When you think of local boys basketball rivalries, Cato-Meridian versus Jordan-Elbridge probably wouldn't top the list.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Ryan Brunelle trying to re-ignite a rivalry between the two programs. Brunelle is the all-time leading scorer at Jordan-Elbridge and remains good friends with Wilmot.
Ryan Brunelle trying to re-ignite a rivalry between the two programs. Brunelle is the all-time leading scorer at Jordan-Elbridge and remains good friends with Wilmot.
But maybe it should.
For the time being, the teams are in different classes and in the regular season, they've played just once in the last four years. The teams are more than familiar with one another and when they meet this Friday, it will be more than the average inter-league contest.
Jordan-Elbridge and Cato-Meridian have scrimmaged several times a season in each off the last few years. On top of that, their varsity coaches are pretty good friends and - oh, yeah - one of them used to play for the other side.
Friday's matchup will mark the second time that Blue Devils' head coach Ryan Brunelle returns to the school he graduated from in 1999. Not quite the average Jordan-Elbridge grad, Brunelle holds the school's all-time scoring record in basketball with 1,430 points. His senior season, Brunelle broke the then 45-year-old record set by Bobby North during the 1953-54 season.
The first time the teams met, it was the first year coaching at the varsity boys level for both Brunelle and Eagles coach Tom Wilmot. The game was in Jordan during the 2004-05 season, and neither coach remembers the score, just that the Eagles won.
“It was my first year and we had the budget cuts at the school,” Brunelle said. “We scrapped together sophomores and a couple of juniors and Jordan-Elbridge was league champs that year. They beat us, but it was a close game.”
Brunelle, not yet 10 years removed from being an Eagle, admits that it's a little weird coaching against the team he was so successful with.
“It's tough,” he said. “I played three sports in high school and I liked playing there. It's tough to go back, but I'm with Cato-Meridian now.”
Though the fourth-year head coach admittedly wanted to “get away and do his own thing” after high school, after he graduated from Keuka College, he returned to the area and still lives in the Jordan-Elbridge school district. Coaching the Blue Devils gave him the opportunity to turn around a struggling basketball program, which he's done with nearly 30 wins under his belt thus far.
The connection between the two coaches is simple. Brunelle was a ball boy for Wilmot's summer baseball team nearly 15 years ago. The Eagles coach also used to play sports with two of Brunelle's older brothers and in the summer, Wilmot runs a basketball camp that Brunelle helps with.
“I love it,” Brunelle said of helping Wilmot with the camp. “I believe in giving back to those that helped you and I'll do anything for kids.”
If those aren't enough to join the two, they attended each other's weddings, they play basketball and softball together in their spare time, they have small children around the same age and their wives are good friends, naturally.
Now the two are trying to re-ignite a rivalry that has been quiet the last several years. With two games in the next three weeks, the spark could catch again. The Eagles and Blue Devils will meet in the Cato-Meridian gym on Jan. 2 as well.
“When (Brunelle) was here, there was a big football rivalry,” Wilmot said. “But not too much anymore, even though we still play them. We're not the same size school, but we could be in the future. We make sure we get in a bunch of scrimmages against them though, about six a year.”
“I'm trying to ignite the rivalry a little bit,” Brunelle added. “We get great support around us and it'll be great. We've got the sixth man here and I know this is going to be a big game.”
The game figures to be a good one, too. Though the Eagles are an independent team this year, they've got the talent to play with the young Blue Devils. All that considered, Wilmot and Brunelle, who also share scouting reports over the phone on a weekly basis, don't plan to stop talking just because they happen to be playing each other.
“We probably will,” Wilmot says of the possibility of talking to Brunelle before the game. “We're always sharing information on other teams, we did it with Tully earlier this season.”
Just don't expect Brunelle to want to beat his old team any less.
“I love to motivate my team,” he said. “So I might throw on an old J-E shirt during practice this week, you never know. I told them that I wanted them to win this one for me because I will not walk out of that gym with a loss.”
If you go
What: Cato-Meridian vs. Jordan-Elbridge boys basketball
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Jordan-Elbridge High School
For the time being, the teams are in different classes and in the regular season, they've played just once in the last four years. The teams are more than familiar with one another and when they meet this Friday, it will be more than the average inter-league contest.
Jordan-Elbridge and Cato-Meridian have scrimmaged several times a season in each off the last few years. On top of that, their varsity coaches are pretty good friends and - oh, yeah - one of them used to play for the other side.
Friday's matchup will mark the second time that Blue Devils' head coach Ryan Brunelle returns to the school he graduated from in 1999. Not quite the average Jordan-Elbridge grad, Brunelle holds the school's all-time scoring record in basketball with 1,430 points. His senior season, Brunelle broke the then 45-year-old record set by Bobby North during the 1953-54 season.
The first time the teams met, it was the first year coaching at the varsity boys level for both Brunelle and Eagles coach Tom Wilmot. The game was in Jordan during the 2004-05 season, and neither coach remembers the score, just that the Eagles won.
“It was my first year and we had the budget cuts at the school,” Brunelle said. “We scrapped together sophomores and a couple of juniors and Jordan-Elbridge was league champs that year. They beat us, but it was a close game.”
Brunelle, not yet 10 years removed from being an Eagle, admits that it's a little weird coaching against the team he was so successful with.
“It's tough,” he said. “I played three sports in high school and I liked playing there. It's tough to go back, but I'm with Cato-Meridian now.”
Though the fourth-year head coach admittedly wanted to “get away and do his own thing” after high school, after he graduated from Keuka College, he returned to the area and still lives in the Jordan-Elbridge school district. Coaching the Blue Devils gave him the opportunity to turn around a struggling basketball program, which he's done with nearly 30 wins under his belt thus far.
The connection between the two coaches is simple. Brunelle was a ball boy for Wilmot's summer baseball team nearly 15 years ago. The Eagles coach also used to play sports with two of Brunelle's older brothers and in the summer, Wilmot runs a basketball camp that Brunelle helps with.
“I love it,” Brunelle said of helping Wilmot with the camp. “I believe in giving back to those that helped you and I'll do anything for kids.”
If those aren't enough to join the two, they attended each other's weddings, they play basketball and softball together in their spare time, they have small children around the same age and their wives are good friends, naturally.
Now the two are trying to re-ignite a rivalry that has been quiet the last several years. With two games in the next three weeks, the spark could catch again. The Eagles and Blue Devils will meet in the Cato-Meridian gym on Jan. 2 as well.
“When (Brunelle) was here, there was a big football rivalry,” Wilmot said. “But not too much anymore, even though we still play them. We're not the same size school, but we could be in the future. We make sure we get in a bunch of scrimmages against them though, about six a year.”
“I'm trying to ignite the rivalry a little bit,” Brunelle added. “We get great support around us and it'll be great. We've got the sixth man here and I know this is going to be a big game.”
The game figures to be a good one, too. Though the Eagles are an independent team this year, they've got the talent to play with the young Blue Devils. All that considered, Wilmot and Brunelle, who also share scouting reports over the phone on a weekly basis, don't plan to stop talking just because they happen to be playing each other.
“We probably will,” Wilmot says of the possibility of talking to Brunelle before the game. “We're always sharing information on other teams, we did it with Tully earlier this season.”
Just don't expect Brunelle to want to beat his old team any less.
“I love to motivate my team,” he said. “So I might throw on an old J-E shirt during practice this week, you never know. I told them that I wanted them to win this one for me because I will not walk out of that gym with a loss.”
If you go
What: Cato-Meridian vs. Jordan-Elbridge boys basketball
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Jordan-Elbridge High School
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.