HAZLETON―The chemotherapy sometimes weakened Ron Insinger so much that he could not stand at practice. So, his players literally and figuratively carried the legendary Loyalsock coach. And they did it all season.
Insinger was diagnosed with cancer last October, but never missed a practice or a game. He credits the players for keeping him going strong and inspiring him every day. Insinger lifted the Lancers as well as both coach and players proved themselves fighters and champions.
Loyalsock did not reach its ultimate goal of winning a state championship, but what his team did this will forever make Insinger smile. No season-ending loss could diminish that.
Fittingly, Loyalsock went down fighting in its final game Saturday in the Class AAA state quarterfinals. The Lancers rallied from a six-point fourth quarter deficit and forced overtime but Math, Civics and Sciences controlled the final four minutes and won a thrilling contest, 62-54. MCS (20-10) earned a spot in Tuesday’s state quarterfinals against District 12 rival Devon Prep. Loyalsock concluded one of the best seasons in program history 28-2 with league, conference and district championships.
But they did something much more powerful than earn medals and banners. In what could have been a dark period, those Lancers helped Insinger see the positive light every day.
“It’s better than any championship. They made me optimistic and I’m going to win this battle,” Insinger said. “It’s because of the power that they’ve given me; the strength they’ve given me every single night.”
A softball-size mass on Insinger’s fourth rib was discovered last October when he underwent a routine stress test. He was unsure if he would be able to coach this year, especially with rounds of chemo starting soon after, but his players kept him going strong even when his body was telling him to take a break.
Nine days from now Insinger, will begin a month-long radiation treatment program. Because the cancer was detected early, Insinger’s prognosis appears good. Still, his character has been tested like never before and the state’s all-time wins leader credits his players for making sure that remained unbroken in his 50th year coaching.
“It’s eye-opening. I didn’t know if I was going to make it to Christmas. These kids: Their courage and their fight, rubbed off on me every single night. Their caring and asking about me just uplifted to no end,” Insinger said. “All the strength just came from each and every one of them. They put me on their shoulders and carried me.
Those players gave Insinger one last relentless effort, too. This was a heavyweight contest between two perennial state powers and the lead changed hands 15 times in the first three quarters with no team leading by more than four points. MCS, however, bridged the third and fourth quarters with eight straight points and went up 47-41 early in the fourth.
Unfazed, Loyalsock came roaring back and Nate Bauman found Ethan Nagy inside before scoring on a runner to put it ahead, 49-47 less than two minutes later. MCS (20-10) countered and went ahead 51-49 before Bauman found Nagy again to tie it 51-51 with 67 seconds remaining. Following two missed free throws, Loyalsock worked for the final shot and Gage Patterson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was on target but just short as the game went to overtime.
There, Milak Myatt (18 points) ignited a 5-0 run with a jumper. Jaylen Andrews pulled Loyalsock within 57-54 with 44.4 seconds remaining but the Mighty Elephants used clutch free throws from Zion Robinson and Rahiky Mason to seal the win.
Like Loyalsock, MCS is battling through adversity this season. Last October, it was announced the school would close. Instead of a player exodus, the Elephants stayed, fought and now have become one of the state’s top four teams.
This may be the program’s last ride, but MCS is making it quite memorable.
“We had a lot of obstacles. It would have been easy for a lot of guys to just pack up and leave and mentally kind of check out, but they have stuck it out and I’m proud of them,” MCS coach Lonnie Diggs said. “It means a lot. This is more than likely going to be our last run, so we want to try and go as far as we can.”
MCS extended its run by literally answering every time Loyalsock went ahead. It was a 12-round fight and neither team backed down. Balance and strong defense, especially in overtime, helped MCS prevail as four players scored in double figures. Myatt had a game-high 18 points, Zion Robinson, who made four clutch overtime free throws, 15; Azeem Murphy 11 and Aiden Brown 10.
Rahiky Mason added two crucial foul shots after Andrews had made it a 3-point game in overtime.
“It’s been tough because we haven’t had our leading scorer in the playoffs. It’s been an adjustment but they’re resilient,” Diggs said. “I knew we had a deep team all year. We have some guys playing roles they haven’t played before and they’re making the most of the opportunities.”
A senior-laden Loyalsock team cashed in on its opportunities throughout the season, going undefeated against District 4 competition and tying the 2020 team for the most wins in the 2000s. Andrews, Bauman and Patterson all were 1,000-point scorers, Nagy developed into an excellent post player and Tyler Gee was a consistent defensive stopper who scored six points in his final game. Fellow senior Jamaire Harden also had an excellent season, while junior Isiah Jennings shined off the bench.
Andrews produced his fourth playoff double-double Saturday, going for 13 points and 13 rebounds. Bauman scored a team-high 15 points and dealt five assists, while Patterson had 10 points and four assists. Nagy added eight points and 10 rebounds, making runs at double-doubles in all three state playoff games.
All the stats, all the championships those players earned this season stand out. Their lasting contribution, though, was uplifting their coach. One cannot measure that contribution with a banner or medal or trophy.
“It’s something special. I was fighting the game of cancer all winter and these kids know that, so they were fighting two games. They were fighting for me and were fighting for a victory on the scoreboard.
