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GLENDORA >> It was the cleanable mounting for 1 of the biggest achievements successful California coaching history.
Damien boys hoops manager Mike LeDuc returned to the sidelines of Glendora High School connected Wednesday, and it was overmuch much than a travel down representation lane for the Tartans’ erstwhile coach.
Damien’s 82-47 triumph implicit Glendora gave LeDuc his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd boys hoops manager successful California past to scope that milestone. Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight is the different manager with much than 1,000 wins.
Several of LeDuc’s erstwhile players, friends and coaching peers were successful attendance for the historical night, and for it to hap astatine a spot that is truthful peculiar to his bosom made it adjacent much meaningful.
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien with erstwhile players Tracy Murray, left, and Casey Jacobsen aft helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien acknowledges the assemblage aft his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc, left, of Damien receives the crippled shot from caput manager Gordon Hamlow of Glendora aft helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien with erstwhile subordinate Tracy Murray aft his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien with erstwhile players Tracy Murray, left, and Casey Jacobsen won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien with erstwhile players Tracy Murray, left, and Casey Jacobsen and others aft helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien with erstwhile players Tracy Murray, left, and Casey Jacobsen aft helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien with Jimmy Oladokun #23 of Damien arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien during a clip retired arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Michael LeDuc of Damien looks connected arsenic helium won his 1,000th vocation coaching victory, making him the 2nd manager successful California past to scope that milestone on with Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight arsenic Damien defeated Glendora 82-47 during a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Spivey Word #2 of Damien drives to the handbasket against Glendora successful the 2nd fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Spivey Word #2 of Damien shoots a 3 pointer against Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Ayden Green #5 of Glendora drives to the handbasket against Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Rj Smith #5 of Damien is fouled by Braydon Wooldridge #1 of Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head manager Gordon Hamlow of Glendora looks connected against Damien successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Luke Jacobson #13 of Glendora shoots against Kaleb Smith #30 of Damien successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Kaleb Smith #30 of Damien fights for the shot against Luke Jacobson #13 of Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Rj Smith #5 of Damien drives to the handbasket against Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Kaleb Smith #30 of Damien fights for the escaped shot against Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Xavier Clinton #12 of Damien fights for the escaped shot against Glendora successful the archetypal fractional of a prep hoops crippled astatine Glendora High School successful Glendora connected Wednesday, December 22, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Damien manager Mike LeDuc talks astir what it meant to triumph his 1,000th vocation game, and to bash it astatine Glendora with truthful galore erstwhile players and friends with him. pic.twitter.com/N7TN6HZFRc
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) December 23, 2021
Damien manager Mike LeDuc moments aft his 1,000th win. pic.twitter.com/El2DU0VhF4
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) December 23, 2021
LeDuc’s coaching greatness took signifier astatine Glendora, wherever helium built the Tartans into a powerhouse and made wearing sweatpants his ain iconic look.
LeDuc coached astatine Glendora from 1987-1992, took a play off, past returned from 1994-2014. During LeDuc’s tenure, the Tartans won 4 CIF Southern Section titles, made 7 trips to the conception finals, won 15 league championships and won 692 games.
Damien manager Mike LeDuc with his team, erstwhile players, coaches and household aft winning his 1,000th crippled astatine Glendora high, becoming lone the 2nd successful California past to bash it. pic.twitter.com/HTRF5FcRd3
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) December 23, 2021
LeDuc, who grew up successful Riverside and attended Ramona High School, is successful his 42nd play arsenic a varsity coach. He started astatine Damien, wherever helium coached from 1979-86, past returned to Damien for the 2015-16 play aft leaving Glendora.
LeDuc was presented the crippled shot and respective awards aft the last buzzer sounded and arsenic the Glendora location announcer rattled disconnected his agelong database of accomplishments.
You could archer LeDuc, who doesn’t amusement emotion precise often, commencement to get emotional.
“It’s precise humbling, and I’m honored and precise pleased and proud,” LeDuc said. “And evidently to person erstwhile players and existent players around, that’s what makes it 1 of those memorable things I won’t forget.”
Then successful existent LeDuc fashion, helium was acceptable to determination on.
“It’s been a batch of years and I’m blessed that this happening is implicit with,” LeDuc said. “I get bushed of radical asking however galore wins you got, truthful present we tin marque it halt and get backmost nary normal. But it was a large nighttime and precise humbling. It’s each good.”
TRACY MURRAY, CASEY JACOBSEN AMONG FORMER PLAYERS TO PAY TRIBUTE
While LeDuc volition apt decorativeness his vocation astatine Damien, wherever helium has plentifulness of much past to write, it was astatine Glendora wherever his fable began to grow, and wherever helium coached immoderate of the Southland’s all-time greats similar Tracy Murray and Casey Jacobsen.
Murray, who was astatine Wednesday’s game, inactive holds the CIF-SS grounds for points successful a play with 1,505, which helium acceptable during the 1988-89 season. It was besides a play successful which Murray, who played astatine UCLA and successful the NBA, averaged 44 points a game. Murray remains 1 of the section’s vocation scoring leaders with 3,053 points.
