MIKE BURKE

Allegany Communications Sports

This is the second year of no Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, which in itself still seems surreal.

Yet despite understanding the reality of it, for the last three weeks, some of us have found ourselves instinctively following the script from the previous half century – checking the social media feeds for the progress of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference teams, the Baltimore Catholic League teams and even the Philadelphia Catholic League teams, even though it had been 16 years since Philadelphia Catholic schools were permitted to take part in the ACIT.

Damn the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association …

For so many of us the ACIT has long been the true harbinger of spring. It’s the week of renewal and all things being possible. Baseball, after all, is just around the corner, the college conference basketball tournaments are underway, and March Madness will soon grip our interest and imagination into April.

Life is good. Yet, it was sublime when it was all anchored by the ACIT.

Two years ago, after 63 years and 61 Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournaments, the ACIT, long considered the most prestigious Catholic high school basketball tournament in the country, was “placed on indefinite hiatus by Cumberland-based Wamba Caravan No. 89 of the International Order of Alhambra,” according to an announcement by Wamba Caravan No. 89.

“After discussions over the past several months following the 2023 event, Wamba Caravan leadership made the decision because of tournament production costs, the rapidly changing landscape of high school basketball, an increasing amount of national postseason events, state athletic association regulations and school scheduling philosophies that made securing the traditional eight-team field for the ACIT difficult in recent years. While on hiatus, the Caravan will consider re-envisioning the ACIT in various formats, including as an in-season showcase event in the future.”
All of which remains understandable, because it was all so very inevitable, as the landscape of high school basketball, nationally and internationally, had become and remains so mercurial that it became impossible to keep pace for our devoted community group, because it is now such an enormous and cutthroat industry in its own sense.

Nonetheless, the ACIT, two years into its “indefinite hiatus,” remains an enormous part of the heart and spirit of our community, from the beginning at SS. Peter & Paul Gymnasium in 1960 and carrying through the many glory years at old Allegany High School and Frostburg State University when the most storied Catholic high school basketball programs in North America gladly paid their way to experience and contribute to such a meaningful charitable event.

Everyone has favorite memories of the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. What are yours?

Being excused from school early – all right, playing hooky – to walk downtown, hang out, and then get up the hill to the Allegany gym every third Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of March?

Appreciating how every third Thursday, Friday and Saturday of March were seemingly the most beautiful days of the year?

Gene Turano’s “ACIT SEZ: WELCOME!” banner overlooking downtown from high atop his Brunswick building?

Picking up a copy of the Cumberland Evening Times at a newsstand to read what was on Suter Kegg’s mind?

Having newsstands?

Walking up the steps into the Allegany High School gym and buying one of those to-die-for pretzels before taking a left or a right, depending on where you were going to sit?

Walking into the Allegany gym before it lost seating to fire codes, seeing it jammed packed and just knowing it was the biggest room you will ever be in in your life?

Hearing Tom O’Rourke’s perfect voice on the public-address system?

Sitting in the balcony of Allegany’s gym with all of your friends and feeling so grown up?

Sitting at the scoreboard end of the Allegany gym in those bleachers right behind the basket, having the time of your life trying to distract free-throw shooters and feeling so young and silly?

Sitting with wonder and delight while watching Sam Puckett and Hales Franciscan?

Getting Adrian Dantley’s autograph?

Getting Lefty Driesell’s autograph during his unsuccessful recruiting visit for Adrian Dantley?

Having Morgan Wootten sign your personal copy of his book “From Orphans to Champions?”

DeMatha’s cool high-top Chucks before being old enough to understand Carolina blue is part of the force of evil?

Langloh?

Donald “Duck” Williams and Keith Herron vs. Kenny Carr and Hawkeye Whitney in the 1974 final?

Getting another one of those pretzels?

Speedy Morris?

Roman Catholic’s 1975 and 1976 titles?

Stopping by the Fort Cumberland Hotel on the walk to and from the Allegany gym to get a look at all those star players staying there for the weekend? Not to mention all of the girls hanging around them?

Going across the street from the Fort Cumberland and knocking down about six Coney Islands with the works?

Whittenburg and Lowe?

Peter Giftopolous, John Kijonek and Rocco Romano?

The joy of Joe Gallagher’s wonderful Irish after his St. John’s Cadets, led by Mike Tate, defeat DeMatha, 61-60, for the 1985 ACIT championship?

Seeing the disappointment in Danny Ferry’s face as he punches his fist into the air as the final buzzer ends the ’85 title game, and thinking, “That’s a guy who absolutely hates to lose?”

Rodney Monroe vs. John Gwynn in the 1987 semifinals?

Jimmy Soto?

Watching Carroll Holmes, his Archbishop Carroll coaching staff and their wives and girlfriends do the Electric Slide at the Saturday night party after winning the 1989 title?

The Philadelphia hospitality room?

Stat wizard Tom McKenna?

Everybody from Philadelphia?

The Maple Leaf lapel pins?

Cokey Robertson?

Bob Schubert?

Bob Schubert’s stick dance?

Talking Orioles baseball with Jerry Savage?

Listening to Jim Yerkovich talk about anything basketball, but particularly the “We” approach he incorporated into his program early in his 44-year career, stressing, “basketball is a classroom for values?

The best high school basketball in the world?

Merely buying a ticket and helping the developmentally disabled?

The fellowship?

Making new friends?

The genuine love?

All of it, and more?

Yes, all of it and more, as lifelong friendships have been formed and sustained through the ACIT with those whose paths we would never cross in any other circumstance. As Sean Franklin so perfectly said, “They come as friends and leave as family.”

Like home, the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament gave us security, trust, consolation and love – all of the intangibles.

And, yes, every March, we dearly miss it. But it lives in our heart, always.

Mike Burke writes about sports and other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 1981 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @MikeBurkeMDT