Last review of 2025 - "The Last One Out of Town Turn Out the Lights"

Happy New Year!  2025 was a good reading year for me - over 110 total books read with this one being the 90th one reviewed on this site.  While it was good, I am shooting for 120 total books with 100 being reviewed here.  I won't call it a "resolution" - that means it will be broken.  Instead, enjoy the end of 2025 with this review of a very good high school basketball book.

Title/Author:

“The Last One Out of Town Turn Out the Lights” by David Albee

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

When a basketball fan thinks of areas where high school basketball is big, Maine won’t be the first thing on their mind.  Indiana will certainly come to mind, and maybe Kentucky and Maryland, but certainly not Maine. However, in 1975, a school in rural Maine captivated the town and the state with their improbable run to the state championship.  The story of the Foxwood Academy basketball championship team of that year is told in this book by David Albee, a graduate of the school.

This came at a time when there were school closures and consolidations were common in rural Maine. A good section of the book begins with this backdrop.  Foxwood Academy, located in Dover-Foxwood was consolidated with Monson which led to much grief, especially in the latter town. Monson was very good in basketball at the time of the consolidation, which added another layer of issues many had with the merger.  While reading this part of the book, I was wondering what this had to do with the story, but as it turned out, Albee was right to include this history in the book as it was important to the story of Foxwood’s success on the court later in the decade.

The biggest factor (literally) in the rise of Foxwood basketball was a 6’ 8” player named Kevin Nelson.  He came over from the Monson school district while younger and grew into one of the better players in the state.  His story is told well by Albee as is that of the Foxwood coach Skip Hanson.  In fact, many of the players, parents and others who were important to the success of the Ponies are portrayed well in the book.

The basketball action, not only for the championship season where the Ponies went undefeated, but for the seasons in which Monson was a powerhouse for smaller schools as well as the rise of Foxwood Academy is described quite well.  A reader will not only feel the action on the court, but the excitement in the stands and in the band as well.  They are just as important to the story as the players.

Overall, this was a very good account of a rural school and community coming together after a rough transition period.  The story of the Foxwood Academy basketball team is one that high school basketball fans will want to read.

I wish to thank Globe Pequot Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: The Last One Out of Town Turn Out the Lights: The Epic 1975 Foxcroft Academy Basketball Season eBook : Albee, David: Kindle Store

Review of “Sitting Bull Run”

As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend comes to an end, I hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed the food, family, friendship and football. This also marks the end of November, a fairly slow sports reading month for me, but I did find time for this great novel.

Title/Author:

“Sitting Bull Run” by Pat J. Daly

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: It isn’t often a reader can find a book about a high school cross country team, whether fiction or nonfiction. However, author Pat J. Daly has penned an excellent novel about a team on Long Island, New York in the mid-1970’s. It’s a great mix of sport (with great explanations of the scoring, the grueling runs that the athletes endure and even some coaching strategies), coming of age for the young runners, some mystery and even a glimpse at some issues of that time such as the winding down of the Vietnam War.

What makes this novel such an enjoyable read is Daly’s character development, especially of three main characters. A reader will certainly understand the pain that the captain of the team, Dennis Hurley, has been facing. This is true for the physical pain he’s facing during several meets and the manual anguish he has over maintaining silence about a terrible incident over the summer when he and two teammates, the “core” of the team, witnessed a death on parish grounds.

The leader of the Catholic school, Monsignor Cassidy, is also portrayed well, but as the antagonist as he is in line to be named a Bishop and will do anything to keep any bad publicity about the school away from Rome. His means of trying to do so are great reading but maddening at the same time.

The other character that a reader will enjoy is the cross country coach, Jack Hogan. His methods are unconventional, he can be downright cruel to his team and he seems downright maniacal when it comes to fitness and selecting a captain. It’s a good thing that his current captain, Dennis, takes his role seriously.

While these are not the only important characters for the story, they are good examples of how the author took complex characters and the setting of a Catholic school and made a gripping novel that will grab the reader and not let go. This is true whether the book is being read for the sport of cross country, whether the reader likes young adult books about coming of age or just wants to read a good mystery. This novel has it all. 

