Khavaughn "KoKo" Shannon came flying
down the steps outside the locker room
at Cardinal Dougherty High, screaming
like crazy.
"Smink!
Sminky's the Man! "
Earlier, in the gym, the kids in the
wood-box section of stands known as the
"Looney Bin" had been leaning over the
railing, slapping their hands in unison
against the padding and yelling, "Smink-eee!
. . . Smink-eee! . . . Smink-eee! "
Wait.
Aren't Robert Carter, Greg Mayo, Jon
Davenport and Shannon the headliners on
Dougherty's squad?
Amen.
But last night, they were excited to
share the spotlight with a young man who
authored the feel-good story of the
basketball season.
Tim
Smink,
a 6-foot freshman wing guard, with a
Catholic North playoff spot on the line,
made his varsity debut against visiting
North Catholic. All he did was snipe
5-for-5 from beyond the arc for 15
points - he attempted no other shots -
as the Cardinals won, 57-52, to clinch
fourth place.
Smink
did his damage while wearing hearing
aids tucked behind both ears. He has
been profoundly deaf since birth. "I
have trouble hearing the coaches when
they're calling the plays out," said
Smink, who gets by in the classroom
almost exclusively by reading lips.
"That's why I'm always looking over to
the bench. But really, being deaf
doesn't affect me. Except make me work
harder. "
After
spending most of the season on the
freshman team and then making a pit stop
with the junior varsity, Smink was
promoted to the varsity at mid-week.
Coach Mark Heimerdinger said he made the
move after prodding by assistant Dave
Distel.
In a
neat twist, Dougherty's JV coach is
alumnus Bob Pembleton. On Feb. 5, 1993,
Pembleton, a freshman, made his varsity
debut and scored 25 points on 8-for-11
from the floor (three treys) and 6-
for-7 at the line.
It is
believed no freshman in city-leagues
history has scored as many points in his
varsity debut.
"I
didn't expect to move up. It felt great,
though," Smink said. "I wasn't nervous,"
he added. "Well, actually I was, but I
wasn't paying attention to it. "
Said
Heimerdinger: "When you go through life
deaf, how scared are you going to be
playing basketball? Tim is an
outstanding human being. I can't say
enough good things. All he wants to be
is a regular kid. He doesn't think of
himself as `a deaf kid. ' "
Smink
hit one trey apiece in the first, second
and fourth quarters and two in the
third. (As that quarter ended, a ticket
was pulled for the 50-50 drawing. The
winner - Tim's father, John, for $67.
John's twin, Jim, holds the city-
leagues record for touchdown passes in a
game, six, for Father Judge in 1969).
Tim had to settle for one assist, but
made nifty passes that could have
yielded three more if not for misses.
Smink
displayed a beautiful stroke and always
had his feet set perfectly. In JV games,
he'd mostly stuck with 15-footers.
"I
wasn't looking to score tonight, just to
win," he said, smiling. "But I was open,
so I shot. "
Carter added seven points and nine
rebounds. Shannon had seven points and
five assists. Mayo scored 12 points.
Davenport mixed 14 points with nine
boards. Dougherty went ahead for good,
53-51, with 1:32 left as Mayo scored on
Davenport's assist. Mayo also converted
a double bonus at 7.2 to create the
57-52 math.
Even
North faithful knew they'd seen
something special. As the Falcons'
scorekeeper, aware of Smink's story,
left the building, he said with
sincerity, "Good for him. God bless
him."
---
Hey Ted, I just wanted to first take the
time to thank you for posting the
tribute page and I’d also like to write
down a few words about Fran. Fran's
been one of my best friends over the
past three years and whether he realizes
it or not has been an inspiration to me
and I'm sure many others. I’ll never
forget the day Fran went for his doctor
appointment and I called him to see how
it went, assuming he’d just have to
change his diet or possibly go on
medication, his text back to me was one
of the most startling things I’ve ever
had to read in my life, “I’ll call you
when I leave, I can’t play basketball
ever again.” When I went to his house
that day I couldn’t help but be
overwhelmed with the feeling of both
shock and grief. It was the first time
I had ever seen Mrs. McGlinn without her
usual big smile. Only a strong family
like the McGlinn’s could’ve helped Fran
get through these difficult two years.
As we've all watched him battle through
the past two years, people have seen his
strength as he sits on the bench and
watches the game he loved to play. What
many people don't see is the struggles
everyday he takes on of not doing what
he loves the most. Fran has shown
tremendous strength over the past two
years that I didn’t know he had. I never
thought I’d actually hear about people
fighting over who got to wear #24 for
Fran on various teams at Wood. I’ve
never met anyone with the same passion
for the game of basketball as Fran and I
know it hurts him to not play it.
Fran’s an unbelievable kid and was a
great player whose time on the court was
sadly cut way too short. Fran was the
reason I played my senior year of
basketball and although it didn’t go as
well as hoped, I can’t thank him enough
for making me do it, even though he
never asked or told me to play. There’s
no doubt in my mind Franchise would’ve
been a two year all-catholic selection,
and well deserving of the honors. Mr.
Bob Schmalbach has informed us Fran has
the unofficial record for points in JV.
