As the regular season of the Spartan boys’ basketball team came to a close, the eyes were set on a spot in the district playoffs. With only two games remaining in the season, the boys had to win one of the two games.
This win would come on February 5th with a buzzer-beating 44-42 win over rivals Saucon Valley. Senior Nick Heiser-Koch took the winning shot after a perfect set up by the team and a pass by senior Conor Zellner.
When Heiser-Koch made the shot, the whole gym went crazy, and the student section stormed the court. The Big Blue Wrecking Crew, known for its creative themes of apparel, were dressed to the nines in fancy clothing for fancy/classy night. This was also the last home game of the season, as well as head coach Bob Shaffer’s last home game before his retirement.
Shaffer has been coaching for the past 25 seasons. Over his coaching career, his teams made districts 20 times and advanced to the final eight times. The Spartan basketball team did not win the district finals until 2009, a first in Southern Lehigh history.
Shaffer’s past teams have also been impressive, winning Colonial League titles in 1989 and 1994, as well as posting a perfect league season in 1994. The same year, they finished second in the district final, and advanced to the PIAA AAA Eastern Semis, losing to Academy Park, but ending a great season with a 25-3 record. Shaffer has a career record of 386 wins and 278 losses.
Southern Lehigh will not only really miss Shaffer as head basketball coach, but also as an amazing teacher. The Spartans wish Coach Shaffer all the best in his retirement.