Tribute Page
Mark "Max" Levin coached basketball at Overbrook for 18
seasons (1972-89), winning 306 games, three Public League championships
and the last two old-school City Titles. The '79 and '80 champs went a
combined 68-1. The '80 team (34-0) beat Roman Catholic for the City Title. Here is that story . . .
By Ted
Silary
In
the individual battle for laurels and glory that was discussed much more by
us than by them, Lonnie McFarlan charged ahead by one and then by two.
But Tony Costner has now pulled even . . . And then some, in his eyes.
All basketball season, the 6-5 forward from Roman Catholic and the 6- 10
center from Overbrook have been compared and contrasted by sportswriters,
fanatics and even callers to radio talk shows, for goodness sake.
On several occasions, organizations have been forced to choose between
the two and about one month ago, Lonnie broke first from the gate with his
selection by McDonald's as one of the country's top 20 players, who are set
to perform April 12 in Oakland in the East-West All-American Game.
Then, this past Monday, he was presented the coveted Markward Award as
the top senior player from the Public or Catholic league, squeezing out none
other than Tony Costner.
Well, it seems that Big Tone only gets even, not mad.
Early yesterday afternoon, word clattered across the UPI wire that
Costner was named fourth team All-American by Parade Magazine, which closed
the gap to 2-1. And at just about 10:15 last night, word began to clatter
throughout the city that Costner's team had beaten McFarlan's team for the
City Title.
The score was Overbrook 65, Roman 56 and despite what the spread may
indicate, the game was great and it did require an overtime.
However, Costner notched eight of his 23 points in the extra period and
by the end of the game, viewers were quickly switching from Channel 10 to 3
or 6 since roman's death was so drawn out and painful to watch.
The real entertainment, though, was still to come. As media types
cornered Big Tone in a hallway just outside the referees' dressing room, he
tossed a
barb or three at McFarlan - as gently as he knows how - and provided
evidence that yes, he is human.
"Lonnie is my friend, I love him and he might be the best player in the
city," said Costner, "but there's one thing he doesn't have . . . And that's
this City Championship trophy.
"In the overtime (regulation ended at 50-all), it was my world. I wanted
the whole thing to come to me. I knew they could put two and three people on
me and push and shove, but it didn't matter. I knew they weren't going to
stop me. All i had to do was get the ball and it was a matter of putting it
in.
"Coach (Mark) Levin told us it was going to be a close game, decided by
one or two points, at the most. Hey, it was almost decided in Roman's favor.
But Randy missed that foul shot . . . "
"Randy" is Randy Monroe, the Cahillites' extra-intense junior center and,
with 11 seconds remaining in regulation, he was thrust into the limelight
after Gerald Roberts (21 points) missed an 18-footer from the left side with
Roman down by one, 50- 49.
In the kung-fu exhibition that highlighted the scramble for the rebound,
ref Jerry Donaghy noticed that Overbrook's Darryl Brown was guilty of a
push. At first, Roberts was placed on the line for a one-and-one though
everyone on press row agreed that Glenn Welton was the guy who should have
been there.
Somehow, Monroe was then placed at the line and swished the first shot.
However, he missed the second and Costner rebounded. At the other end,
William (Vernon) Hardwick missed a jumper and Costner was short with a tap
before Welton hugged the ball at the buzzer while laying on the ground.
"Vernon's shot looked like it was going to fall," Costner said.
"Something told me to grab the rebound, but I didn't and that tap was lousy.
I was kind of upset because i could have won the game right then and there."
As it was, Costner won the game inside of 41 seconds as he converted twin
feeds from Brown (sandwiching a Roman turnover) and had chances for
three-point plays each time. He made only the second free throw, but 55-50
signaled the largest lead for either team and the damage was done.
After the field goals, Overbrook followed with 11 free throws as Steve
Black (6) and Costner (4) led the way.
"For once I can say that I did feel pressure," Costner said, " especially
when Roman had those three and four-point leads a couple of times. That's
why my shots were going way over the rim.
continued right below . . .
