- Holland Patent Central School District
- Heroes of HP
Justin Koenig and Lonny Gorsky
Heroes of Holland Patent Golden Knight Football #5
Justin Koenig, class of '01, stands at the top of the leaderboard of the 'Best Players in Holland Patent History' for running backs. This is a great example of the support of friends and family. I have noted that all of the men that I have interviewed to date have been the recipients of assistance, loyalty and love from grandparents, parents wives, children , aunts, uncles etc. I am sure that they all would like me to convey their thanks to these people.
I remember the numerous occasions when I would see Justin's dad David working the chicken barbecues. Mom Diane and brother Chad would also lend a hand. Justin's in-laws Gary and Jill Seelman come from families that have long been athletes and supporters of Holland Patent Golden Knight athletics. I knew I would have to add Justin to my series of articles when I received a heartfelt note from sons Jordan and Jaxon saying they would like me to do an article about their daddy. This emphasized a situation that I have long been envious , since I have no extended family in the area. How wonderful the bonds of extended families throughout the Holland Patent district.
This by no means lessens Justins credentials for being the number one running back on the list. The stats speak for themselves. In his senior year, Justin scored 11 TDs, kicked 10 extra points and two field goals. He rushed for 1,111 yards and had a 6.6 yards per carry average. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards his junior year. In both years he was a Class B All Star. In his senior year was on the All Mohawk Valley team. Some other seniors on the class of '01 that he played alongside are Jamie Furlong, Owen Godfrey, Steve Morrison, Ryan Koziarz, John Niedzielski, Rick Stefanski, Chris Joynt, Ted Heburn, Dave Vaughn, Matt Hanley, Jason Roberts, Chris Strife and Matt Smith. Justin was coached by Dick Hendershot.
Many of the articles I read from his exploits featured his name in the headline with stories of his game achievements. But like so many great athletes, when I asked Justin what moment in his career was memorable, he recounted an Ilion game when he missed a field goal and the team lost. This humble humility is commonplace in the past, but rare today. In this regard Justin is different from his new millennia counterparts.
I asked Justin who were the players that he looked up to when he was growing up and he mentioned the class of '95 tandem of Paul Rose and Rob Thomas. It is important for the 2008 athletes to know that their accomplishments and on the field behavior are being closely scrutinized by young Golden Knights. The elementary kids will emulate the behaviors of their high school heroes. Justin could not have had two better role models than Paul and Rob. By the way, come on South Trenton and Prospect, your boys Paul and Rob don't have any nominations yet. Send the nomination with a dollar to Holland Patent Football Family, PO Box 142, Barneveld, NY 1304.
Justin lives in the district with wife Jessica (who was one of the best Lady Knights athletes of all time) and sons Jordan and Jaxon (future best Golden Knights). Justin works at the Fishkill Correctional Center and on off time works with father-in-law Gary building houses.
The next fellow I'm writing about and Justin are linked by one character trait. They let their actions speak for themselves. They would never lower themselves to the level of trash talking that goes on way too much today.
It is appropriate that I am writing this introduction during Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. As the commentator states that Sharks are the perfect predators in the ocean, Lonny Gorsky was the perfect predator on the football field. For those who didn't see Lonny play, I will allude to the movie Braveheart to make my characterization. My comparison is not William Wallace (Mel Gibson), but Seamus the large, blonde warrior who was his second in command. Not only was this warrior big and strong, but he showed his zest for life the most during battles. If you can picture this man, eyes focused, gleefully crashing his way through the oncoming Englishman, then you can get an idea of how Lonny tore through oncoming blockers on his way to the quarterback.
Opposing coaches gameplanned to run away from whatever side Lonny was playing his defensive end position. If they mistakenly ran his way, they often saw their blockers falling right and left like logs through a wood splitter, and the ball carrier suffering a devastating tackle. At 6-5 Lonny had an eight foot wingspan. He only had to get two fingers on an opponent to get his vice-like grip on the runner. Once caught, the victim would be unceremoniously brought down like a housemaid shaking out a rug.
Brian Briggs, who played with Lonny, recounted a game against Oneida. Lonny was the punt snapper (a testament to his athleticism). After snapping the ball, Lonny barreled down the field and crushed an All Star punt returner with such force that he was out for the remainder of the game. Word has it, he still roams the Oneida streets flinching and muttering "why didn't somebody block him".
OK enough of the visuals. When Lonny was a junior, Holland Patent had the only undefeated team ever. Their dominating defense posted five shutouts. His senior year HP was 8-1, losing in the Sectional finals to Solvay. Like all true athletes, when Lonny mentioned the loss, you could see that he wished he could go back in time and get a shot at them again. You couldn't run to Lonny's side and you couldn't run away. Other players on the 1991 team were Brian Briggs, Lance Cummings, Les Shaler, Butch Sexton, Dan and Rod Grogan, Dustin Grabowski, Fred VanSteen and Craig Stockhauser.
Lonny was coached by Dave Langone, the new Whitesboro Superintendant. His senior year.He was a first team All-State selection in Class B and a Post-Standard All Upstate Defensive Lineman. Lonny runs machinery nights at the Walmart Distribution Center. He is happily anticipating the birth of his first child with partner Kim. He spends his free time hunting, fishing , snow mobiling and visiting a great HP sports booster mom, Sharon. Sadly his dad Joe Sr. passed away last year while hunting Turkey with Lonny.
Lonny was the type of player that unfortunately may be extinct. A 'mans man' as my mother would say. Today the offenses are so teched up with four and five wideouts that gone are the days when you could just turn the boys loose. Rather than digging their spikes in growling and snorting, todays defensive player is counting and communicating and figuring out who to cover. Much has changed since Lonny played. Society is evolving into a unisex world. Girls are encouraged to be more aggressive and boys are encouraged to be more sensitive. How can I, as a coach in a 2008 world, get the players out from in front of the mirrors and off their cell phones long enough to develop toughness? An old wrestling T-shirt use to say "I'd rather throw you than know you". Today that same shirt would say "I'd rather throw you than know you, but first I'll text you so you can put on your nicest uniform and get your hair done".