Glendora’s all-time large Tracy Murray helped footwear commencement manager Mike LeDuc’s legendary vocation erstwhile Murray averaged 44 points a crippled his elder twelvemonth successful the precocious 80s. Murray talked astir what LeDuc, present astatine Damien, means to his erstwhile players and himself. pic.twitter.com/p06I8TVqx4
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) December 23, 2021
Murray said helium hadn’t been to Glendora successful a while, but helium wasn’t going to miss LeDuc’s large night.
“We’re each a portion of it, helium coached us, helium was our leader, helium was our coach,” Murray said of LeDuc. “Not lone americium I here, but Casey’s here, Adam (Jacobsen) is here, and if my member (Cameron Murray) wasn’t retired of town, helium would beryllium here.
“It’s important due to the fact that this is his bequest and we’re each a portion of it. And we’re supporting him connected his peculiar day. Support is everything. Coach was determination for america and we’re present for him. Josh Giles was here, James Powell was present and Damien greats were here. We each enactment our coach.”
Perhaps nary pairing was much memorable than Murray and LeDuc erstwhile it comes to Glendora basketball.
“People don’t remember, but helium was winning astatine Damien earlier helium came to Glendora,” Murray said. “But helium came to Glendora and was the cleanable manager for america and the cleanable manager for maine and I’m gladsome that I was 1 of his players to assistance motorboat this happening into the ambiance and play a portion successful his legacy.”
Glendora fable Casey Jacobsen returned to observe with manager Mike LeDuc, whom helium won a CIF rubric with. Jacobsen said determination was nary mode helium was going to miss his large night. Jacobsen is the CIF-SS’s 2nd all-time vocation scorer. pic.twitter.com/HCrQJcalOl
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) December 23, 2021
Jacobsen besides had a superb vocation astatine Glendora and won a title with LeDuc. Jacobsen, who played astatine Stanford and successful the NBA and is simply a hoops analyst, played astatine Glendora from 1996-99. He is the CIF-SS 2nd all-time starring scorer with 3,284 points.
“This is simply a large deal,” Jacobsen said. “I don’t deliberation manager Mike LeDuc oregon Gary McKnight started retired successful coaching to acceptable records similar this. They got into coaching due to the fact that they emotion to thatch the crippled and thatch young radical and person an interaction connected their lives.
“But this is an unthinkable milestone for sure. It’s a solemnisation of manager LeDuc’s passionateness and life’s work.”
Jacobsen went connected astir however LeDuc teaches the game, however his read-and-react discourtesy was tailor-made for scorers similar him, and the unsocial offseason enactment that was required to assistance hole him for assemblage shot astatine Stanford.
And helium benignant of laughed that determination was unit connected LeDuc to triumph connected Wednesday and get the milestone with truthful galore successful attendance expecting it and waiting to congratulate him.
“Are you kidding, manager LeDuc has thrived nether unit his full career,” Jacobsen said. “But let’s beryllium honest, 1,000? To people 1,000 points is simply a lot, but to triumph 1,000 games? It’s hard to wrapper my encephalon astir that.
“When I’m gone, and erstwhile manager LeDuc is gone, they volition inactive beryllium talking astir Mike LeDuc and what he’s done. It’s a bequest milestone and it’s going to beryllium truly hard for anyone to articulation Mike oregon Gary successful that club.
“Their names and their bequest are going to unrecorded connected everlastingly and I’m conscionable truthful arrogant that being idiosyncratic from Glendora, who went to the nationalist precocious schoolhouse successful Glendora, got to play for 1 of the top precocious schoolhouse coaches ever. How fortunate was that?”
While LeDuc plays down his accomplishment outwardly, Murray knows heavy down helium feels it.
“He does, manager is competitive,” Murray said. “In the infinitesimal this is simply a distraction, due to the fact that he’s trying to triumph games. But erstwhile everything is said and done he’s going to look backmost and recognize he’s near rather a legacy. It whitethorn not deed him now, but it will, and helium has a batch to beryllium arrogant of. He’s near a tremendous interaction connected each of us.”
LeDuc agreed with his erstwhile players.
“I’ve had large players and that’s the implicit information to each of this,” LeDuc said. “The lone mode to bash it (win 1,000 games) is to manager a agelong clip and person large players and adjunct coaches. I conscionable anticipation that the radical that person each been a portion of this consciousness similar they’ve been portion of this.
“This isn’t for me. I’m not idiosyncratic who looks guardant to things similar this. But I bash recognize however peculiar it is, however meaningful it is and I’m genuinely grateful for it each and to beryllium capable to manager this agelong and beryllium portion of thing that allows you a nighttime similar this.”
While LeDuc’s 1,000th triumph was impressive, the mode his teams are winning continues to beryllium awesome too.
Damien reached the CIF-SS Open Division and CIF State Open Division playoffs past twelvemonth and astir played for the title successful both. This play Damien is already disconnected to a 14-0 commencement and ranked No. 1 wide successful the Southern Section by MaxPreps.
Spivey Word led Damien successful Wednesday’s triumph with 32 points with RJ Smith scored 15 and Kaleb Smith added 14.
Glendora, which dropped to 8-5, was led by Noah Smith’s 19 points and Luke Jacobson’s 9.
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