Before They Fathered Star Athletes . . .

As you can imagine, some of the players now starring for city leagues' teams are the sons of
guys who also starred. Since I'm ancient (smile), I wrote stories about them during their high
school careers.
We hope you enjoy this feature (a takeoff of Before They Drew X's and O's).
Would you like to see a story about someone who starred in the Public, Catholic or Inter-Ac
leagues and now has a son doing likewise (assuming I did one on him)? Send me a note at
tedtee307@yahoo.com.

Thanks,
Ted

This story concerns Haverford School sophomore forward
Lamar Stevens, who has quickly become one of the Inter-Ac's
top players. His father, Lou, starred at Dougherty and then
Widener (big time!) and in 1998 was one of the first players
inducted into the Philly area's small college hoops hall of fame.
This story was written in 1984 after Dougherty tied a national
record!

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

DOUGHERTY EMERGES AS A WINNER
IN RECORD 4TH STRAIGHT OT GAME

Feb 14, 1984

By TED SILARY, Daily News Sports Writer

Cardinal Dougherty has involved itself in another Heimerdinger of a Catholic North basketball game.

We realize we should have used humdinger in the opening paragraph, but we took prose-etic license and went with Heimerdinger because that's the last name of Dougherty 's coach. His first name is Mark and his team is certainly leaving one in the close-games category.

It's amazing that nine of the Cardinals' 13 league games have been decided by two points or less. It's incredible that the last four have gone into overtime.

The Cards not only earned a win last night - 59-57 over Archbishop Ryan thanks to Lou Stevens 's steal with two seconds remaining and layup with what could not have been more than one-hundredth of a second remaining. They also earned a share - with late-1970s teams from Estes Park, Colo., and Deer Creek, of Lamont, Okla., - of the listed national high school record for the most consecutive overtime games.

"Believe it or not, although I must look frazzled right about now, it's been fun," Heimerdinger said. "To be involved in every game to the end, to face every possible situation that can come down the lane - that's what it's all about for a coach. I just wish we were being a little more successful in all these close games. "

Dougherty experienced success against the Raiders after experiencing a failure that looked as if it would necessitate a second overtime.

When Ryan's Lou Marano snatched an offensive rebound off Kevin Farnan's missed front end and converted a one-and-one of his own with 0:42 left, creating a tie at 57, Heimerdinger elected to play for the final shot.

Mike Neher did the honors at 0:04, but his 7-foot jumper from the right baseline kicked off the rim and Ryan's Fran Ciliberti grabbed the rebound. Just that quickly, the ball dropped through the basket and Stevens was being mobbed.

By way of a not-so-instant verbal replay, Heimerdinger provides his version of what happened.

"It looked like the ball," he said, "just slipped out of Ciliberti's hands.

"I don't think Lou was going for a steal. I'd be very annoyed if a player was trying to reach in that situation, 94 feet from our basket. Lou's too intelligent for that. "

Is that so? Actually, Stevens couldn't help himself.

"Ciliberti got the rebound and brought it back like he was going to wind up and throw," he said. "He put the ball right in my face. I flicked it, it fell, I picked it up, and I scored.

"I didn't expect it to count. I thought there was less time left. I was expecting another overtime. I didn't want one, though. I think I would have gone home . . . Stress. We've been going through a lot of that lately. Too much, really. "

Close games are only the half of it. Friday a week ago, the Cardinals entered their overtime victory over La Salle minus three seniors who had been dropped for disciplinary or academic reasons. All were starters at one time or another.

Stevens, 6-3, who plays forward but can also help with press-breaking, was averaging 10.3 points in league play before his mates hit the bricks. He has since scored 14, 22, 19 and a career-high 27.

Lou shot 9-for-11 (as well as 9-for-10 from the line) against Ryan, also grabbing 14 rebounds. He's 26-for-33 from the field in the last three games.

''When the other guys were with us, I wasn't looking to score as much," Stevens said. "Now I have to and I'm playing with more confidence. Also, the further you go down the road, the more you think about whether you will or won't make the playoffs. So you play accordingly. "

If Dougherty (6-7 in fifth, McDevitt is 6-6 in fourth) doesn't make the playoffs, it will remember five losses by two points or less.

"One person here," said Heimerdinger, who ironically teaches at Ryan, ''has offered to videotape our games and tell me what we're doing wrong. Other people rib me by saying, 'The good coaches win the close ones. ' That's all well and good, but the kids still have to put the ball in the basket.

"Look at this one. We had Ryan on the run a little (at 53-49), then we miss here and there and we're in deep trouble. That's been our scenario. "

The game stretched into overtime because Farnan (18 points, six assists, four steals) hit a 12-footer in the lane at 0:08 . . . also because he missed a front end at 0:05 after making a steal and drawing a foul . . . also because he missed a hurried 18-footer after picking off Nick Horne's outlet pass at 0:02.

"Obviously," said Heimerdinger, "at some point in time, our kids are going to get good at this. "

"This" referred to both close games and overtime games. As for Heimerdinger, at the end of the season he might like to be referred to a place that specializes in helping frazzled coaches unwind.