01-01-2012, 12:30 AM
Itâs likely that Trinity head coach Mike Szabo saw more basketball games during the 2011 Republic Bank Holiday Classic in Lexington than any other coach. In addition to coaching his team during their four game championship run, scouting future opponents and scouting potential tournament opponents, Szabo had a special interest in following the individuals that comprised an 18-member group that had traveled over 750 miles from Bedford, New Hampshire to Lexington.
Szabo was courtside for all four games played in the event by Bedford (NH) High because of the coach that had meant so much to him 25 years ago during his high school days.
In 1986, a sophomore guard was a key part of a state championship for head coach John Langlois and his Newmarket (NH) Basketball team.
That guard was Mike Szabo.
âHe was a great competitor as a player,â said Langlois. âHe gave you everything he had, every practice and every game.â
Szabo has established himself as one of the top coaches in the state of Kentucky, guiding his Trinity Basketball program to six tournament titles since the 2004-2005 season among the stateâs top three events (Republic Bank Holiday Classic, Louisville Invitational Tournament and King of the Bluegrass). No other team has won more than three during the same time period. He is also one of just 10 coaches to the win the Louisville Courier-Journalâs Statewide Coach of the Year award multiple times.
But Szabo still has a long way to go to catch up with the feats of his high school coach. Langlois has won four state championships, including the 1986 title run featuring Szabo.
Szabo and other members of the Trinity staff became the Bulldogsâ biggest fans during the Lexington event. Szabo could even be seen chiming in and coaching the Bulldogs from press row during the event.
Szabo witnessed a team that showed great growth throughout their time in Kentucky. The team struggled with the speed and intensity of full court pressure defense against an opening round game with Central and a consolation game against Moore. Facing Fleming County in their third game, a top three team in the 16th Region, the team hit 59 percent of its shots and won 64-63. Senior captain Trevor Fahmy had a team-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The team battled in a back and forth game against Lafayette, a team that owns a state record six titles in Kentucky- most recently winning in 2001, before falling 69-60 to end their four-game stretch in Kentucky.
Szabo spoke with the Bedford team multiple times during their trip, including after each game in the locker room.
During the teamâs trip to Lexington, Bedford went just 1-3, but faced top teams from the cities of Louisville and Lexington. The bonding experience will payoff down the road for Langloisâ team. The group was able to attend a University of Kentucky Menâs Basketball practice just days before a nationally televised matchup between the third-ranked Wildcats and #4 Louisville, a University of Kentucky basketball game against Lamar at Rupp Arena and spent nearly a week in the Bluegrass State staying in a hotel across the street from historic Rupp Arena.
âIn my opinion, Kentucky is one of the top five states in the country for high school basketball,â said Langlois. âIn Kentucky, basketball is bigger than life. For us to come down and play against the level of competition and the level of intensity will only make our team better.
Langlois has had the chance to see some of Szaboâs finest moments as a coach in person. He was in the stands in March 2004 when Trinity won its first game in state tournament play in school history in a 75-57 win over University Heights. He also was behind the bench for three of the Shamrocksâ wins in the Republic Bank Holiday Classic and spoke with the Trinity team following one of its wins in the event during its championship run, complementing their enthusiasm for playing hard-nosed, team defense.
âCoach Szabo is a great person and that is where it begins,â said Langlois of his former player. âWhat I think he has done is created a family of a team. Guys are pulling for one another and they are playing together. The intensity that he brings to that team is tremendous. Coach Szabo is a great, great coach.â
As a player at Newmarket High, Szabo was a star baseball and basketball player. One career highlight included striking out 21 batters in a high school game. He went on to play college baseball as a pitcher at Plymouth State University for three years before taking coaching jobs at Northwestern University, Washington College (TN) and Fort Worth Country Day School (TX).
Szabo hasnât forgotten his Northern roots though. A photo of the team that won a state championship at Newmarket High still hangs by the door in the office of the coach in Louisville. In 2009, the Louisville, Kentucky school even layed a new floor in its home gymnasium featuring the unique parquet pattern used historically by the NBAâs Boston Celtics.
