Bobik reaches 400 coaching wins

By: Sean Moylan
   Art Bobik didn’t know he was closing in on his 400th career victory as the brilliant head coach of the Florence Township Memorial High School boys’ varsity basketball team until a local reporter reminded him of the fact a week ago.
   This is understandable because like all great coaches, Bobik is primarily concerned with the "next" game his team will be playing.
   Nevertheless, on Monday evening at Florence, the Florence Flashes trounced a solid Riverside Rams club, 54-26, and Coach Bobik earned his 400th win.
   "I’ve been blessed with a lot of great kids over the past 26 years," said Coach Bobik. "Yesterday (Monday) it was not our offense, it was our defense that won the game. We held Riverside to just six first-half points."
   The Flashes winning games with defense should come as a surprise to no one, considering Coach Bobik is perhaps the best teacher of defense and "the back door" in all of Burlington County. Even so, Akiwande Oshidi’s game high 18 points and 10 rebounds did make the post game cake and party for Coach Bobik all the sweeter.
   Maurice Calhoun’s 15 points, Ryan’s Shafer’s eight points and Matt Ordog’s seven points added to the joyous occasion too.
   Over the years, Coach Bobik has become more gracious and humble than ever. In fact, he went to great lengths to thank the Florence Booster club for throwing him the after game party on Monday.
   Once known for his passionate displays of fire and emotion on the sidelines, Coach Bobik has mellowed considerable over the years.
   "I’m a lot less intense than I was as a younger coach," noted Coach Bobik.
   Even so, he still runs his famous four-hour marathon practices. And few coaches do more for their kids than Coach Bobik.
   Together with longtime assistance coach Steve Ordog, the Florence legend has put together one of the finest basketball systems in all of South Jersey. In fact, since 1999 Florence has amassed an incredible 114-27 record under Coach Bobik. His back-to-back state championships in 2000 and 2001, were made all the more remarkable because each squad had entirely different starting fives. Coach Bobik’s 1986 state championship club posted an incredible 30-1 record. And with a 75-16 win at New Egypt on Tuesday night, his record climbed to 401-196. How many coaches can boast about been 200 plus games over .500?
   In that game Florence kept New Egypt off the scoreboard in the final quarter. And in no quarter did the Warriors score more than six points. Amazingly, with 19 points, Maurice Calhoun outscored New Egypt all by himself. However, Ordog (12 points), Oshidi (12 points), Shafer (nine points), Abree Jones (nine points), Joey Spahn (nine points), Dan Miller (three points) and Shaquan Virgil (a field goal) all got in the scoring.
   Last Thursday, Florence smoked Medford Tech, 95-35. Ryan Shafer led Florence in scoring with 21 points. However, four other Flashes scored in double figures too. It was a typical Florence victory.
   "Our kids are no different than they were 26 years ago," said the Florence Hall-of-Fame coach.
   Coach Bobik is different — he’s better than ever.
   Florence (13-2) is scheduled at Pemberton on Thursday. The Flashes ware still very much in the race for the Freedom title with McCorristin—a team Florence will host next Thursday.