I wish to thank Mr. Daly for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Bull-Run-Jack-Hogan/dp/0996045392/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Tb8k488bc7bhVHKWUnx1vX69xvL9tKqPBx_PodXgEKL5Kl9mUJRU2P4dTn8gdgi5bMlwI_RL1RKwYBxxrQ2iRRpF_mtph4-jPBavr66NAkf3X_QVJs8p6HHxjmntge979BppCTkoGkwHhftRitP4IVwz0_PJzEpVC8zQq1gTWqWPdbUh8UulMJtt6uFQA9LYeVlWjtUn_2BeurJZxHh508Nrq8_sp10SVC3CYrbVfwE.EqNDppw7p-ibDKM9UpJH84B70-ErCc5SlKdQM0i3p9Y&qid=1764550087&sr=8-1 

Review of "The Bandana Express"

 High school football teams are usually the subject of some of the best football books and this one is no exception.  Here is my review of the story of the 1980 Giles Spartans, "The Bandana Express."

Title/Author:

“The Bandana Express: The True Story of the 1980 Gilles Spartans” by Jeremy Heymore

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

One of the great characteristics of sports is that any athlete or team can be a “rags to riches” story when they achieve greatness after a period of struggling.  The Giles Spartans, a high school football team covering a swath of southwestern Virginia, can qualify as one of those stories when they unexpectedly won the 1980 Virgina state championship. Their journey is chronicled in this book by Jeremy Heymore.

Inspired by seeing Ragsdale Field in nearby Narrows, Heymore gathered information and conducted interviews with key people on that 1980 team and penned a story that many compare to Friday Night Lights. I found it similar – but very different in that a forbidden piece of headgear – a bandana – ended up being a symbol of a team and fan base that came together to bring joy to the Giles school district.

The portrayal of coach Steve Ragsdale and his father Harry are the best personal stories in the book – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of good information on players on the team as well. This includes players like Leon King, who was certainly the star of the team and was a big reason why the Spartans were able to have the success they had.

Readers who like the X’s and O’s in their football books will love Heymore’s write up of the Giles games.  Most of the games have an excellent play by play description. Much like the play of the Spartans, I thought the writing about each playoff game got better and better up to the championship game.  That was very entertaining – not just for the action on the field, but also for the description of Coach Ragsdale’s halftime speech that truly worked. 

Any football fan, regardless of level of interest or which level of the game they follow (high school, college or professional) will enjoy this book on a great story of an underdog team coming together to win a championship.

I wish to thank Koehler Books for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The Bandana Express: The True Story of the 1980 Giles Spartans: Haymore, Jeremy: 9798888247693: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "This is Panther Country"

It isn't often that when I read a book involving sports, the stories that are not about the game but that are about other parts of life are what I enjoy.  This book falls into that category and it made for a very good book.  

Title/Author:

“This is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit and Basketball Glory” by Tom McKeown

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Some people will look back on their days in junior and senior high school with fond memories.  Some are glad they are far away in the rear-view mirror.  Tom McKeown is part of that first group, especially during his year in 8^th grade (1974-75) when his local high school, the Babylon Panthers, overcame long odds to win the Long Island basketball championship.

McKeown was a player for his junior high team but was injured for most of the season. That didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for the game as he wrote about his experience at every game the Panthers varsity team played and the action he describes is as good as any professional game. One of the playoff games went into triple overtime and the reader will be sweating out every word as much as the fans at the gym were sweating out every possession.

More than basketball, what makes this book a joy to read is just seeing the world through the eyes of an 8^th grader and for a grown adult to write in this manner nearly 50 years after experiencing it was quite a change from most memoirs.  It got to the point that more than the Panthers basketball team, I was rooting for McKeown to win over the girl he was crushing on, Virgina. Sadly, unlike the Panthers, Virginia started going out with another boy. The way McKeown wrote this side story, along with others such as after game parties, was excellent and was a great portrayal of his entire school year, with the basketball championship an extra bonus. 

If a reader enjoys reading stories like this, whether as YA fiction or memoirs like this, then pick up this book and enjoy the life of a huge basketball fan in junior high and what it was like to root for a championship team.

