Warriors Hold Annual Awards Banquet
Seniors Honored, Team Mentality Lauded

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. --- Four years ago, a pair of freshmen met each other in the dorms for the first time and said to themselves, “What are we getting ourselves into?”  As it turned out, they’d enjoy an exciting four-year run donning Warrior blue and gold.

Lycoming men’s basketball seniors Brad Musser (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) and Patrick Baylor (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara) pondered that very question before they ever took the court in Lamade Gymnasium.  Joined by fellow classmate Jonathan Pribble (Woolrich, Pa./Central Mountain), the trio provided their own answers by playing a major role in one of the most successful four-year periods in Lycoming men’s basketball history.

Thursday night’s annual awards banquet presented head coach Don Friday and master of ceremonies Ken Sawyer a chance to recall several highlights, honoring the seniors as true team players.  Beginning in the 2002-03 season, the Warriors made three trips to the Freedom Conference playoffs, winning the league tourney in 2003-04 to move on to the NCAA tournament.  The blue and gold made it through the first round on the national stage before bowing out at New Jersey City.

Mr. Sawyer also took the time to recap the 2005-06 season, underlining two contests in particular.  A long-time radio voice for Warriors’ basketball, Mr. Sawyer singled out the second half of a loss at Carnegie Mellon University as the turning point to the season.  After being outplayed in the opening frame, Lycoming stood toe-to-toe with the nationally ranked Tartans in the latter 20 minutes, lending the notion to Mr. Sawyer that “the team is starting to gel.”

No effort was more evident of the Warriors’ progress than their 77-69 triumph at Wilkes University.  Pribble put the team on his back with 28 second-half points, but the Warriors’ team defense and hard-nosed rebounding kept the Colonels’ offense at bay and spurred Lycoming’s climb from its halftime deficit.

Performances similar to the one seen on that unforgettable Wednesday evening helped Pribble to several season and postseason honors, but none proved more momentous than the team Most Valuable Player award Coach Friday presented to the Warriors’ second all-time leading scorer.  For the second time in his career, Pribble led the conference in scoring, earning him the Freedom Conference Player of the Year award and a pair of regional honors.

Musser set a pair of Lycoming records on his way to a Second Team All-Conference nod.  In mid-December, Musser exploded for 14 assists against Elmira College to set a new Warrior single-game mark.  Only two games later, he added a little royalty to his résumé by becoming Lycoming’s new all-time career assist king with nine helpers against Thiel College.  He finished the campaign with a lofty 432 assists in his blue and gold tenure.

Described as “the heart and soul” of the Warriors, Baylor was honored with the most historically significant award for Lycoming basketball.  The Dutch Burch Award, named in honor of legendary head coach Dutch Burch, recognizes a player for outstanding spirit, dedication, and defensive intensity.  Baylor, who routinely could be seen picking himself off the hardwood after a charge attempt or dive for a loose ball, accepted the honor from Coach Burch and his son, Seth Burch.

Several other accolades were presented throughout the two-hour affair including the Lycoming Basketball Appreciation Award.  A new addition to the Warriors’ postseason presentation, Coach Friday bestowed this special honor to Mr. Jack Rupert.  Mr. Rupert is a member of the Warriors’ extended basketball family as a fan, friend, and supporter of the program.

Two special awards were presented to a pair of Lycoming’s sophomores.  The Coaches Award honors the underclassmen that have made outstanding improvement in their games during the past season.  Post Matt McGair (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Moorestown) and guard Dave Wilson (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) earned the recognition this season.  McGair was instrumental in the Warriors’ surge towards the end of the season, averaging nearly four points and five rebounds as a solid low-post presence over the final five regular season games.  Wilson moved into a starting role this season, scoring in double figures on six occasions on the way to averaging six points per contest.

The final five awards of the evening went to the Warriors that excelled both on and off the court.  Academic Excellence Awards were presented to Musser (Biology major), Pribble (Marketing major), McGair (Business major), Wilson (General Studies major) and sophomore Kevin Morris (Camp Hill, Pa./Trinity; Political Science major).

One of the more touching moments of the evening marked the unveiling of the David Riley Memorial Plaque.  Dedicated to the memory of David Jr. ’06 and his parents, Carol and David Sr., the plaque will be hung in the Warriors’ locker room as a tribute to their friendship and contributions to the team.  David Jr. served as the team manager for the past four seasons before the death of he and his parents in early March.