Looking back a number of years ago, Charlie Jones was the college basketball talk first for the Brooklyn-based Bishop Ford High School teams and then as a student athlete at Long Island University where he again put up number. His offense paved the way for successful teams on all the levels that he competed on.
Since his college days, he wanted to coach on some level whether it be on a high school or college one.
He recently achieved one of his goals when he went back to his high school and after a position opened he accepted it, and after the squad’s early portion of the schedule, the Falcons went undefeated on the varsity level.
Jones is assistant coach to head varsity coach Denis Nolan.
“We at Bishop Ford are glad to have one of our alumni join our staff as an assistant coach,” said Athletic Director Pete Goyco. “He’s a graduate of ours. He’s been a great addition to the program. There was an opening and he volunteered to help us out.”
“It’s been great to have Jones,” said Nolan, after the fifth game of the season. “I was his freshman’s coach in 1989-1990.
The players said that because he eventually played on the highest level they have to listen to him.
After Jones was introduced to the players at the start of the season, he told them
of his past experiences of playing at Ford, Long Island University and professionally overseas.
“I had a wonderful experience playing at LIU,” Jones added. “I did well in college. To be able to succeed at home in front of family and friends and to bring joy back to Brooklyn it’s esciting.”
In a recent Catholic High Schools Athletic Association game, St. Francis Prep’s Little Terriers from Queens battled back from a hugfe deficit to finally tie the game and then Ford held them off in the four minute extra session to come out victorious, 52-50.
Joshua Blagrove, a senior forward, topped the Falcons by scoring 22 points. Teammate Dior Dixon, a sophomore guard, and Devon Dingle, also a sophomore backcourt man, each scored 10 points for the winners. Junior Michael Fields led St Francis Prep with 13 points.
Overall, the coaching staff at Ford has been very pleased with the progress of their team.
“We’ve won in a variety of ways,” continued Nolan, after the early part of the season. “We won a couple of games by a lot of points and we won close games when we were able to hold people (opponents) off. Tonight (against St. Francis Prep) we gave up the lead but we were able to come back in overtime. It’s a sign of a mature team.
“Blagrove has been playing really well. Dingle and Dixon were on the freshman team last year. Because I was very impressed with their ability to shoot and play defense we moved them up.”
“It’s been an on going process, and we’re growing day by day trying to get their basketball IQ up,” said assistant coach Jones.
Before coming to Bishop Ford, as an assistant coach, Jones had previous coaching experience with the New York Lightning in the Nike Youth League.
“My goal is to transfer my basketball knowledge and help the kids,” he said. “I want to coach as long as possible so that I could give back and help these kids so that they can understand the game a little bit better.”