I wish to thank the author for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: This Is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit, and Basketball Glory eBook : McKeown, Tom: Kindle Store

Review of "The Real Hoosiers"

Hoosiers is certainly considered to be one of the best basketball movies ever made.  This book is not about the movie, nor about Milan High, the school on which the fictional Hickory High is based.  Instead, it is about the team that lost the game - and then won the next two Indiana state championships. 

Title/Author:

“The Real Hoosiers: Crispus Attucks High School, Oscar Robertson, and the Hidden History of Hoops” by Jack McCallum

Rating: 

3 ½ of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

In the mid-1950’s, an all-Black school, Crispus Attucks, won the Indiana state high school championship in back-to-back seasons.  The previous season, it lost to Milan, a much smaller school and the game on which the film Hoosiers was based. Three championship game appearances and back-to-back titles was a major accomplishment in the time of school segregation, even though it had just been declared unconstitutional. The story of Crispus Attucks and its most famous player, Oscar Robertson, is told in this book by Jack McCallum.

The story of Crispus Attucks cannot be told without background information on the social and racial climate of Indiana and its capital, Indianapolis, at that time. While the book does have enough basketball text to be considered a book on the sport, it does spend a lot of time on the subject of racism in Indiana – mostly off the court, but it does make its way into the game as well, such as several references to white players and teams getting favorable calls from referees.  At times, the text feels a bit heavy-handed and repetitive – but that doesn’t take away the need to tell those stories, nor does it make the message any less meaningful.

Having not previously read any memoir or book on Oscar Robertson aside from his involvement in the early days of the NBA players’ union, I found some of the stories on him to be the best parts of the book.  Here, McCallum did some of his best work and research since Robertson declined to be interviewed for the book.  Nonetheless, a reader will be able to capture not only the greatness he was already showing on the court, but also the complicated personality of the young man. Having learned a lot about Robertson in this book when McCallum could not speak to him says a lot about the research done to portray “The Big O”. 

Some parts of the book were a slog to get through and other parts were page-turning exercises because I couldn’t get enough. That averages out to a book that was a good one to pick but will not be one I will be reading again.

I wish to thank Grand Central Publishing for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The Real Hoosiers: Crispus Attucks High School, Oscar Robertson, and the Hidden History of Hoops: McCallum, Jack: 9780306830754: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “Why We Love Football”

 Seeing that Joe Posnanski wrote a book about football in a similar manner as he did about baseball, I had to get a copy. And like his baseball book, I chose to listen to the audio version. Also like the baseball book, it turned out to be the right thing to do.  Here is my review of “Why We Love Football.”

Title/Author:

“Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments” written and narrated by Joe Posnanski

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Joe Posnanski has won several awards in his career, including the Casey Award in 2022 for the best baseball book, “Why We Love Baseball.” It was so successful that he decided to follow the same format and title for America’s most popular sport and like the baseball one, this book is excellent whether in print or on audio.

The latter is how I chose to consume this book and it turned out to be a good choice. Posnanski is a very good narrator and his enthusiasm for the game shows when he is describing these 100 moments that describe people’s love for the game. He includes all levels of football- mostly college and professional, of course, but covering them all gives a more complete picture.

There are many moments that even casual fans will remember if they were around when they occurred - the Immaculate Reception by Pittsburgh’s Franco Harris in 1972, the costly interception thrown at the end of Super Bowl XLIX by Russel Wilson of the Seahawks, and the return of a missed field goal by Alabama for a touchdown by Auburn in the 2013 Iron Bowl rivalry game. These and many other moments will bring back memories, both good and bad, for any fan.

It was also nice to see lesser known accomplishments make their way into this book. The best one for me (and there are several) is about the best female football player to ever strap on shoulder pads, Linda Jefferson. Having read about her amazing accomplishments earlier, I loved it when I heard the chapter on her and that Posnanski included her in the book.

