Doug Overton could have told his son stories about his college basketball coach for hours. Heck, for even days, weeks and months into years.
Instead, he went for brevity.
"He only told me he's very passionate," Miles Overton said. "He said he'd let me find out the rest on my own."
Miles Overton, a junior, is a 6-3, 195-pound wing guard for St. Joseph's Prep and Friday he helped his coach, William "Speedy' Morris, again scribble his name into the record books.
The occasion was a mostly routine Catholic League quarterfinal, played in the afternoon at the Prep, and Overton totaled 18 points and three assists as the Hawks muffled Archbishop Wood, 76-49.
That arithmetic elevated Morris' career victory total at the high school level to 621-167 and he now shares this designation with Dan Dougherty (621-285), formerly of Malvern Prep and Episcopal Academy: winningest coach in city history.
Morris has "Dan Doc" beat on wins per season, 23.0 to 17.3, and percentage, .788 to .685 (very weird that Speedy's winning percentage matches his game total), but Dougherty owns the advantage in their teams' head-to-head meetings, at 4-2.
"He does? Are you sure?" Morris said, smiling. "Man, I thought we were tied at 3-3."
Nope, Dougherty captured three of the four meetings when Morris was coaching Penn Charter in the 1983 and '84 seasons. Morris had captured their lone confrontation in the five seasons ('77 through '81) when Dougherty was getting started at Episcopal and Morris was winding down at Roman Catholic. Then, in Dec. 2003, Episcopal triumphed, 47-42, over Prep.
"What? I don't remember that," Morris said, pleasantly. "I'm going to go check."
Morris, who recently had claimed his 900th overall win (guys/gals, high school/college), then began walking toward his office. His son, Keith, his first assistant, was standing right outside. As was John Griffin, a star guard on that team.
"They kicked our butt," Keith confirmed.
"Geez, I didn't remember," Speedy said.
Anyway . . .
"This is kind of mixed emotions," Morris said. "I'd like Dan to still have the record, really. I love that guy and I admire him as much as any coach I've been around. He did it the right way. Took the kids who walked through the door and did a great job with them.
"And I do know this: He'll be happy for me. That's how he is."
