The three most memorable sports stories in 2023? Here are Bill Koch's picks
The best thing about working in sports is you never know what you might see on a given day.
There’s no script. No agenda. No itinerary. A great player or team could reaffirm his, hers or their greatness. A previous unknown could announce his, hers or their presence for years to come.
It’s not always the most obvious choices who leave the most significant impressions. You could flash back to Ed Cooley leaving Providence, Cumberland winning a state baseball title for the first time in 30 years, Smithfield becoming the latest Rhode Island team to reach the Little League World Series — those all grabbed their share of headlines in 2023.
Oftentimes, it’s the smaller moments in the margins that keep the calendar moving. You look back and find them upon reflection. They can be unique or make you feel a certain way both in the moment and after the fact.
A sister act made the day
You don’t see too many innings like the one East Greenwich’s softball team enjoyed on a warm weekday afternoon in early May.
Margaret Neville crushed a home run against West Warwick and the Avengers were well on their way to a Division II victory. It was what happened next that made the day a little different.
Catherine Neville — Margaret's twin sister — followed with a home run of her own. In the same inning. As a left-handed hitter. Catherine is naturally right-handed, but she decided as a little girl to be different from her sister in at least one way.
It was a sign of things to come. East Greenwich eventually rolled to a league championship, and the Neville twins helped drive their school’s field hockey program to a Division I crown in the fall. It turns out their touch of special isn’t limited by a diamond or by what felt like nature’s choice.
A championship sister act
The contrast was striking.
The dozens of Bishop Hendricken athletes celebrating a boys outdoor track team title next to less than a handful of West Warwick girls who captured one of their own.
This unseasonably chilly June weekend afternoon at Conley Stadium saw history made. The Wizards won a first crown in program history largely behind the efforts of Xenia Raye and Lisa Raye. The sisters dominated the sprint and hurdle events, collecting enough points to push West Warwick atop a splintered field.
They hugged each other and cradled the championship trophy during the formal presentation. Their smiles lit up the infield. It was a reminder that excellence comes in many forms — an accumulation from a host of sources or a handful of gold medals from just two.
A special reunion
Three men strolled into a room they helped create on a December night, some distinguished flecks of gray in their facial hair.
Cuttino Mobley, Antonio Reynolds Dean and Tyson Wheeler established their legend at Keaney Gymnasium. Film rooms, custom locker rooms, a practice facility — none of those amenities was in the conversation when they helped the University of Rhode Island reach the Elite Eight in 1998.
Their induction into the school’s men’s basketball Ring of Honor brought back fond memories. Those weren’t limited to the fans at the adjacent Ryan Center, the building constructed in the aftermath of that historic run. The three men shared a few in a press conference prior to the formal ceremony and on the floor at halftime of a game against Brown.
They haven’t been in uniform together since that March night against Stanford and rarely see one another in person now. Reynolds Dean and Wheeler are on staff with Georgia and the Bears, respectively. Mobley used his extended NBA career to create various opportunities for himself after the ball stopped bouncing.
Their personal chemistry has never been more evident. The warmth around them is infectious. It was a reminder of how good things can be when the college basketball stars align and March Madness unfolds anew.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bill Koch's most memorable sports stories in 2023