Coach Mark "Max" Levin
SEASON BY SEASON
League / Overall
1972:
11-3 / 15-7
1973: 2-0 / 3-8
1974: 9-4 / 12-10
1975: 12-2 / 19-3
1976: 10-3 / 16-7
1977: 13-1 / 23-4
1978: 14-1 / 21-6
1979: 14-1 / 34-1
1980: 14-0 / 34-0
1981: 8-7 / 11-15
1982: 11-1 / 21-7
1983: 6-2 / 21-5
1984: 5-7/ 6-20
1985: 10-3 / 14-10
1986: 6-7 / 13-12
1987: 9-4 / 12-12
1988: 10-3 / 18-7
1989: 7-6 / 13-11
TOTAL RECORD
18 Seasons, 1972-1989
League - 171-55
Overall -
306-145
PLAYOFF BREAKDOWN
Appearances
Ended in . . .
Quarterfinals (4)
1975,
1982, 1985, 1988
Semifinals (2)
1972,
1978
Finals (14)
1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983
Note: 1973 team reached semis in Sonny Hill Winter League after teachers'
strike ended PL season
TOP 15 PL
SCORERS
Mike Tyson
1989
24.4
Lewis Lloyd
1977
21.6
Tony Costner
1980
20.4
Mich. "Moon" Black
1973
19.0
Mike Blackshear
1976
18.5
Carlton "C-9" Willis
1978
18.1
Rich Laurel
1972
18.1
Jack Congo
1973
17.0
Ahmad Gilbert
1983
17.0
Ricky Tucker
1979
16.9
Joe Washington
1979
16.8
Timmy Pounds
1982
16.8
Herman Willis
1983
16.5
Mike Blackshear
1975
16.4
Ed Urie
1985
15.9
STARTERS FOR CHAMPS
1979
Ricky Tucker
Joe Washington
Jeffrey Tucker
Richard Congo
Tony Costner
1980
Tony Costner
Steve Black
Darryl "World" Brown
John Bryant
William "Vernon" Hardwick
1983
Ahmad Gilbert
Herman "Coozie" Willis
Octavius "Tate" Davis
Walt Mitchell
Tommy Gilbert
"But I came over to the huddle
one time and Uncle Herb (Adams, a follower of the team and coach in
community leagues)
said to keep my head, pretend I was at practice, just do the things that I
always do. I just thought back to the drills we did in
October, how easy everything can be if you let it. It all worked out."
As much of a snap as things seemed in the overtime, the Hilltoppers
(34-0) were somewhat lucky to even get that far. A
baseline jumper by Black with 2:24 to go would provide the final points and
they would miss their next five shots..
Until the fourth quarter, Black was non-existent as a shooter and all
facets of his game were affected.
"As a basketball player, I have to mature," Steve said. "When I miss a
shot, I really get down on myself. I try so hard to make
the next one and when I don't, I really get down on myself. If I can
overcome this, I think I can become a really good player.
"It was getting so late, I told myself, 'You haven't done a thing the
whole game. You better start making a contribution.'
"All I can say is that we're a pressure team. We've been involved in too
many tough games not to hit the foul shots like we
did in the overtime."
With 6:30 to go in regulation, Roman owned a 41-37 lead as Roberts stuck
a jumper. However, sub Charlie Brown scuffled
for a three-point play and Hardwick canned a jumper on a pass from Black and
Overbrook was back on top.
Also, Big Tone was back in the game after incurring his fourth foul with
3:48 to go in the third quarter.
"A few times," Costner said, "I've had to prove to people that I can
stick it out with four fouls. I did it again tonight."
Meanwhile, perhaps it is time to stick this 'Brook team on the same lofty
plateau enjoyed by last year's team (34-1).
"This one is sweeter," said Levin, "because I don't think anyone expected
us to do it - including myself. You start out knowing
what Tony can do and that we usually have a good crop of players, but hard
work is the only thing that will get you this far
with an undefeated record. Geez, even last year's team didn't do that."
