Local Legend Gets Honor

Today we take a break from political news and venture in to the world of sports.  Because Friday night, Our Lady Of Providence High School will honor their former coach and Indiana Football Hall Of Fame Coach Gene Sartini by naming the football field after him.

Sartini, who coached the Pioneers for forty years from 1971 to 2011, will receive the honor before Friday nights game against in city rival Clarksville. 

I could write a whole blog post blasting the current PHS administration for their removal (and that's what it was) of Sartini, but much like the coach himself, I'll keep this classy and positive.

And he has a long list of positives all of which are very impressive.

Through 40 years of coaching at Providence (their are two previous years at the old Flaget H.S. in Louisville and Shawnee also) he compiled a record of 268-158 with 30 winning seasons.  Add in 5 sectional titles, two State Runner-Up finishes and his 2004 induction into the Hall Of Fame, and honoring the former coach was a no brainer. 

He is also a graduate of UofL where he also played football and held the record for the longest reception until recently and his ties to the local area make an institute that most everyone respected.

Though most on here are Jeff High fans, a school that typically holds an advantage over Providence, there was always a respect for the Pioneer program because of Sartini.  Even in years which JHS was greatly favored and seemed to have the advantage at all the key positions, it would be normal to here the local fans say something along the lines of  "well we should beat the hell out of them.  But those kids better come ready to play because you know Sartini will have his kids ready."

And that's probably the highest form of respect that a coach can receive and is the truest testament to a coaches ability.  And for forty years that was feeling of many around these here parts when Providence's week came up on the schedule.

And Sartini was like a fine wine.  He only got better with age. 

Indeed, the '90's may have been his best decade.  Starting with a run to the final game in 1993 to the schools first three game winning streak over JHS towards the end of the decade.  He proved that his style may not look like what the rest of the schools he was playing had evolved into over the years, but the game hadn't passed him by. 

Sartini added another class act to the tail end of the story. 

Although he was run out by the administration, the Hall Of Famer said it never crossed his mind to decline the honor of having the field named after him and said nothing but positives when talking about the place he called home for 40 years.

Classy individual  Hall of Fame Coach. 

And now every student that attends PHS or opposing team and their fans that make their way to Clarksville to play the small private school will know the his name.  And he certainly deserves the honor.

Here's to you Coach Sartini.