No matter how much interest a reader has in the game of football and whatever level of football is their favorite, they are sure to be able to find at least a few of these stories they will enjoy. It’s what makes a book like this great - one can skim or skip some parts, devour others and come away feeling like they have learned something new about America’s favorite sport. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Love-Football-History/dp/0593475526/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Review of “My Home Team”

 I was interested in this book mainly because of the author and recognition of the name - but it turned out to be something more powerful. Here is my review of “My Home Team.”

Title/Author:

“My Home Team: A Sportswriter’s Life and the Redemptive Power of Small-Town Girls’ Basketball” by Dave Kindred

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

Dave Kindred was a well-known and respected sportswriter in the late 20th century with his work in Washington and Atlanta being his most read articles and columns. When he wanted to stop writing and spend more time with his beloved wife Cheryl in their home state of Illinois, that plan was waylaid- sort of. 

That is the main topic of this book - Kindred’s writing about the Morton Potters, a girl’s basketball team that was very successful and often reached the Final Four of their state championship. Kindred was asked to do so to keep the twin’s fans updated - and he would be paid in Milk Duds. This “assignment” turned into a great match as the Kindreds became as much a part of Potters basketball as the players, coaches and parents. 

After the first section of the book that is a recap of Dave Kindred’s writing career - Act I - the story of the Potters and the Kindreds relationship really takes off. This section - Act II - is a basketball junkie’s dream as Kindred writes about many of the Potters games in great detail. This part of the book is far into the minutiae of the games, which felt like it was a little too much. This is true even for a reader like me, who normally loves reading this level of detail on the game. Here is it was good - almost too good. 

Where the book shines, and will tug at the heart of even the most hardened reader, is Dave’s passages about his love for wife Cheryl. It took a tragic event for this to really stand out - Cheryl suffering a debilitating stroke. During this time, which included the worst of the COVID pandemic, Dave did his best work on this book. His devotion to his wife during his visits when Cheryl had good and bad days are clearly evident here. When Cheryl finally passed away, the love expressed by both Dave Kindred and the girls basketball team the Kindreds adopted was quite touching. 

I admit to have been ready to mark this as a DNF early in Act II, but I am glad I stuck with it as it’s a book that is very touching and a different typ of love story, heavy on the basketball.

I wish to thank Public Affairs for providing a review copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. 

Link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRJ633MM/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20 

Review of "Hometown Victory"

Many times when I request a review copy of a book and the publisher does not grant it, I will look for the book in the library after its publication date.  While often I won't review a book here if that is the case, this book made such an impression on me that I had to write a review of the library copy. 

Title/Author: “Hometown Victory: A Coach’s Story of Football, Fate and Coming Home” by Keanon Lowe with Justin Spizman

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Thanks to a specific incident at the school in this book, (Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon) that school’s football coach who was also a security guard became a hero in the eyes of many.  However, as this memoir shows, there are other ways in which a person can be a hero without stopping a potential mass shooting incident that made the author of the book, Keanon Lowe, this “hero.”

The incident is near the end of the book, but what is even better about this book is the manner in which Lowe, after taking over as head coach of a struggling football program, saw the good and the potential in each one of his players, even if they had not won a game in over three years. 

Without going into too much social commentary or emotion, he does speak often about his players who have many issues outside of football that need extra attention.  Most of the ways he addresses these do affect the football team but Lowe looks beyond that and writes about how his actions will help these young men in other parts of life more important than football.

While this type of story is not completely uncommon as many football coaches (and coaches in other sports) will help their young players overcome the burn of unfair life situations, what makes this a little different is that Lowe wanted to come home (he was a native of Portland) and left a career in NFL coaching to coach this football team.  He was a young rising star in the coaching ranks and even had experience in dealing with issues beyond the football field as he was a San Francisco 49ers assistant coach when Colin Kaepernick made his protests against police violence.  While this is not comparing that to situations such as young players defying a coach or parent, not attending school or practice due to transportation issues or losing loved ones to drugs or violence, it does show that Lowe knew how to deal with issues from a football team or player that had nothing to do with the game on the field.

Speaking of that, there is plenty of football action, both in practice and in games, in the book.  Parkrose did break their losing streak and made great strides in the first two years of Lowe’s coaching career there, but that is not what make the book so good.  What does make it one that I had a hard time putting down was the care and compassion Lowe showed to the young men he helped. This was especially evident in the writing he did about them, emphasizing that they needed this guidance to be prepared for life outside of football and high school as well. That is what made this book such a joy to read.

