Looking back a number of years ago, Charles Jones was the topic of sports discussions first for the Brooklyn based Bishop Ford High School basketball program and then as a student at Long Island University. His offense paved the way for the successful teams on all the levels he competed on.
Since his college days, he wanted to coach on some levels whether it be on a high school or college one.
He achieved one of his goals recently when he went back to his high school, and after a position opened, he accepted it, and after the team’s first five games, the Falcons are undefeated.
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 kids say that because he (eventually) played on the highest level we have to listen to him.”
After he was introduced to the players, 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 said. “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 excitingIn the last Catholic High Schools Athletic Association league game before press time, St. Francis Prep’s Little Terriers from Queens battled back from a huge 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 from Brooklyn 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, three more than sophomore Shane Herrity and junior Brian Haggerty/
Overall, the coaching staff at Bishop Ford has been pleased with the progress of their team,
“We’ve won in a variety of ways,” continued Nolan. “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 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.”
