40th anniversary reunion of the Louisville game
Feb 20, 2020 17:31:07 GMT -5
gregcrow, chelseadal, and 2 more like this
Post by cardinalhayesgael on Feb 20, 2020 17:31:07 GMT -5
As you can tell by my name,I am a graduate of Cardinal Hayes H.S.in the Bronx.My name is Steve Sheridan.I graduated from Hayes in 1976.I would like to thank Guy for approving me.I met him at the Princeton game at Barclay’s.I was also fortunate to speak to another gentleman,whose name escapes me right now,but who did have pertinent info about the basketball program.I also spoke to Staten Gael at the Nassau coliseum last year.
If you can indulge me a little,I will tell you about my history of this game as it relates to me.When I was a senior in HS.,my father passed away.The guidance dept.at Hayes already knew about my interest in Iona.They helped me thru the process of getting in.I am eternally grateful. I started at Iona in September as a accounting major at Hogan hall. I tried my best, but,with the death of my father, I had lost much focus in school.Plus it did not help having skirts and bars around,I do remember going to the gym,playing hoops,sometimes seeing some of the basketball players. After three, semesters,the administration asked me to leave because of a aqbelow 2.0 gpa. I was working part time as a cashier for Waldbaum’s in the Bronx,They put me full time,but I knew that there was no future there for me.I had several friends working for New York telephone at the time,o in January of 1979 as one ofthe first maleoperatorsin the company.At the time ,it was the only way into the company. I started working at 15 s.5th ave, in Mount Vernon.WHO IS ONE OF MY INSTRUCTORS BUT Shirley McCray.Yes ,the mother. Of Scooter And Rodney McCray of Louisville.When the schedule came out that Iona Was playing Louisville at 9pm at the Garden,I started talking smack to my instructor,telling her how, Jeff was going to eat up that team.She took it all good naturedly,going as far as to tell her sons about me.Even some of my fellow employees got into,good naturedly!!Remember ,Scooter was out that year with a knee injury.A friend of mine who still attended Iona was able to get tickets under the basket where Louisville was first warming up,and I was able go up to Scooter and introduce myself.We did have a good laugh about all the back and forth with his mother.
It was an electrifying night.19500 at the Garden,Valvano saying you have arrived when you play the 9’oclock game at the Garden being ranked #9 inSports Illustrated.Dave Brown saying”We are going all the way”.
The things I remember abou that game:
The score at the half was Iona up 39-36.
Breaking the vaunted Louisville press.
About 2 weeks before that game,Iona played a dispirited game against Army on TV.The announcers were Marv Albert And ,I believe Bucky Walterson the ECAC game of the week,Walterssaid they had a chance if they could break the vaunted Louisville press. Marv Albert gave them NO SHOT
The only dunk I remember wears fon a Iona player named Jeff,not Rutland.
When I would speak to Shirley McMcray,she said that Valvano never recruited the McCray brothers.Think of the change of. History if he did land them.Scooter was good, but Rodney was better.She also said that Rodney told her that Rutland was a horse underneath the basket.Rodney was only 6~8, Jeff was 6 10 and 240!Said he couldn’t be stopped
I remember 19,500 going crazy because of that upset.That was Louisville’s last loss of the season.
Thank you very much for indulging in these memories.I am sure there are other things that will pop into my head as I drive down from SUNY Binghamton tonight.I will be wearing my proud Cardinal Hayes hat tomorrow when I go to the game tomorrow,(couldn’t get a HAYES Sweatshirt because they did not have XXL)but my heart is always with IONA!!!'!!!!!!
If you can indulge me a little,I will tell you about my history of this game as it relates to me.When I was a senior in HS.,my father passed away.The guidance dept.at Hayes already knew about my interest in Iona.They helped me thru the process of getting in.I am eternally grateful. I started at Iona in September as a accounting major at Hogan hall. I tried my best, but,with the death of my father, I had lost much focus in school.Plus it did not help having skirts and bars around,I do remember going to the gym,playing hoops,sometimes seeing some of the basketball players. After three, semesters,the administration asked me to leave because of a aqbelow 2.0 gpa. I was working part time as a cashier for Waldbaum’s in the Bronx,They put me full time,but I knew that there was no future there for me.I had several friends working for New York telephone at the time,o in January of 1979 as one ofthe first maleoperatorsin the company.At the time ,it was the only way into the company. I started working at 15 s.5th ave, in Mount Vernon.WHO IS ONE OF MY INSTRUCTORS BUT Shirley McCray.Yes ,the mother. Of Scooter And Rodney McCray of Louisville.When the schedule came out that Iona Was playing Louisville at 9pm at the Garden,I started talking smack to my instructor,telling her how, Jeff was going to eat up that team.She took it all good naturedly,going as far as to tell her sons about me.Even some of my fellow employees got into,good naturedly!!Remember ,Scooter was out that year with a knee injury.A friend of mine who still attended Iona was able to get tickets under the basket where Louisville was first warming up,and I was able go up to Scooter and introduce myself.We did have a good laugh about all the back and forth with his mother.
It was an electrifying night.19500 at the Garden,Valvano saying you have arrived when you play the 9’oclock game at the Garden being ranked #9 inSports Illustrated.Dave Brown saying”We are going all the way”.
The things I remember abou that game:
The score at the half was Iona up 39-36.
Breaking the vaunted Louisville press.
About 2 weeks before that game,Iona played a dispirited game against Army on TV.The announcers were Marv Albert And ,I believe Bucky Walterson the ECAC game of the week,Walterssaid they had a chance if they could break the vaunted Louisville press. Marv Albert gave them NO SHOT
The only dunk I remember wears fon a Iona player named Jeff,not Rutland.
When I would speak to Shirley McMcray,she said that Valvano never recruited the McCray brothers.Think of the change of. History if he did land them.Scooter was good, but Rodney was better.She also said that Rodney told her that Rutland was a horse underneath the basket.Rodney was only 6~8, Jeff was 6 10 and 240!Said he couldn’t be stopped
I remember 19,500 going crazy because of that upset.That was Louisville’s last loss of the season.
Thank you very much for indulging in these memories.I am sure there are other things that will pop into my head as I drive down from SUNY Binghamton tonight.I will be wearing my proud Cardinal Hayes hat tomorrow when I go to the game tomorrow,(couldn’t get a HAYES Sweatshirt because they did not have XXL)but my heart is always with IONA!!!'!!!!!!
