Sunday, September 19, 2004
Good fortune has smiled on a pair of outstanding coaches from the Mercer County area.
Greenville High's Bob Stone most recently became the winningest coach in Mercer County football history when the Trojans defeated Seneca, 44-0.
George Abraham, former basketball coach at Grove City, George Junior Republic and Butler, was recently inducted into the Pennsylvania Basketball Hall of Fame.
No longer tied
Stone had shared the county record with former Sharon coach Jim Wildman with 208 victories.
The win also was the 499th in Greenville football history and the 500th came a week later with a convincing win over Grove City.
It was many years ago that Stone was an assistant to another Greenville coaching icon, Ed Snyder. Together, the two brought about some of the finest football teams that ever suited up in the county.
Reaching that milestone was truly something to behold, however.
Stone seems happy that the whole thing is history. Now he can go about readying his players for another outing as he prepares them for another step up the ladder of life. That is what appears most important to Stone, life after football for his players.
Congratulations coach, not only on your milestones, but on the way you and your players have conducted themselves down through the years. It's been very gratifying not only to Greenville High and the Trojans' many faithful fans, but to Mercer County as well.
Basketball
As for Abraham, I remember his playing days at Butler High where he was a hustling, spirited, excellent shooting standout. He apparently carried all of those traits with him into the coaching ranks.
Abraham, 53, was an amazing coach. He took teams with very little talent and turned them into winners. He had a way of blending his players and turning them into a finished product.
His peers always spoke highly of Abraham, who was a student of the game and one who delighted in watching game films of upcoming opposition. He could read them well, and from them set up his plans of attack.
In looking over Abraham's tremendous record, it should be pointed out that his teams captured four conference titles, two District 10 crowns, and his units, from 1984 to 2000, averaged 21 wins over that span.
While coach of the Butler Golden Tornado, his 1995 and 1997 teams reached the PIAA western finals.
At Grove City and George Republic he coached undefeated teams in 1988 and 1993, respectively.
Some health issues forced Abraham to wrap up his coaching career about five years ago. It's doubtful he'll return to the sidelines, but who knows -- the game sure misses him.