What an exciting, fun time we enjoyed 50 years ago with our basketball team. Led by Mitch, Larry Weiss, Bill Mikolyzk, Bob Pellegrino, Bobby Pitts, Wayne Anderson, and the rest of the Red Devils, every Firday night was eagerly anticipated because we all knew this team was very good, and it was always great to celebrate a victory. The season ended a little too soon, but it was a wonderful ride while it lasted.
As for Mitch and his passing, I think he would be happy if I shared my story about him and my attempts to guard him in practice when we were juniors. Mitch was 6'5" and still growing. I was and am still tickling the underside of 6'. Often, in practice, I had the unenviable task of trying to guard him. In an attempt to level the playing field a little, I would sometimes pull on his gymn shorts. He would just swat me away for being the annoyance I was, and either score and laugh at me, or grab a rebound over my head and laugh again. This went on for a few days, until the day he became very serious during my attempt to guard him. I pulled on his shorts--nothing. Pulled a little harder--nothing still. Finally, during a break, he told me. The previous night, he had a nightmare. He was either shooting a jump shot or going up for a rebound, and when he came down, his shorts were on the ground. So, that day and every other day of his basketball career, he double knotted his drawstring. Of course, he also made me look even sillier trying to guard him. For a long time, when we would see each other, that story would come up in our conversation.
We all know how good he was on the court--All State, All Conference, college scholarship. Many of us came to know so much more about him as a person. He had a dry sense of humor that I got to know and enjoy, and if I were to see him today, this story would once again come alive. Another good guy gone too soon. RIP Mitch!!
Timothy Margetson
What an exciting, fun time we enjoyed 50 years ago with our basketball team. Led by Mitch, Larry Weiss, Bill Mikolyzk, Bob Pellegrino, Bobby Pitts, Wayne Anderson, and the rest of the Red Devils, every Firday night was eagerly anticipated because we all knew this team was very good, and it was always great to celebrate a victory. The season ended a little too soon, but it was a wonderful ride while it lasted.
As for Mitch and his passing, I think he would be happy if I shared my story about him and my attempts to guard him in practice when we were juniors. Mitch was 6'5" and still growing. I was and am still tickling the underside of 6'. Often, in practice, I had the unenviable task of trying to guard him. In an attempt to level the playing field a little, I would sometimes pull on his gymn shorts. He would just swat me away for being the annoyance I was, and either score and laugh at me, or grab a rebound over my head and laugh again. This went on for a few days, until the day he became very serious during my attempt to guard him. I pulled on his shorts--nothing. Pulled a little harder--nothing still. Finally, during a break, he told me. The previous night, he had a nightmare. He was either shooting a jump shot or going up for a rebound, and when he came down, his shorts were on the ground. So, that day and every other day of his basketball career, he double knotted his drawstring. Of course, he also made me look even sillier trying to guard him. For a long time, when we would see each other, that story would come up in our conversation.
We all know how good he was on the court--All State, All Conference, college scholarship. Many of us came to know so much more about him as a person. He had a dry sense of humor that I got to know and enjoy, and if I were to see him today, this story would once again come alive. Another good guy gone too soon. RIP Mitch!!
Elizabeth J. Shipley
I sat next to him in Algebra at Lincoln Jr. High. He helped me a lot.
Jane A. Friedl (Jensen)
I remember watching Mitch play basketball. I remember he was very tall. Didn't really know him. Seemed like a nice guy.