Sad time for former Hickory coach

A bit of sad news out of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Ted Lazorishak, who now goes by the name of Ted Bell, is a former long-time football coach at Hickory High School. In late May, Ted lost his wife, Flo, to pancreatic cancer. She had been diagnosed with the cancer only about two weeks before her death.

Flo was a very sweet lady. She was always the “social director” when Ted’s football players would gather at the Lazorishak homestead. The two were high school sweethearts and lived in Colorado Springs for the past 15 years at least. They had been married nearly 55 years.

Ken White, now with Fox Sports, was one those football players who played for Lazorishak when he was at Hickory.

White said he visited with another former Hickory coach, Phil O’Mahen, who now resides in The Villages, Fla.. O’Mahen was busy playing in one of his softball tourneys. Ken’s son, Mack, loved the action and the facilities: four softball fields, bikes paths and a couple of fast food restaurants just outside the fields. He thought he was in heaven. When O’Mahen was at Hickory he coached boys and girls basketball.

Geneva hires Gall

Dr. Kim Gall. who served as women’s basketball and tennis coach at Geneva College from 1980-94, was named athletic director there recently. She replaces Geno DeMarco, who remains as football coach.

Recently Gall served as assistant athletic director and a professor of health and physical education at Calvin College.

DeMarco is 103-55 in 15 seasons as the Golden Tornadoes’ coach.

Ken Carson, Geneva’s vice president of academic affairs, felt the separation of the athletic director and coaching posts will strengthen the overall program.

Trojans select Batt

Greenville High’s new basketball coach certainly isn’t lacking for experience. Perhaps that’s why Mark Batt, 43, was selected to replace Kelly Jones, who resigned in the spring.

Batt has taught basketball at Greenville’s St. Michaels Elementary, was an assistant to Jones at Greenville High and Thiel College, and served as head coach at Reynolds High for a season.

One of Batts’ sons, Jordan, is a 6-2 junior who led Greenville in scoring last season. The Trojans were 14-10 last season.

Batt, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., graduated from Thiel College. He’s been coaching for 18 years and recently finished his fifth year in health and physical education at Keystone Charter School.

During his playing career at Thiel, Batt was a four-year starter at point-guard and was twice selected All-President’s Athletic Conference.