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American Chronicle | Father and son champs at MSD
When Derek Frank was growing up, his father, Dan, would tell him over and over again what it was like to win the Eastern Schools for the Deaf basketball tournament.
Last month Derek found that out himself.
He was a junior on the MSD basketball team that beat the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf 82-41 in the ESDAA championship game in Trenton, N.J. His father was in the crowd and saw his son score one point and dish out five assists.
That came almost 30 years to the day that the MSD team Dan Frank played on won the 1981 tournament title, beating St. Mary's, 65-62, at MSD.
"My dad would tell me all the time about his experiences," Derek said last week as he and his father talked about their basketball experiences through an interpreter. "They were amazing."
Both were juniors when MSD won. Both played point guard. Dan said he was faster than his son, but his son is a better shooter.
But other things have changed a lot in those 30 years.
MSD's win in 1981 was its first tournament championship. Its best previous finish was second place in 1927, the first year of the tournament.
Since 1981, the MSD boys have won 16 titles including the last nine straight. The MSD girls have won 11 titles overall.
The big tournament for MSD now is the Clerc Classic, which involves teams from all over the country. MSD has won the last two.
There was no Clerc Classic in 1981. The ESDAA was the big thing.
"After we won the game, all the fans ran onto the court," Dan said. "We were emotionally worn out. A couple of players cried because they were in shock."
It wasn't as emotional when his son's team won.
"We felt good because we won another tournament," Derek said of this year's win in Trenton, N.J., "The fans didn't come out onto the court. We just patted each other on the back."
Derek said the ESDAA today is not as competitive as it was when his father played.
Although it was 30 years ago, Dan still vividly remembers that first tournament title.
MSD had only seven players and was 9-5 during the regular season. The Orioles were third seeded in the tournament.
Frank started at the point. Leroy Dixon, a six-foot-center, was the team's top player. Other starters including Conrad vanGarrell, Jim Eckenrode and Mike Davis.
Many had been on the team that had finished third in the tournament the previous year.
They won their first two tournament games in 1981, but found themselves trailing St. Mary's by seven at halftime in the championship game.
"We were about ready to give up because St. Mary's was so strong," Dan said. "But coach (Dean) Buck told us to keep fighting, we could do this."
MSD fell behind by nine early in the third period. The packed crowd was getting nervous. Then someone accidentally hit the light switch and half of the lights in the gym went off. The game was delayed for 15 to 20 minutes.
"I was mad, frustrated, I thought it would hurt our focus," Frank said.
It did the opposite. MSD came out on fire. They took a 63-62 lead with less than a minute to go.
They were trying to hold the ball when suddenly Dixon went inside for a shot.
"I was in shock, I said don't do that," Frank said. "Fortunately, he made it."
Dixon finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Frank had 16 points.
The next year, the Orioles won the title again. This time the lights stayed on.
Dan Frank said he still keeps in touch with his former teammates, most of who have stayed around the area. Dan works as an American Sign Language teacher at Walkersville High School and is able to see most of his son's games.
Buck will be retiring as a teacher at the MSD campus in Columbia this year and his players from the 1981 and 1982 teams are planning a reunion.
There, Derek can learn even more about that 1981 tournament title game, from not only his father, but his teammates.
When Derek Frank was growing up, his father, Dan, would tell him over and over again what it was like to win the Eastern Schools for the Deaf basketball tournament.
Last month Derek found that out himself.
He was a junior on the MSD basketball team that beat the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf 82-41 in the ESDAA championship game in Trenton, N.J. His father was in the crowd and saw his son score one point and dish out five assists.
That came almost 30 years to the day that the MSD team Dan Frank played on won the 1981 tournament title, beating St. Mary's, 65-62, at MSD.
"My dad would tell me all the time about his experiences," Derek said last week as he and his father talked about their basketball experiences through an interpreter. "They were amazing."
Both were juniors when MSD won. Both played point guard. Dan said he was faster than his son, but his son is a better shooter.
But other things have changed a lot in those 30 years.
MSD's win in 1981 was its first tournament championship. Its best previous finish was second place in 1927, the first year of the tournament.
Since 1981, the MSD boys have won 16 titles including the last nine straight. The MSD girls have won 11 titles overall.
The big tournament for MSD now is the Clerc Classic, which involves teams from all over the country. MSD has won the last two.
There was no Clerc Classic in 1981. The ESDAA was the big thing.
"After we won the game, all the fans ran onto the court," Dan said. "We were emotionally worn out. A couple of players cried because they were in shock."
It wasn't as emotional when his son's team won.
"We felt good because we won another tournament," Derek said of this year's win in Trenton, N.J., "The fans didn't come out onto the court. We just patted each other on the back."
Derek said the ESDAA today is not as competitive as it was when his father played.
Although it was 30 years ago, Dan still vividly remembers that first tournament title.
MSD had only seven players and was 9-5 during the regular season. The Orioles were third seeded in the tournament.
Frank started at the point. Leroy Dixon, a six-foot-center, was the team's top player. Other starters including Conrad vanGarrell, Jim Eckenrode and Mike Davis.
Many had been on the team that had finished third in the tournament the previous year.
They won their first two tournament games in 1981, but found themselves trailing St. Mary's by seven at halftime in the championship game.
"We were about ready to give up because St. Mary's was so strong," Dan said. "But coach (Dean) Buck told us to keep fighting, we could do this."
MSD fell behind by nine early in the third period. The packed crowd was getting nervous. Then someone accidentally hit the light switch and half of the lights in the gym went off. The game was delayed for 15 to 20 minutes.
"I was mad, frustrated, I thought it would hurt our focus," Frank said.
It did the opposite. MSD came out on fire. They took a 63-62 lead with less than a minute to go.
They were trying to hold the ball when suddenly Dixon went inside for a shot.
"I was in shock, I said don't do that," Frank said. "Fortunately, he made it."
Dixon finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Frank had 16 points.
The next year, the Orioles won the title again. This time the lights stayed on.
Dan Frank said he still keeps in touch with his former teammates, most of who have stayed around the area. Dan works as an American Sign Language teacher at Walkersville High School and is able to see most of his son's games.
Buck will be retiring as a teacher at the MSD campus in Columbia this year and his players from the 1981 and 1982 teams are planning a reunion.
There, Derek can learn even more about that 1981 tournament title game, from not only his father, but his teammates.