Chester assistant coach Durell Moore, left, who stepped in for ill head coach Keith Taylor, talks to Isaiah Freeman as the Clippers fell 66-41 to Imhotep Charter in the PIAA Class 5A semifinals. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group).
By Bob Grotz
The wakeup call came Saturday at 7 a.m.
It was Chester High coach Keith Taylor phoning assistant Durrell Moore to say he didn’t feel well and was going to see the doctor.
The “good luck, you’re the coach” call from Taylor came while the Clippers were on their way to Coatesville High, where they would take on the Imhotep Panthers in the semifinal round of the Class 5A state playoffs. It gave Moore, a Clippers assistant for five seasons, just enough time to take a deep breath.
“That really helped me get through this,” Moore said. “And it was tough. Coming in, state semifinals, Imhotep, packed house. But Coach Taylor and I spent a lot of time on preparation, so he had confidence in me.”
Truth be told, the way the Panthers were flying up the court in transition and making three-pointers Saturday, the Clippers could have had Larry Brown strategizing and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
The only good news after the brutal 66-41 loss to the Panthers is that Taylor phoned again to tell the coaches he’s going to be fine. May we suggest a few days of rest before reviewing the video?