When Bob Braunitzer walked into the Skaneateles gymnasium in early December, his mind was on the game he had to coach that night, his Lakers girls#, squad against Bishop Ludden.

When Braunitzer looked a little closer, he saw many familiar faces. Still it took him another minute to see the “Congrats Coach B” and “300+” posters - the ones that congratulated him on his 300 (and counting) wins in 29 years as a Skaneateles basketball coach.

Braunitzer won his 300th game in the season-opener against Marcellus.

“I wasn't thinking that they were doing anything, I thought they were just asking me some questions,” said Braunitzer, who downplays the milestone. “The next thing you know I walk on the court for the game and all this stuff was all over the place.”

His family was in attendance, along with Scott Palmer from his first team, parents, former assistant coach Dana Morse and athletic director Rick Pound. Braunitzer was also honored with a plaque and cake, plus a speech from Pound.

Michelle Michel, a former softball player for Braunitzer and now his assistant girls basketball coach, helped organize the night with the players.

“He's the most intense and passionate coach I've ever known,” said Michel, who won a softball sectional title under Braunitzer. “It's almost like he's still 25 years old. It's almost like he's got a uniform and he's out there with the girls.”

Michel's niece, Alexis Jones, plays for the Lakers now.

“I said you guys got it easy, he was a lot tougher way back when,” she joked.

Jones' teammate Caryn Crary also helped set things up.

“He didn't really tell us about it, so he had no idea that anything like this was happening,” said Crary, who attended Braunitzer's basketball camps as early as elementary school.

Braunitzer remembers his first win, which came in his first game as the varsity coach. As the boys coach, the team traveled to Mynderse Academy for a tournament. In the preseason, he decided to hold special morning practices for foul shooting.

“All the guys came in early and worked on it, and that's where the game was decided - at the foul line,” Braunitzer said, reminiscing Jimmy Lobello's shots down the stretch.

“I can't remember what the score was but it was a close game.”

Braunitzer coached the boys from the 1979 season until the late-90s.

In that time, the Lakers captured several league titles, a Section III title and made two other trips to the Section III, Class C finals in 1983, 1984 and 1985 (Skaneateles has since moved up to Class B).

When the varsity girls job opened up in 1998, Braunitzer decided it was time for a change.

“Not for any specific reason, but I thought ‘let's do something different',” he said.

Braunitzer has had his ups and downs with the girls program, but the Lakers have risen to the top this year. Even though he loses a strong group of seniors this season, Braunitzer disputes retirement rumors.

Expect him to be on the hardwood next season, and coaching from the dugout in the spring (two books are missing, but Braunitzer thinks he's around the 300 mark for softball too).

“I enjoy doing both, and I still fell like I have the enthusiasm to do both,” he said. “As long as I have that enthusiasm I'm going to keep coaching.”