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Scholastic Roundup: Alan Eganthal: A coach as well as an innovator

January 14, 2022 Andy Furman
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Alan (Oogie) Eganthal, a Lafayette high graduate (1965), coached baseball at Richmond Hill High for 16 years – and softball for eight – 1973-1998.

Add to that a stint as golf coach at Cardozo High where his teams were 80-0 in league play in eight seasons, plus two PSAL City Championships.

He coached jayvee basketball at FDR High School (‘69- ‘72), and he notes that Vinnie Johnson – The Microwave – who later played for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, was on his squad.

But it was his radio experience at Brooklyn College (WBCR) that helped start the first high school radio station – WHIL – in New York City – at Richmond Hill High School.

“We started that program with a grant to create a studio and curriculum for students,” said Eganthal, who played basketball for the Bulldogs at Brooklyn College, with Lafayette grads Mel Goldstein and Steve Maletz (’67-’69).

That station remained on the air for 11 years, he told Scholastic Roundup. “Many students were anxious to commit to this program as it was an English class elective, and a student-run radio station.”

Eganthal remembers the help he received from local New York radio deejays including Jim Kerr (then with WPLJ), Jack the Whack (Z100) and Ross Zapin, who is now a VP with Sirius/XM Radio.

“Our grand opening initial broadcast was featured on local TV and PM Magazine,” he said. “Later,” he continued, “we hosted The Cyndi Lauper Honorary Degree and graduation ceremony at Queens College. It was covered by every local TV station and Entertainment Tonight.”

One other coverage was Phil Rizzuto Hall of Fame Day, where the school gym was named for the former New York Yankee ballplayer and announcer, who was a grad of Richmond Hill High School.

Eganthal notes: “This is just a reminder of an enjoyable number of seasons with some great student athletes.”

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The St. Francis College women’s basketball squad improved to 6-6 – and evened their Northeast Conference mark at 2-2 – with a 62-59 win over Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland, earlier this week.

Ally Lassen led the Terriers with 19 points and six rebounds; freshman Jaila Lee had 16 points and seven rebounds while junior Alyssa Fisher had 13 points and four boards.

The Terriers return to their Remsen Street home to face Wagner, Saturday, January 15th.

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Peter Ebert, a sophomore on Brooklyn College’s swimming team has been their ace in the distance (1,000 -yard and 500 -yard) freestyle this season. In BC’s 143-49 win at Purchase, Ebert took first place in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 11:29.42, and first in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:22.98.

Ebert had similar results in BC’s 157-37 win over York College, with first place finishes in the 1,000 and 500. He also added a win in the 200-yard IM. BC’s 108-93 win over William Patterson was the first over the Pioneers’ program in history.

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Jair Bolden was born in Silver Spring, Md., was raised in Brooklyn – and is a member of the basketball team at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind.

His dad, Joel, played basketball at George Mason, and uncle Jamel Thomas, played basketball at Providence.

He is one of two Butler Bulldogs to appear in all 25 of the team’s games a year ago. He started 24 games and had 13 games in double figures – including a pair of 20-point outbursts. He scored a season-high 21 at DePaul, and added 20 against Indiana. His season average was 10.5 points-per-game.

This season’s high came against Eastern Illinois – 10 – on December 11th.

Bolden’s career has taken him to three schools – George Washington (2016-17), where he saw action in 35 games with 16 starts. As a sophomore at GW, he averaged 11.2 points-per-game, second-best on the team.

He sat-out the 2018-19 season after transferring to South Carolina from George Washington.

As a redshirt junior, the 6-3 guard averaged 8.5 points in 21.4 minutes in his only season for the Gamecocks. He had a team-high 22-point performance in a road win at Virginia.

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This will be his final season of eligibility at Butler. The NCAA announced men’s basketball student-athletes will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it due to the 2020-21 season being seriously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The New Year started on a sour note with the passing of Brooklyn football legend Percy Thorne, Jr. on January 4.

He was a 5-9, 170-pound power running back and was the second-highest scorer in PSAL history while being named All-City at Thomas Jefferson High School.

He ran track for the school, and his 100 time was an even :10.

Later he was part of the Jefferson High football staff, under the leadership of perhaps the best football coach New York City has ever known – Moe Finkelstein. Thorne later went on to become head coach at Boys High School.

He was a halfback on the freshman team at the University of Illinois.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR

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