By PAUL GOTHAM
Ed Orman Jr. will have two televisions working Saturday night. One set will be tuned to NCAA Tournament. The other will catch a livestream from Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton as Section V’s Honeoye Bulldogs will take the court in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class C championship.
Orman, who just finished his 17th year as head coach of York boys’ basketball, will be pulling for the Bulldogs as they face Section II champion Berne-Knox-Westerlo.
“I’ll probably have one TV with that streaming and one with March Madness on,” Orman said Saturday morning via phone. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a proponent of leagues and section pride. To know that a Section V Class C school is still playing this time of year and representing is tremendous.”
Orman and Honeoye head coach Robb Delisanti were rivals during their playing careers and now coach their alma maters.
When Delisanti took the Honeoye job seven years ago, Orman was the first person he called for advice on how to build the Honeoye program.
And the conversations have continued since then.
“Robb and I talk a lot during the season and obviously at the end here. Every game we started playing, he’d text me and say ‘Good luck.’ I’d text him and say ‘Good luck.’ “
The friends shared similar concerns as the postseason continued.
“Every time, both of us were like ‘I don’t know if we can beat this team.’ We’ve done this for like a month now with each other.”
Keeping each other on edge has worked for Honeoye (25-1) which has reached the state championship game for the first time in history.
“As a coach, you always watch everybody else on film and you’re like God, they look so good, and when you watch your own team, you don’t see them that way. You only see the things you could do better.”
Honeoye ended York’s season in the regional qualifier. Landon Washburn scored 12 as the Bulldogs closed the game with 14 unanswered points for a 52-42 win.
On Friday, Honeoye toppled reigning state champion, Moravia.
“We both Moravia and as so good. I think I was the only person as excited as he was after the win other than the kids, their parents and the people in Honeoye.
“We both have an immense amount of respect for (Moravia head coach) Todd Mulvaney and Moravia and the program they’ve put together. That was a heckuva win for them and really to be in control most of the game.”
Orman’s advice for Delisanti as he approached the final weekend of the season?
“I’ve been coaching a lot longer than Robb and I keep telling him to remind his kids you don’t have to be super-human today. I feel like a lot players when they get to big games think ‘Oh, we got to do something special.’ That’s not the case. You just got to be the best version of you. Obviously, it helps when you have Landon Washburn in your back pocket.”
As for Orman’s attention with the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m a Carolina fan, so my March Madness as far as rooting interest is over,” Orman said referring to the Tar Heels loss to Ole Miss on Friday.
A 7:45 p.m. tip-off is scheduled Saturday night in Binghamton.
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