Classy gesture by Allen High School was greatly appreciated

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER We begin the year with a positive note of high school harmony.Tom Gallagher Northwestern athletic director and District 11 chairman Jason Zimmerman sent me an e-mail stating how much he appreciated the cooperation and courtesy displayed by Allen High School and AD Scott Cooperman and girls basketball coach Tom Gallagher in particular on Thursday night at Sewards Gym. On Thursday night, Northwestern visited Allen for a nonleague game and senior Sara Jones went over the 1,000-point mark. Sometimes when you accomplish a milestone like that in a road game, the treatment is not all that great. That was not the case with Allen. Here is what Zimmerman wrote: "Unfortunately it is not too often that an event in high school sports truly touches your heart and brings two communities together as what I experienced last night. The Lady Tigers traveled down to Sewards Gym to play William Allen in a girls basketball contest. Sara Jones, our senior captain, needed just 9 points to eclipse the 1,000 point mark in her career. I notified [Cooperman] over the holidays that this may be a possibility and without hesitation, he started requesting information on Sara, notified Coach [Tom] Gallagher, and truly went out of his way preceding the event. "Then last night, I truly experienced the reason I love high school athletics so much and my feelings were a direct result of the extra mile Coop, Coach Gallagher, and the Chicks went to make a small school from the country feel so welcome. It was their house, they are a big school from a big city, but none of that made a difference when Sara scored her 1,000th. Without delay, they brought Sara’s parents onto the court, presented her with the game ball and the Chicks presented her with flowers. Coach Gallagher personally came out to half-court and congratulated the family as did many members of the Chicks basketball team. This was the ultimate display of sportsmanship, class, and respect. Coop and Coach Gallagher need to be commended on their professionalism and good nature. "As if that wasn’t enough, the fans from Williams Allen joined the Northwestern Lehigh fans in celebrating this milestone during the ceremony. It truly was something to see." Northwestern girls coach Chris Deutsch was just as appreciative when I spoke with him on Thursday night. "They were absolutely fantastic," Deutsch said of Cooperman and Gallagher. "They went above and beyond. Everything was first class. They made sure it was a special night for Sara. They didn't have to do half of what they did. I can't say enough how much we appreciate their generosity and kindness. "A lot of people have a bad image of Allen, and Dieruff,for that matter. But it's a bum rap because both of those schools have good people and are no different than anyone else. We will never forget their kindness in this situation."