by their dedication, enthusiasm, sportsmanship and hard work. Their parents were all proud of them.

I had an assistant coach named Ed Walters. Ed and I got along very well. We had the same philosophy: We both wanted the girls to have fun, and improve to the best of their abilities. Ed worked for Pillsbury, and was a devoted family man whose wife was named Carol.

Our basketball games were once or twice per week and our main focus was getting enough rides to get the players to the games. In late December 1971 there were typical New Year’s celebrations and everything was fine.

Suddenly on Jan. 2, 1972, we woke up with reports in the paper and TV that there had been an explosion at Pillsbury. At the time we did not know that Ed Walters had decided to work that weekend to get some overtime in to help support his family. As the days progressed, we learned that Ed was missing in the explosion. The team and I were devastated.

We all met in the hallway of St. Barnabas. Amid tears, we discussed whether to play our next game in honor of Ed. The team decided to play if Ed’s wife, Carol, was in agreement. When I contacted Carol she was totally in agreement on one condition. The condition was to contact her by phone to tell her the outcome of the game immediately when I got home.

At the game, we had more parents than usual show up to support us. The game itself was played against a team that was our equal, meaning about the same abilities, and as it progressed neither team could score much if not at all.

The official game ended in a tie and we went into overtime. The first overtime also ended in a tie and we went to a second overtime. The second overtime was played with similar results and we had to go to a third overtime. Now CYO Girls basket ball games just don’t go to one overtime let alone three. In the third overtime the game resembled the other two over time periods. Neither team could score.

But suddenly Diane P., our best player, was fouled near the end of the third overtime. We now had a chance to win if Diane could make her foul shot. The gym became very quiet as Diane went to the line. Diane, who was very nervous, took the free-throw and with the help of God made it.

We had won and everyone leaped for joy. As we were leaving the gym I heard one of the other players say. “Why are they crying they won the game?” If they only knew, there were good reasons we had tears in our eyes.

When I got home I heard the phone ringing. It was Carol. She said she was trying to call for awhile to find out how the game went. I explained to her that after three overtimes, we won. She was very happy.

Now the story does just not end there. We decided to honor Ed Walter’s memory by having his wife present the diocese trophy to the winner of the Girls Basketball league.

The trophy was presented before thousands during the halftime of a Buffalo Braves basketball game at the old Memorial Auditorium. Ed’s memory and one girls’ basketball game will always be remembered.