Link: Amazon.com: Hometown Victory: A Coach's Story of Football, Fate, and Coming Home eBook : Lowe, Keanon, Spizman, Justin: Kindle Store

 

 

Review of “You’re Not Welcome Here”

 As part of my almost-annual year end reading to reach my book goal, I just finished this short but informative book on discrimination issues facing marginalized baseball players. Some very good and eye-opening information in this one. 

Title: “You’re Not Welcome Here: Exclusionary Practices in the Game of Baseball” by Daniel Pasternack

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: While baseball is a sport that likes to keep its history alive through its Hall of Fame and other means, it also has some parts of that history that are shameful. While the exclusion of Black players before Jackie Robinson is well known, this book by Daniel Pasternak takes a deeper look at practices that have hampered progress in having more Black players participate in all levels of the game. 

It should be noted that aside from his chapter on Moses Fleetwood Walker, a Black player from the 1880’s in the highest level of professional, Pasternack’s subjects and discussions take place after the integration that was started by Robinson. From the tales about Wilmer Aaron to those of Vida Blue, Pasternak does an admirable job of telling how discrimination hurt Black ball players both on and off the diamond.

The best parts of the book, however, come when Pasternack talks about the high school teams he has coached in San Diego and the many problems Black players face if there isn’t blatant racism and the players have good skills. His take on the current state of youth and Little League baseball and the prohibitively expensive travel leagues is something that needs to be told and is truly the barrier because of the costs involved. 

He also touches on the lack of acceptance for female and gay players over the years. He does note the progress for the former and lack of it for the latter. While not covered as extensively as the issues facing Black players, it is nice to see that he recognizes the unique barrier those people have in the game as well.  While the book doesn’t spell out any long range solutions (and explains why) this is still good material for those who are concerned about these issues and the underlying factors.

I received a review copy of the book for free and am freely expressing my thoughts on the book. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Not-Welcome-Here-Exclusionary/dp/B0BMDPJ6NX/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of “Across the River”

Many books about a sports team turn out to be about much more than the sport or the team. This excellent book on the coach of a high school football team is one of those books. Here is my of “Across the River” by Kent Babb.

REVIEW:  In the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers, gun violence is a way of life. That is part of the a-too-familiar lifestyle of the mostly Black residents but for those young men who are football players on the Edna Karr Charter School football team, there is a welcome distraction. That is not just because of the football, but also because of their coach, Brice Brown and his staff. He spends as much time mentoring his players, talking to nearly every one of them daily to ensure they are safe - this takes more time than he spends on his football plays and strategy. Coach Brown’s story and that of his assistants and players is told in this terrific book by Kent Babb.

Babb first covers coach Brown for the Washington Post in 2018 and this book is a more complete story of the complex coach. Babb weaves stories about coach Brown, stories about his players and his own inner turmoil about whether to move on to become a college football coach. The stories can be uplifting, like those who graduate and earn football scholarships to college; heartbreaking, such as the story of one player’s trauma when his mother is sent to prison when he is being raised by her alone; or downright maddening, usually when accompanied by descriptions of the desperate situations of these players. It was compelling reading and often times, these were much better reads than the passages about the football team.

Don’t skip over those, however, as they are just as good. While not greatly detailed or heavy on the “X’s and O’s” these games nonetheless do highlight not only the success of the Karr program and their many years of playoff football, but also provided the reader a glimpse of the mindset of the coach and his sometime unorthodox means of not only playing the game, but also motivating his players. 

Along with discussions on racial inequality so prevalent in New Orleans and other areas, this book is a fascinating look at a high school coach and his challenges to be the best he can be for his players on and off the field. A reader doesn’t have to enjoy football to be rewarded by reading this book.

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Across-River-Death-Football-American-ebook/dp/B08N1BQKTK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T6MQM3NZAYDR&dchild=1&keywords=across+the+river+kent+babb&qid=1622249508&sprefix=Across+the+river+%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1