Bob Flynn came here last night in search of a victory, something he has not experienced too often during his first season as a college head coach.
But the real reason Flynn brought his St. Mary's Seahawks to Cardinal Gibbons to face Villa Julie College was to honor an old coach and old friend.
St. Mary's presented Flynn with a 98-67 victory over a Villa Julie team that is struggling the way a first-year program typically does. But the best part about the evening was paying tribute to Ray Mullis, the legendary Gibbons coach who died six weeks ago after a long bout with cancer.
Flynn was a backup center for Mullis from 1973 to '75, when Gibbons won 53 games and a Catholic League championship. That period marked a small slice of the Mullis era, which spanned 30 seasons and 620 victories. But it made an indelible impression on Flynn.
"I really miss Coach Mullis," said Flynn, who was an assistant at Mount St. Mary's for 10 years before taking the St. Mary's job last August.
"My goal has always been to be a head college coach. When I got this job, I wanted him [Mullis] to see me reach my goal. This is a new experience for me. I was really nervous tonight."
Last fall, Flynn and Villa Julie coach Brett Adams agreed to play the game, and when they approached Cardinal Gibbons about playing host to it in Mullis' honor -- with half the proceeds going to cancer research -- the school welcomed the idea.
The night brought back more memories for Flynn. He walked the sideline, urging his team on, barking out instructions, working the officials, just like Mullis did when Flynn played for him. He even revived an old Mullis tradition, having two of Flynn's former Gibbons teammates who were among the crowd of 100 speak to his team after the game.
"I remember sitting on the bench watching him coach," Flynn said. "When I was 15, I knew I wanted to be a coach and it was because of Coach Mullis."
Adams, whose Mustangs have lost 15 of 16 games, is building a Division III program from scratch. Villa Julie plays most of its home games at Maryvale Prep since it does not yet have a home gym.
When Flynn called to schedule the game five months ago, Adams was interested. When Flynn suggested the game be played for Mullis, Adams got excited.
"I never met Coach Mullis, but I knew of him, from the days when I recruited for York [Pa.] College. My high school coach is still one of my best friends, I called him when I got my job.
"My position was that, if it was my coach and he had made such an impact on me, I would want to keep his memory and message alive. This is what I really like about sports. It's about more than wins and losses. It's about values."
The Seahawks improved to 7-12 and won their third game in five tries, behind a 36-point night from Steve Michelotti. He scored 23 in the first half, when St. Mary's pulled away to a 48-32 lead. The Seahawks then put the game out of reach early in the second half.
For Villa Julie, freshman guard Donte Dudley (Woodlawn) led the way with 26 points.