CITY SERIES BASKETBALL House hoping for more hoops heights

The Rayen coach would like to see a state contender unfold this year.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- During the 1985-86 high school basketball season, Phil House climbed a ladder to help cut down a net at St. John Arena in Columbus to celebrate The Rayen School's state championship.
House was an assistant coach at the time to Frank Cegledy, and he remembers the special kind of team the Tigers were that year.
"We had a lot of experienced players and excellent continuity. It's something extra they had. You can't put a name or title on it. They knew how to win close games," recalled House, who began his coaching career as Cegledy's assistant in 1978.
One of those special players was Floyd Showers, who now is an assistant coach at Rayen.
House remained an assistant until 1988 when Cegledy retired, and has been the head coach for all but one season since then.
He said the closest Rayen has come to repeating that state-title excellence was in 1997-98.
"We had the depth and manpower. No matter how we substituted, we didn't lose anything," said House, whose Tigers lost to Shaker Heights in the regional final.
House still hopes for another state trip before he hangs up his whistle and clipboard.
Loves coaching, teaching
But retirement won't be happening soon because he loves coaching and teaching too much, and especially loves greeting former players and students who have gone on to academic, vocational and athletic success when they return to Rayen for a visit.
"I haven't really given [retirement] much thought," said House, whose Tigers struggled last year with a 5-15 record, although they shared the City Series championship with the three other members, Woodrow Wilson, Chaney and Canton Timken, each at 3-3.
"The key element is that as long as it is fun, I will keep coaching. And right now I still am having fun coaching. And it's the same with teaching. I still enjoy teaching."
Although that much-desired return to the state tourney may be unlikely this season, House is optimistic that the Tigers at least will be better than last year.
"We will have a [few] more experienced players because last year we didn't have a lot of experience," said House, who lost leader Jamal Higgs to graduation but gets back returning starter Jabray Graham, a 6-foot-3 senior who averaged about 15 points and 12 rebounds last year.
Transfers from Chaney
Plus, Rayen has three transfers from Chaney -- Dominique Crosby, Brandon Crosby and Keenan Ready.
"They [the transfers] lived over in our district so they just transferred at the end of the school year last year. They live about two blocks away from the school," said House.
Of course, House would like to see a state contender unfold this year, and certainly he is not ruling that out.
"You cannot tell every year. You start to see some flashes of brilliance, and you hope that these flashes are consistent," said House, who credits his success to his parents and also to a former teacher, Thomas Draper of Boardman.
"I owe the choice of my profession to a former teacher I had at North High -- Thomas Draper. He was like my mentor. I had his classes. I still have the utmost respect for him. And we still talk from time to time," said House.
He recalled that while he was at North, "I had no interest in college but [Draper] encouraged me to seek a higher education. And because of him, I am the person I have become. I can't thank him enough. My parents did a good job of preparing me, but he went that extra mile."
kovach@vindy.com