Last year's team, lest we forget, included a Tony Costner who was content
to be one of five players, rather than the star.
This year, at specified times, Big Tone turned it on and turned it out,
almost always in key games.
And you better believe that last night's game was one of them. From an
individual standpoint as much as a team standpoint.
TITLE TIDBITS: Lonnie McFarlan finished 7-for-19 for 18 points and
hit three straight shots in the fourth quarter when
the teams were trading leads . . . Terry Carter, the Panthers' usual
starter at point guard, practiced only two days due to the flu
and was used sparingly as a sub . . . Mark (Max) Levin: "Before the
overtime, I just said three little words: 'Get the ball to the
big guy.' That's six? (seven, actually). Three little words sounds better.
That's the name of a pretty song." . . . Anyone who
faults Monroe for missing the second foul shot is nuts. He battled Costner
all night from the back of Roman's zones and was
the major reason that his team stayed close . . . Costner won MVP honors for
the second straight year. Overbrook went 89-7
in his three years as a starter.
--
This story was
written in February 1978 after Overbrook ended West Philly's
68-game winning streak . . .
-
--
This story was written in December 1988 after Max claimed his 300th
career victory . . .
By Ted Silary
Marla Levin would have
celebrated her husband's 300th varsity basketball win by producing a cake.
"She would have had a cake. She would have had a conniption, too," Mark
''Max"
Levin said, warmly.
But Marla Levin was not in
attendance last night as Overbrook
(7-4) defeated host Lower Merion, 44-42, in an
Ardmore Rotary Tournament consolation game and raised
Max
Levin's 18-year record to 300-138.
Darrell
Briddell's follow shot with four seconds left was the game-winner, and other
key contributions were Greg
Downing's two late steals and Mike Tyson's 22 points.
Marla Levin was killed last
June in an auto accident.
A professional psychologist, she often had made time in her busy schedule
to attend her husband's
games. It would not be exaggerating to say that Mrs.
Levin derived pleasure equal to
Max's from his
coaching career.
That was why last night's win was so bittersweet.
"Marla was such a part of this for all those years. It's such a shame
she's not here to enjoy it," Levin
said.
"The memory I'll always have is how she was behind me win or lose. If we
won, she was the first to congratulate
me. If we lost, she was the first to console me. As far as support, a man
couldn't ask for any more than what
I got from her.
"I can picture her being here, getting a big kick out of it."
On hand were Levin's daughters,
Meredith, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, and Maggie, a
sophomore at Lower Merion, as well as Marian Caplan, a friend and continuing
source of strength.
"My daughters were here, which was nice, and my new friend,"
Levin said. ''It helps when you
have love
on both sides, when you get support from home and also from the kids you're
working with at school.
Everyone has been great to me. Marian, especially. She has picked up where
Marla left off. She really has."
When Levin, 47, succeeded Paul
Ward for the 1971-72 season, Overbrook
was coming off consecutive
Public League and city championships. At the time,
Levin also was the football coach,
mostly because no one
else wanted the job.
"Since I was so much younger then, a lot of people doubted - I think I
doubted myself - whether I could do
the job," Levin said.
Levin's
first win came in his first game, Dec. 1, 1971, when
Overbrook beat Cardinal O'Hara,
37-36, on
Tim Hardy's 20-foot jump shot.
"I don't remember the first. Who cares?" said
Levin, who resists personal
recognition at every turn. "But I'll
ell you what - if I went back through all the scorebooks, I'll bet I could
remember something about every game.
A player's performance. How the game went."
Levin
has produced three league champions. His 1978-79 team (Ricky Tucker, Joe
Washington, Richard
Congo, Jeff Tucker, Tony Costner) finished 34-1 and was considered the best
high school team in the country.
