Spach here from Spachs Sports Show, as news breaks that Damon Brown will be stepping down as head coach at Sacred Heart Academy varsity girls basketball coach, it made me sit back and think about all the great games that he and the girls blessed us with at my1043 and buck92 over the years.
Go back to my very first year covering high school sports and hoops with Kurt Wilson, we started in January and got see a great battle between Sara Hansen and Lindsey Winters of Clare. Districts, I remember poor Big Rapids Crossroads having to play this juggernaut in the opening round of districts…Crossroads finished that year 19-2, both losses to SHA.
The girls ended up beating Crystal Falls Forest Park with Riley Terwilliger hitting a monster shot down the stretch to win the State Title, but the wins, the playoff runs, they never stopped!
In 2015-16 they finished 24-2 with their only losses to Saginaw Nouvel and Pittsford in the state finals.
They next year, just 2 losses again finishing 25-2 and falling to eventual champ Pittsford agian in the state semi finals
2017-18 may be my most memorable season Megan Nowak, Grace Reetz, Molly Younker, Sophie Ruggles, Hayden Terwilliger, were all seniors Scout Nelson was pretty much a senior. They rolled through the regular season undefeated and all the way back to the state semifinals where again they faced and fell to Adrian Lenawee Christian. After the game I can remember reporters being shocked at how happy and good of a mood all the girls were in. I think they knew what we all eventually figure out in life, or parts of our life, the journey and what you do on the way is often more times better and more rewarding than the destination. Even after the loss the girls were poised, not rattled just like they always saw from their Coach.
From 2013-14 through 2022-23 the wins were amazing, but there is two things I never saw Damon Brown do…I never saw him get angry or loud at a player or official. Also, I never saw him stop coaching the game of basketball and more importantly the game of life.
Poise is the one word that comes to mind, up 20, down 20 (that didn’t happen much) it was always the same.
I am sure the Irish girls will continue to be a feared opponent in the future with Coach Doerr or someone else at the helm, but Damon Brown is a hall of fame coach if he never picks up the whistle again. 16 years…13 district titles, just one single three game losing streak that happened at the end of this year. Think about that sixteen years and had never lost three straight games, never a losing streak…Poise… he had it in droves and passed that and so much more to improve hundreds of young women and men at Sacred Heart and beyond.
I could go on and on talking about big wins and big accomplishments etc. However, I think there is one ultimate compliment to give a coach, and that is for you to want your kid to play for said coach. At this point in my life I don’t have any children, but if I do I dream that someday they have a coach half as good as Damon Brown. As a broadcaster I can’t thank you enough for all the memories, and as a man thank you for showing me what poise is really all about!
