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Donmoyer marks end of 27-year tenure at Youth Basketball Association

By KEVIN JOHNSON (Contact)

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Back when Jim Donmoyer first became a coach in the Fort Myers Lee County Youth Basketball Association, if teams wanted to hear pre-game warm-up music then someone needed to spin a 45 or even a fat 78 on a record player.

Twenty-seven years later, Donmoyer has remained a vital part of the league as a coach and president, but now it’s a sleek CD player and thin shiny silver discs that get players pumped during warm-ups.

Photo by KEVIN JOHNSON / Banner

Team FGCU's Kent Coyne, right, attempts to grab the ball from Team Nevada's Josh Brittenham while FGCU's Shell McKenna (3) looks on.

With assistance from Bo Shipley, Donmoyer handled music duties as well as announcing, handing out prizes and, in general, just making sure YBA players had a good time during the league’s annual championship day last Saturday at Fort Myers Middle School.

The day marked the end of Donmoyer’s lengthy tenure in YBA. He became a grandfather last year and plans to spend more time in what he described as “the next phase of my life.”

Donmoyer has been a key part of the program since day one when it was founded by Ed Guttery in 1979. As has Dave Bennett.

While watching and working the championship games, the trio reminisced about the old days.

The YBA attracted 170 boys and girls this season. Saturday, the co-ed league that names its teams after colleges crowned Providence (junior division) and FGCU (senior division) its 2007 champions.

Of course, championship day entails more than just determining the league’s best teams.

And there’s more to it than free shirts and other goodies that dotted an energetic fun-filled day.

As many current players will discover when they’re high school seniors in about 2011 or 2012, the YBA doesn’t forget its past. In fact, the league embraces its history.

During a ceremony, three former YBA players who coach Lee County varsity high school teams were recognized. Scott Guttery (Ida Baker), Trevor Montgomery (North Fort Myers) and Terence Thomas (Estero) serve as proof that the foundation laid by YBA can extend even when playing careers end.

“Mr. Donmoyer and Mr. Shipley have done a great job with this. Hats off to them,” said Thomas. “If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Sixteen hours after his Wildcats were eliminated by Lemon Bay in a district semi-final, Thomas returned to the gym where he learned skills that led to standout careers as a player at Fort Myers High and Florida Southern College.

Photo by KEVIN JOHNSON / Banner

Team Nevada's Josh Brittenham, left, and Team FGCU's Stanley Cenatus vie for the opening tip in the senior division championship of the Fort Myers Lee County Youth Basketball Association on Feb. 10 at Fort Myers Middle School. Team FGCU, which is comprised of middle school students from the Estero and South Fort Myers areas, won the title, 59-52.

“It’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve had. It was one of the best times I’ve had in basketball as far as learning the game,” said Thomas, who has quickly turned a once struggling Estero program into a contender, one that finished 15-11 record this season.

Donmoyer was one of Thomas’s coaches in YBA.

“I’m proud of Terence because he had never played much basketball before he came out. He ended up getting a four-year scholarship,” said Donmoyer.

For YBA grads, the scholarships keep coming. Taylor Mosley, a senior guard on the Bishop Verot girls team, is headed to Hendrix College in Arkansas.

Mosley, who watched her younger brothers play in Saturday’s championship games, said her days in the YBA made her a better player, if not by choice, then certainly by circumstance. Playing on teams filled with boys, Mosley said she had to earn respect.

“For a girl, it helps because you play with boys. It puts you in a whole different league. You have to play faster and be more aggressive. It helped me a lot,” she said.

Mosley’s fondest memory in YBA? That’s an easy one. She only had to gaze down the line of high school seniors being honored - a row filled with academic, athletic and community honors - to conjure up memories of competing against Chris Scanlan, now a senior on the Bishop Verot boys team.

“In this gym, championship game, me and Chris battled it out on defense,” said Mosley. “It was fun because we ended up winning and he ended up losing.”

Other seniors honored included Bishop Verot’s Kurt Kosek, Tom Kiddy and Brent Wood, Mariner’s Jeremy Isaacs, Fort Myers’ Chas Shafer, Estero’s Eliezar Patterson and South Fort Myers’ Kenny Daniels. Patterson and Daniels were unable to attend the ceremony.

Providence won the junior division (5th and 6th grade) with a 46-45 overtime win against Florida. Rodney Castor had the hot hand, leading Providence with a game-high 29 points. David Flynn chipped in with seven, followed by Justin Carr (six) and Ben Flinton (two).

Other members on the winning team - which was coached by Gary Donabed and Rod Flynn - included Kenzi Gustason, Taylor McFarlane, Gary Donabed, Daniel Oak and Cam Wallace.

Hayden Mosley drained 13 points to lead Florida followed by Billy Graddy with eight and Logan Schell with six. Florida was coached by Chip Graddy and Robert Mosley.

FGCU captured the senior division (7th and 8th grade) by rallying past Nevada, 59-52. Comprised of youngsters from south Lee County, FGCU trailed 21-5 after one quarter. Kent Coyne and Ryan Withstandley provided a much-needed spark off the bench in the second quarter for FGCU, which took a 35-28 lead at halftime.

The remainder of the game was close.

Coyne led the way with seven points in the final quarter.

Coyne and Nevada’s James Whitfield each finished with a game high 25 points.

Withstandley contributed eight points while Clayton Edwards, Kevin Kincaid and Stanley Cenatus each had five points for FGCU, which was coached by Mark Kincaid. Falice Rismay scored six points and made a few key steals late in the game. Other FGCU players included Shell McKenna, Maya Rismay, James Renner, Trey Brown, Eden Swedish and Sadie Campbell.

Nevada, coached by Maurice Dickey and Jovan Nelson, received nine points from Brandon Lentz, six points from Eain Mosley and five points from Desmond Reid.