His 1979-80 team (Costner, Steve Black, Terry Carter, John Bryant, Darryl
Brown) went 34-0, and the
1982-83 contingent (Octavius Davis, Herman Willis, Ahmad Gilbert, Tommy
Gilbert, Walt Mitchell) was 21-5.
Though nothing is definite, this season could be
Levin's last.
"I plan to keep on teaching, but maybe it's time to step down and give
somebody else a chance," he said. "I
have a lot of responsibilities now. (Junior varsity coach) Rick Beckett
would do a great job, I'm sure."
Soon, Max
Levin was ready to depart the
locker room. And how did this native Philadelphian, who grew up
near 29th and Huntingdon streets, plan to celebrate?
"With a cheesesteak, man," he said.
-
Recaps of victories in
Public League finals/City Titles . . .
PUBLIC LEAGUE
1979
At the Palestra
Overbrook 63, Franklin 52
Ricky Tucker had 19 points and five assists and Jeffrey Tucker
(no relation), Richard Congo and Tony Costner claimed 16 rebounds
apiece for the Panthers, who went 34-1 to set the city record for
wins in a season. Franklin's Vaughn Taylor had 20 points and 10
rebounds.
1980
At the Palestra
Overbrook 72, Franklin 61
Tony Costner had 26 points and 14 rebounds for 'Brook (34-0),
which set the city record for the highest number of wins in a
perfect season. Darryl "World" Brown (15 points) and Steve Black
(13) helped out. For Franklin, Earl Hightower (16 points, 10
rebounds) and Phil Burton (15, 12) did well inside and Kevin "Mug"
Brown had 11 assists.
1983
At Temple's McGonigle Hall
Overbrook 52, West 49 (ot)
Herman "Coozie" Willis (19) and Ahmad "Ahkkie" Gilbert (18)
led Overbrook in scoring. With 0:38 left in OT, Octavius "Tate"
Davis made two free throws to provide a 51-49 lead and Gilbert added
another at 0:16. West then sandwiched a missed one-and-one by 'Brook
with two misses from the floor. Marc Anderson had 11 points and nine
rebounds for West.
--
CITY TITLES
1979
At the Palestra
Overbrook 61, Roman 49
Tony Costner, a 6-9 junior, mixed 23 points and nine rebounds as
the Panthers (34-1) set a city-leagues record for wins in a season.
Ricky Tucker (12) and Jeffrey Tucker (10, 14 rebounds) also scored
in double digits while Joe Washington dished six assists. Lonnie
McFarlan scored 14 points for Roman, which opted to hold the ball
when faced with a four-point deficit with 3:04 left in the third
quarter.
1980
At the Palestra
Overbrook 65, Roman 56 (OT)
Overbrook put the finishing
touches on a 34-0 season -- the best record in city-leagues history
-- as Tony Costner collected 23 points and 15 rebounds, Darryl
"World" Brown added 14 points and five assists and John Bryant (12
rebounds) and Steve Black split 20 points. Costner scored eight
points in a 15-6 overtime session. With 0:11 left in regulation,
Roman's Randy Monroe went to the line for a one-and-one. He hit the
first shot to create a 50-50 tie, but then missed the second.
William "Vernon" Hardwick (jumper) and Costner (tap) missed shots
for 'Brook to make necessary the first OT session in the series
since 1943. Gerald Roberts (21) and Lonnie McFarlan (18) led Roman
in scoring while Monroe (14) and McFarlan (13) were tops in
rebounds.
--
Below are the players who helped
Mark "Max" Levin claim 306 wins, three Public League championships
and two City Titles in 18 seasons as the coach at Overbrook. The year indicates the player's final season. Most
were seniors. Some transferred and some were underclassmen who did not play in the following season.
