Sun, May 18 2008
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BEAVER FALLS (AP) — As the clock ticked down inside a New Castle gymnasium ending Beaver Falls High School’s quest for a state basketball title and its season, B.J. McBryde was nowhere to be found.
The 6-foot-6 sophomore wasn’t sulking in the locker room. Nor was he being taken to a hospital injured.
Instead, McBryde, a reserve player, was in a Butler County cabin with members of his church.
His decision to attend a weekend retreat was criticized by some teammates, peers and fans. They believe McBryde might have helped the injury-plagued Tigers defeat Farrell High.
But it also drew showers of praise. It’s not every day that athletics take a back seat to religion, especially in sports-crazy Beaver Falls, say his supporters.
Nationally, religion and sports collide somewhat regularly. But it’s seldom a headline issue unless it involves a star athlete.
Perhaps the most famous case centered on Sandy Koufax, the Los Angeles Dodgers great who refused to pitch the opening game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur, a Jewish holy day.
More recently, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf stirred controversy in 1996 for refusing to stand during the national anthem prior to National Basketball Association games. He said it would conflict with his Islamic beliefs.
In McBryde’s case, he is not the star of team. In fact, he seldom played unless the team had a healthy lead.
That’s not to say he’s destined to ride the pine. He’ll likely play a significant role next season because the Tigers will graduate a few players, Coach Doug Biega said.
His absence during the Farrell game was magnified because the Tigers were, for the most part, without three key contributors, Biega said.
Forward Dak Mobley was out with a broken arm; Kendall Dreher, a junior, played sparingly because of a bum knee; and Chaston Harris, another sophomore, missed school the day before the game and wasn’t allowed to play.
Some defended McBryde’s choice. And some questioned his loyalty to the team.
The retreat is a once-a-year event for the men of Bible Way Church of God in Christ in New Castle. It’s a chance for them to bond and reflect on their lives, said the Rev. John Young III, pastor of Bible Way.
Moreover, it’s a critical part of ministering, especially for impressionable teenagers, Young said.
“I don’t think people realize the pressure a lot of these young men face,” he said.
It can come from classmates, some of whom chided McBryde for attending the retreat instead of the game. A few teammates were upset with McBryde, too.
“Some of the guys said a few nasty things, but I took it,” he said.
A coach at Beaver Falls for nine years, Biega said it was the first time a player asked to be excused from a game for religious purposes. He said there are situations, especially those involving family or religion, where he’ll back down from an otherwise strict attendance policy.
“That’s not really an area you want to interfere with,” he said. “I could never, ever, ever tell him not to go.”
It didn’t hurt that Biega trusts McBryde, who had an unblemished attendance record prior to Saturday’s game.
The mild-mannered teen admitted to being surprised by the attention he has received.
He said he alone made the decision to attend the retreat.
“I think I made the right choice,” McBryde said. “I know the game is important, but I felt I had to be there.”
He has been lauded by local pastors, many of whom said sports too often trump religious events.
The Rev. Howard Burton is pastor of the Father’s House, a nondenominational church in Rochester. He canceled a once-popular Friday night service because, during football season, most of his parishioners could be found sitting in grandstands instead of church pews.
It’s a situation many pastors encounter, he said.
“You can’t just disregard God during the athletic season then come back to church,” said Young, who dealt with similar circumstances with his athlete-son, Brian.
Having a strong relationship with God transcends sports, no matter how important the game, he said. That’s something McBryde’s parents, Ron and Brenda, have worked to instill in their children.
“Basketball is not everything; he’s one injury away from never playing again,” Brenda said. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
That helps explain why McBryde has a 3.8 GPA, plays the drums and has an interest in muscle cars, particularly Mustangs. He said he’d like to play basketball in college, but it’s not the only thing he has going for him.
For now, his mind is on more immediate matters such as school work, the next church service and spring. He’s also planning ahead to next season, one in which the Tigers are expected to field another strong team.
“I’m already trying to figure out what I’m going to do next year,” he said.
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