[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZehnxoR9fp8&context=C3ad6839ADOEgsToPDskJrZ-kPDxUOYc41PlwQtrna"][/YOUTUBE]
Szabo was courtside for all four games played in the event by Bedford (NH) High because of the coach that had meant so much to him 25 years ago during his high school days.
In 1986, a sophomore guard was a key part of a state championship for head coach John Langlois and his Newmarket (NH) Basketball team.
That guard was Mike Szabo.
âHe was a great competitor as a player,â said Langlois. âHe gave you everything he had, every practice and every game.â
Szabo has established himself as one of the top coaches in the state of Kentucky, guiding his Trinity Basketball program to six tournament titles since the 2004-2005 season among the stateâs top three events (Republic Bank Holiday Classic, Louisville Invitational Tournament and King of the Bluegrass). No other team has won more than three during the same time period. He is also one of just 10 coaches to the win the Louisville Courier-Journalâs Statewide Coach of the Year award multiple times.
But Szabo still has a long way to go to catch up with the feats of his high school coach. Langlois has won four state championships, including the 1986 title run featuring Szabo.
Szabo and other members of the Trinity staff became the Bulldogsâ biggest fans during the Lexington event. Szabo could even be seen chiming in and coaching the Bulldogs from press row during the event.
Szabo witnessed a team that showed great growth throughout their time in Kentucky. The team struggled with the speed and intensity of full court pressure defense against an opening round game with Central and a consolation game against Moore. Facing Fleming County in their third game, a top three team in the 16th Region, the team hit 59 percent of its shots and won 64-63. Senior captain Trevor Fahmy had a team-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The team battled in a back and forth game against Lafayette, a team that owns a state record six titles in Kentucky- most recently winning in 2001, before falling 69-60 to end their four-game stretch in Kentucky.
Szabo spoke with the Bedford team multiple times during their trip, including after each game in the locker room.
During the teamâs trip to Lexington, Bedford went just 1-3, but faced top teams from the cities of Louisville and Lexington. The bonding experience will payoff down the road for Langloisâ team. The group was able to attend a University of Kentucky Menâs Basketball practice just days before a nationally televised matchup between the third-ranked Wildcats and #4 Louisville, a University of Kentucky basketball game against Lamar at Rupp Arena and spent nearly a week in the Bluegrass State staying in a hotel across the street from historic Rupp Arena.
âIn my opinion, Kentucky is one of the top five states in the country for high school basketball,â said Langlois. âIn Kentucky, basketball is bigger than life. For us to come down and play against the level of competition and the level of intensity will only make our team better.
Langlois has had the chance to see some of Szaboâs finest moments as a coach in person. He was in the stands in March 2004 when Trinity won its first game in state tournament play in school history in a 75-57 win over University Heights. He also was behind the bench for three of the Shamrocksâ wins in the Republic Bank Holiday Classic and spoke with the Trinity team following one of its wins in the event during its championship run, complementing their enthusiasm for playing hard-nosed, team defense.
âCoach Szabo is a great person and that is where it begins,â said Langlois of his former player. âWhat I think he has done is created a family of a team. Guys are pulling for one another and they are playing together. The intensity that he brings to that team is tremendous. Coach Szabo is a great, great coach.â
As a player at Newmarket High, Szabo was a star baseball and basketball player. One career highlight included striking out 21 batters in a high school game. He went on to play college baseball as a pitcher at Plymouth State University for three years before taking coaching jobs at Northwestern University, Washington College (TN) and Fort Worth Country Day School (TX).
Szabo hasnât forgotten his Northern roots though. A photo of the team that won a state championship at Newmarket High still hangs by the door in the office of the coach in Louisville. In 2009, the Louisville, Kentucky school even layed a new floor in its home gymnasium featuring the unique parquet pattern used historically by the NBAâs Boston Celtics.
[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZehnxoR9fp8&context=C3ad6839ADOEgsToPDskJrZ-kPDxUOYc41PlwQtrna"][/YOUTUBE]