Rich Laurel
1972
Ricky Tucker
1979
Ed Urie
1985
Tim "Tiny" Hardy
1972
Richard Congo
1979
Charles Fisher
1985
Craig Brown
1972
Joe Washington
1979
Troy Horton
1985
Craig West
1972
Jeffrey Tucker
1979
Blair Menefee
1985
Charlie Samuels
1972
John White
1979
Jhamiel Lowry
1985
Willie Kelly
1972
George Ellis
1979
Sean Clarkson
1985
Don Taylor
1972
Chuckie Cobb
1979
Richard Gaines
1986
Dave Shepard
1972
Craig Randall
1979
Barry Young
1986
Joel Fowler
1972
Tony Costner
1980
Ron Williams
1986
Joe Kennedy
1972
Darryl "World" Brown
1980
David Campbell
1986
Kenny Wiggins
1972
John Bryant
1980
Orlando "Coach" Williams
1986
Darryl Peterson
1972
Terry Carter
1980
Eric Cofield
1986
Jack Congo
1973
Steve Black
1980
Rahman Phillip
1986
Dave Williams
1973
Wm. "Vernon" Hardwick
1980
Allan Hagans
1986
Ricky Watson
1973
Eric Lewis
1980
Jerome Herring
1986
Kevin Allen
1974
Charlie Brown
1980
Jerome Harrison
1986
Michael "Moon" Black
1974
David Lacy
1981
Lacey Moore
1986
Tony Johnson
1974
Quadii McMillan
1981
Troy Lindsey
1986
Jose Vega
1974
Peter Scarborough
1981
Thomas Jefferson
1986
Roger Gaymon
1974
Kevin Palmer
1981
Rob McCrea
1987
Charles Gunter
1974
Reggie Darden
1981
Emmanuel Rothwell
1987
Barry Chambers
1974
Greg Kelly
1981
Jerome Golden
1987
Fred White
1974
James Pittman
1981
Marcus Burns
1987
Bernard Lopez
1974
Harrod Clay
1982
Andre Shuler
1987
Renaldo Askew
1974
Jerry Lawson
1982
Chris Roney
1987
Michael Washington
1975
Keith Glover
1982
James Guess
1987
Fred Lee
1975
Darnell Horn
1982
Charles Jackson
1987
James Brown
1975
Timmy Pounds
1982
Tennyson Lewis
1987
Keith McDonald
1975
Mike Lucas
1982
Marc Whaley
1988
Darryl White
1975
Gary Yuille
1982
David Mitchell
1988
Mike Goodman
1975
Dwayne King
1982
Ricardo Akins
1988
Leonard Watson
1975
Octavius "Tate" Davis
1983
DeHaven Peterson
1988
Tyrone Kidd
1975
Mike Mitchell
1983
Tony Simmons
1988
Mike Blackshear
1976
Ahmad Gilbert
1983
Kevin Everett
1988
Greg Powell
1976
Herman "Cooz" Willis
1983
Kevin Black
1988
Keith White
1976
Walt Mitchell
1983
Leonard Holland
1988
Mike Montgomery
1976
Bruce Hannibal
1983
Donald Watkins
1988
Robert Carter
1976
Russell King
1983
Claude Turner
1988
Howie McCutchen
1976
Patrick Grant
1983
Mike Tyson
1989
Elton Jolly
1976
Tommy Gilbert
1984
Darrell Briddell
1989
Warren Parker
1976
Brian Robinson
1984
Norman Bell
1989
Lewis Lloyd
1977
Steve Butler
1984
Kyle Jones
1989
Darrell Jones
1977
Dion DuBoyd
1984
Charles Cook
1989
Timmy Whitaker
1977
Mike Ramsey
1984
Gregory Downing
1989
Eugene Graham
1977
Clyde Jones
1984
Mike Ballard
1989
Frank Johnson
1977
Darren Price
1984
James Costner
1989
Arnold Medley
1977
Paul Slaughter
1984
Kevin Bennett
1989
Carlton "C-9" Willis
1978
Kobie Smith
1989
Carl Lacy
1978
Bryant Barr
1989
Steve Sanders
1978
Terry Hudson
1989
Blair Floyd
1978
Bruce Floyd
1978
Scott Lattany
1978
Anthony Farmer
1978
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