As a player Fran was a very good shooter
with incredible passing skills.
Although I’ll never play with him again
on the court, I’ll never forget the look
he gave me when he’d hit me with a great
pass. The game of basketball is surely
missing his D, as well… Good luck next
Friday, Chise… and don’t hesitate to
look for your shot.
-- Chris Crawford
---
I met Chise
my sophomore year at Wood when he first
started coming to basketball workouts
and at first I just thought he was a big
goofy kid and never thought I'd end up
being best friends with him just a few
years later. I will never forget the
day Chise called me to tell me that he
couldn't play anymore. I was sitting in
my family room watchin our show boy
meets world when the phone rang and he
broke the news to me. I was devastated
for him. All summer he had been working
so hard to help make our team successful
the next season. He always laid it all
on the court, even in the summer. A
game that sticks out to me is a game we
played in a Haverford tournament. Fran
had about 30 points and completely took
over the game. This was just the kind
of player he was. He had the ability to
score at will. And his defense, i dont
know where to begin. Getting to know
Chise i got to realize how much
basketball meant to him. He would call
me all
the time asking me to go to the courts
to play or just to come over and play
him one on one. All he ever thought
about was basketball. It took a lot of
effort from him for the past two years
to go to practice everyday and watch the
game he loved being played while the
whole time knowing he would never get
that
chance again. What he has gone through
has been an inspiration to not only me
but to many people. When there's a time
when I do not feel like practicing, I
think of him and what he would give to
be able to practice just one more time.
I was very excited to hear that he was
getting this opportunity to play just
one more time. He has put so much into
the program at wood that this is the
least they could do for him. I know when
he goes in it will be the best feeling
in the world for him. He will finally
have the chance to play the game how he
always loved for a team that he has
lived for, for the past few years. His
stingy defense to his no look passes,
just being a very unselfish player will
make him the happiest person in the
world on friday. He was an all around
talent and will do an awesome job in the
game. Good luck Chise, #24, i'll be
there cheering you on.
-Jim Malatesta
---
I first
met Fran the summer before my
sophomore year at Wood. I was just
transferring into Wood and when I
talked to my dad about the team and
the upcoming season, he told me that
Fran McGlinn will make all the
difference on the varsity team and
with him we would have a good shot
at making the playoffs. I played in
a few summer league games with him
and I remember he was an exceptional
player. He could shoot the ball from
the outside and post up inside as
well. I remember thinking that this
kid was the real deal. It seemed
like every time he stepped on the
court he would go for twenty plus
points. Then, I heard that he would
no longer be able to play due to his
heart problem. I was very
disappointed to hear this and I
could never imagine what he has gone
through these past two years. But, I
am glad that Fran’s diagnosis came
when it did and he is still with us
today.
Last
night, Cardinal Dougherty was called
for a technical foul and Coach Sette
signaled for Fran to come in. He hit
one technical free throw and I could
tell it made his night because when
he came out, he had a huge smile on
his face and received applause from
all of his teammates and all of the
spectators who were aware of his
situation.
He has
had such a huge influence on me and
has made me want to get better.
Sometimes I look at him and just
think about how much he would give
to be able to play again, and that
motivates me to give more effort.
Last year, I was used mostly as a
J.V. player, but just thinking about
how I have the opportunity to still
be able to play, gave me a reason to
want to become a better player. He
has been such a leader this year to
the Wood basketball program. He is
present at all of our practices,
participates in warm-ups, encourages
everyone while on the sidelines of
the game, and sometimes is more
intense on sidelines then the
players and coaches. I not imagine
Wood basketball without Fran McGlinn!
I am
fortunate to have had the
opportunity to get to know Fran
better in the past year. He
recommended me to attend Eastern
Invitational camp and to his AAU
coach over the summer. He has helped
me improve my game and still
continues to tell me what I need to
do better and what I already do
well. Last year, he constantly
nagged me about getting into the
weight room and it paid off. He
thinks about my game more than I
think about my own game (if that’s
possible). We have spent a lot of
time together outside of basketball,
and he is always looking out for me
and I totally appreciate everything
he does for me and he means more to
me than I can say. I wish that there
were something more that I could do
for him.
I cannot wait until Friday, February
16, when Fran will to showcase his
talent just one last time.
The stands will be packed and I can
only imagine the ovation that he
will receive when he walks off the
court after his three minutes of
fame.
---Dan
Comas
---
Fran and I are the only seniors
left from our freshmen
basketball team. That year I
was impressed with Fran’s
ability to take over games
especially when they got close.
He is an all around great player
and an even better teammate.
There is no doubt in my mind
that Fran could have made an
impact to change last year as
well as this year and in doing
so made All-Catholic. Fran is
there every practice and game
doing whatever he can to help.
When I heard about Fran’s heart
condition I wasn’t sure how to
react or how he was going to
react. But through it all he
has kept a positive attitude and
can be found always smiling
happy to be around the game and
his team. He has carried
himself with a positive outlook
and an inner strength that is
stronger than I could imagine.
