By Josh Verlin
For Gregg Downer, Saturday’s District 1 Class 6A boys championship is a chance at long-awaited revenge.
It was Downer’s senior year at Penncrest High School when he and his Lions went up against Norristown, led by future NFL quarterback Steve Bono, and fell short, 59-53, against the Eagles in the 1980 district championship.
“I can remember how good Steve Bono was and how exciting it was for me, a Philadelphia kid, to play at the Palestra, how crowded the gym was,” Downer recalled by phone Thursday night. “It’s the one game in my career when I came out of the tunnel where I couldn’t find my parents.
“I’ve been waiting 42 years to get another crack at Norristown,” the Lower Merion head coach added.
Saturday night at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, Downer’s going to have his chance, when his second-seeded Aces will attempt to defend their district title against the upstart No. 12 seed Eagles, who are on the verge of pulling off a championship run almost no one saw coming.
(click on this link for the full story)
Webmaster’s note: This game will be video streamed by Lower Merion HS. You can find the game at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70SiznZ1d2M