One of Maryland's more successful junior college basketball coaches hails from Donora.
His name is John Mappas.
Over the last 11 years he has compiled an overall 230-103 record.
Mappas just finished his seventh year at Chesapeake College.
The past campaign, however, wasn't a good one as his Skipjacks went 10-17 after winning their first NJCAA Division Region XX championship with a school record 27 victories.
"It was my worst season for injuries," he said Tuesday from his home in Easton before going out to shovel nine inches of snow. "Five of my top eight players were injured."
The tone may have been set in the Skipjacks' opening 82-61 defeat to Potomac State when star guard Antoine White's season was ended with a knee injury.
Before going to Chesapeake, Mappas coached four seasons at Charles County Community College (now the College of Southern Maryland).
Mappas' record at Charles was an impressive 100-23 with four straight National Division titles.
A 1964 Donora High graduate, Mappas didn't think his success was a big deal at Charles.
"We had an overwhelming amount of talent at Charles and were able to recruit nationally," he told Star-Democrat sportswriter Richard Midcap. "Those teams could probably have coached themselves."
Before coaching in college, Mappas put in 30 years in the scholastic ranks at five different high schools.
He retired from the classroom in 2000 after a long career as a math teacher.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers' basketball team, which opens its 13-game schedule Thursday at Bentworth High School, has already suffered two of at least three possible losses.
Two players were knocked off the team when wide receiver Nate Washington signed a six-year, $27 million contract with Tennessee 48 hours ago and safety Anthony Smith became an unrestricted free agent.
Cornerback Bryant McFadden, who's been talking with Arizona, could be next to go.
Making up this year's Steelers' basketball roster are Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor, Deshea Townsend, Brett Keisel, Chris Kemoeatu, Chris Hoke, Charlie Batch, Jason Capizzi, Tyrone Carter, Arnold Harrison, Anthony Madison, Gary Russell, Matt Spaeth and Darnell Stapleton.
- And thanks to Tim Susick, of Belle Vernon, who says the best vitamin for developing friends is B1!