“This group will always have a special place in my heart for what they’ve done for me.”
Insinger was diagnosed with cancer last October, but never missed a practice or a game. He credits the players for keeping him going strong and inspiring him every day. Insinger lifted the Lancers as well as both coach and players proved themselves fighters and champions.
Loyalsock did not reach its ultimate goal of winning a state championship, but what his team did this will forever make Insinger smile. No season-ending loss could diminish that.
Fittingly, Loyalsock went down fighting in its final game Saturday in the Class AAA state quarterfinals. The Lancers rallied from a six-point fourth quarter deficit and forced overtime but Math, Civics and Sciences controlled the final four minutes and won a thrilling contest, 62-54. MCS (20-10) earned a spot in Tuesday’s state quarterfinals against District 12 rival Devon Prep. Loyalsock concluded one of the best seasons in program history 28-2 with league, conference and district championships.
But they did something much more powerful than earn medals and banners. In what could have been a dark period, those Lancers helped Insinger see the positive light every day.
“It’s better than any championship. They made me optimistic and I’m going to win this battle,” Insinger said. “It’s because of the power that they’ve given me; the strength they’ve given me every single night.”
A softball-size mass on Insinger’s fourth rib was discovered last October when he underwent a routine stress test. He was unsure if he would be able to coach this year, especially with rounds of chemo starting soon after, but his players kept him going strong even when his body was telling him to take a break.
Nine days from now Insinger, will begin a month-long radiation treatment program. Because the cancer was detected early, Insinger’s prognosis appears good. Still, his character has been tested like never before and the state’s all-time wins leader credits his players for making sure that remained unbroken in his 50th year coaching.
“It’s eye-opening. I didn’t know if I was going to make it to Christmas. These kids: Their courage and their fight, rubbed off on me every single night. Their caring and asking about me just uplifted to no end,” Insinger said. “All the strength just came from each and every one of them. They put me on their shoulders and carried me.
Those players gave Insinger one last relentless effort, too. This was a heavyweight contest between two perennial state powers and the lead changed hands 15 times in the first three quarters with no team leading by more than four points. MCS, however, bridged the third and fourth quarters with eight straight points and went up 47-41 early in the fourth.
Unfazed, Loyalsock came roaring back and Nate Bauman found Ethan Nagy inside before scoring on a runner to put it ahead, 49-47 less than two minutes later. MCS (20-10) countered and went ahead 51-49 before Bauman found Nagy again to tie it 51-51 with 67 seconds remaining. Following two missed free throws, Loyalsock worked for the final shot and Gage Patterson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was on target but just short as the game went to overtime.
There, Milak Myatt (18 points) ignited a 5-0 run with a jumper. Jaylen Andrews pulled Loyalsock within 57-54 with 44.4 seconds remaining but the Mighty Elephants used clutch free throws from Zion Robinson and Rahiky Mason to seal the win.
Like Loyalsock, MCS is battling through adversity this season. Last October, it was announced the school would close. Instead of a player exodus, the Elephants stayed, fought and now have become one of the state’s top four teams.
This may be the program’s last ride, but MCS is making it quite memorable.
“We had a lot of obstacles. It would have been easy for a lot of guys to just pack up and leave and mentally kind of check out, but they have stuck it out and I’m proud of them,” MCS coach Lonnie Diggs said. “It means a lot. This is more than likely going to be our last run, so we want to try and go as far as we can.”
MCS extended its run by literally answering every time Loyalsock went ahead. It was a 12-round fight and neither team backed down. Balance and strong defense, especially in overtime, helped MCS prevail as four players scored in double figures. Myatt had a game-high 18 points, Zion Robinson, who made four clutch overtime free throws, 15; Azeem Murphy 11 and Aiden Brown 10.
Rahiky Mason added two crucial foul shots after Andrews had made it a 3-point game in overtime.
“It’s been tough because we haven’t had our leading scorer in the playoffs. It’s been an adjustment but they’re resilient,” Diggs said. “I knew we had a deep team all year. We have some guys playing roles they haven’t played before and they’re making the most of the opportunities.”
A senior-laden Loyalsock team cashed in on its opportunities throughout the season, going undefeated against District 4 competition and tying the 2020 team for the most wins in the 2000s. Andrews, Bauman and Patterson all were 1,000-point scorers, Nagy developed into an excellent post player and Tyler Gee was a consistent defensive stopper who scored six points in his final game. Fellow senior Jamaire Harden also had an excellent season, while junior Isiah Jennings shined off the bench.
Andrews produced his fourth playoff double-double Saturday, going for 13 points and 13 rebounds. Bauman scored a team-high 15 points and dealt five assists, while Patterson had 10 points and four assists. Nagy added eight points and 10 rebounds, making runs at double-doubles in all three state playoff games.
All the stats, all the championships those players earned this season stand out. Their lasting contribution, though, was uplifting their coach. One cannot measure that contribution with a banner or medal or trophy.
“It’s something special. I was fighting the game of cancer all winter and these kids know that, so they were fighting two games. They were fighting for me and were fighting for a victory on the scoreboard.
“This group will always have a special place in my heart for what they’ve done for me.”
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