Understanding Fran’s condition,
I feel lucky and appreciate the
opportunity of playing more than
one sport. Being around Fran I
can see the love and passion he
has for the game. I can only
imagine how hard it is not to be
out there with his friends. It
is going to be great to see him
play this Friday Feb. 16 and I
know it will be a special night
for all of us.
Thanks Ted.
-- Patrick Devlin
---
The
following comments were made by
three of his roadies soon after
his dunk . . .
Chris Crawford: "It's a special
night for Fran because he's been
really wanting to get back onto
the court these last two years.
He misses scoring a lot. And it
was nice for Mrs. McGlinn to see
her boy back on the court."
Matt Greenfield: "I've been playing with Fran for about
two years." He laughed. "I don't
know if his parents know that. I
don't know if they're SUPPOSED
to know that. It was really good
to see him back out here after
such a disappointing turn of
events. It was obvious, by
seeing the emotion on his face
when he came out of the game . .
. (that it meant a lot to him,
too).
Jim Malatesta: "This meant a lot to Fran because
basketball is his life. He was
always around the game, going to
Myers Way or the local
basketball courts to play the
game. And dunk. Or TRY to dunk."
---
The following comments
were made AFTER Fran's big night
. . .
Ted,
In 35 years of playing ,
coaching and watching
thousands compete in the PCL,
I believe the Fran McGlinn
tribute was the Catholic
League's finest hour. Kudos
to coaches Bernie Rogers and
Joe Sette for a tremendous
show of class. Fran is the
real deal and he and his
family have raised the bar
on how to handle athletic
adversity. Great night.
-- Dave Bontempo
---
When I transferred into
Wood my sophomore year
I'll always remember the
way Fran made me feel at
home right away. He
really helped me to
adapt into the school
comfortably. When I was
on the JV team with him
sophomore year I was
taken aback at how well
he played, especially
his post up moves and
ability to rebound. I
was convinced that he
would be a big time
player over the next two
years. I cannot
empathize how hard this
must have been for Fran
over the past two year.
When I was told this
year I wouldn't play
again after an injury I
was completely
devastated and furious,
and I had already played
my junior and half of
senior year. I thought
about Fran and it didn't
make me quite as upset.
Fran you're an
exceptional person
for fighting through
all this, and
handling it the way
you did. I'm glad
you got to throw one
down in front of all
those people Friday
night. You got one
hell of a heart Fran
no matter what the
doctors tell you.
-- Matt Little
---
The responses
you're getting
about Fran are a
great tribute to
just how great a
kid he is. Last
summer i had the
privilege to be
on his team for
the Wood
basketball camp,
we called our
team the
"Franchise
Team," (my name
also being
Fran). That was
the first time i
actually got to
know him. I
have heard
everyone, and i
mean everyone,
say how great a
kid he was.
People would ask
what school i
was going to and
i would say
Wood. The
response was
about always the
same. "Oh with
Fran McGlinn,
hes a great kid
you will get to
become great
friends with
him." Everyone
knew about
Fran. And surly
everyone was
right, i became
good friends
with him. Even
though I am a
freshman, he
treats me like
he would treat
anyone else. He
sort of took me
under his wing
and was helping
me out with me
game. He gave
me a lot of
confidence. I am
sad that I only
got one year
with him in high
school, but he
is a kid I will
never forget and
I am sure will
stay close with.
I never got to
see him play
before, but from
what i can see,
he would be
great. His
commitment to
the game, after
what happened to
his heart is
unbelievable. He
is a great role
model and a
person that
myself as along
with many people
look up to. The
tribute to Fran
was well
deserved.
Fran Dolan
---
Ted,
My Name is
Jeremy knell
I have
played
Basketball
At Dougherty
For the Past
3 and half
years, I met
Fran back in
grade school
at
Presentation
B.V.M. in
Cheltenham.
I played
baseball and
basketball
with him
and Christian
Smith
throughout
grade
school. Me
Christian
And Fran
would go for
high scorer
every game
and, who got
more
rebounds, we
would go to
Jardel Rec
Center on
cottman Ave.
and work out
for hours,
Fran lives
basketball
and is all
about Kyle
korver, Fran
remember
when we
always
almost
fought st
Philips?
they never
could beat
our squad
especially
with me you
and
Christian on
the court at
the same
time, and
don’t even
get my
started on
baseball
practice
with Mr..
Doyle as our
coach ha-ha.
Fran Was my
Determination
to keep
working hard
and to keep
my head up,
because
someone so
close to me
lost
everything
he had in a
heartbeat,
and there's
nothing
anyone could
do about it,
but instead
of Fran
quitting and
not
supporting
the team he
always went
to practice
sat on the
bench and
did some
recruiting,
he even
tried to get
me to
transfer to
wood as 3
guard. Fran
is a great,
Friend,
brother,
son,
teammate and
co-worker
and he knows
what its
like to want
to give up,
but he has
the strive
to keep
going with
hard work
and
determination.
In Grade
school Fran
was the one
who always
wanted to
look good
with the
warm-up
music and
the warm up
shirts. Well
Fran we are
all proud of
you and
remember
keep your
head up.
Much Love #
24
Jeremy Knell
Cardinal
Dougherty
#22
2007
---
