Some moments are worth extending, before they fall into the memory bank. Mentor, Division IV champion Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Division II runner-up St. Vincent-St. Mary deposited a full account of lasting memories at the state basketball tournament last weekend.

Most striking of all was the joy exhibited by Mentor and VASJ, and the grace of SVSM.

There's nothing quite like a championship embrace – long, strong hugs between coach and athlete who have chapters of history, and usually not all of it pleasant. There was so much meaning behind VASJ coach Babe Kwasniak's hug of Duane Gibson, who saw his father sent to prison last summer, and the long embrace between Krizancic and his son, Conner, who has to deal with his demanding father off the court. So touching was the moment shared by SVSM coach Dru Joyce and senior Nick Wells, the blue-collar kid from Coventry who relished every minute he wore his Irish jersey.

Who couldn't help but smile at the sight of Mentor football lineman/basketball forward Kent Berger brushing aside a trainer as blood gushed from his nose – the result of the inevitable post-game player pileup on the floor – and seeing Mentor athletic director Jeff Cassella running into the middle of a hug between Foreman and Bob Krizancic.

Cassella has seen his share of shortfalls. Winning a state championship at Mentor is a lot harder than it looks. Since its boys soccer team won the school's third state championship in 1994, Mentor sent to the state semifinals teams in football (three times), baseball (three), volleyball (three), girls soccer (two) and ice hockey. Each ended its season with a loss, as did the boys basketball team in the 2010 semifinals.

The value of a championship can't be underestimated. Kwasniak alluded several times to the basketball team playing a major role in keeping VASJ viable as its enrollment shrunk rapidly in recent years, while other East Side Catholic schools have succumbed – Regina in 2010 and St. Peter Chanel later this year. Basketball is deep-rooted in VASJ's culture and history,cheap bulk shoessupplier for handmade jewelry making at low price, so its first title in 18 years should be a boost.

It's also worth noting VASJ and Mentor won with coaches from the Gen. George Patton school of coaching – literally so in Kwasniak's case.We have a record for a owonsmart living at an address. They are strict and relentless. Kwasniak, a West Point graduate and former Army captain, and Krizancic take a tough-love approach to all levels of their player-coach relationships. It's long been my belief that Krizancic carries a cup of water on the sidelines to keep himself from strangling players who screw up.

Every season, similar coaches quit or – in the case of St. Edward track coach Steve Stahl this month – are fired for not treating student-athletes with kid gloves.finished up his homepowermonitor over the holiday weekend. Good coaches often quit because when parents whine, school administrators don't possess enough backbone to back them up. Kwasniak and Krizancic have that support. Krizancic makes a point of telling parents before the season how rough it will be, and he keeps practices open to parents to prove he's not crossing a line.

Parents who didn't grasp the fact not every player is a star nearly drove SVSM coach Dru Joyce out of his mind and out of SVSM last season. After accepting blame for his team's loss in the state final Saturday, he was quick to praise this season's parents and players.

“These guys have rejuvenated me. They helped me regain my purpose and helped me find joys in this,'' he said.

Few have experienced the heights of coaching Joyce has with LeBron James and three state championships as head coach, but this time SVSM was one of 797 boys basketball teams that didn't win a title, and Joyce and the Irish realized there should be joy in kids lives, regardless of outcome.

"This is a labor of love, and this is a group that I love so dearly,We have all of the tungstenjewelry you use every day.'' Joyce said.

In his pregame speech Saturday, Bob Krizancic referred to winning a state championship as “one of the best feelings, maybe the best you'll have ever in your life.Wholesale agatebeads jewelry with higher quality.'' I certainly hope that's not true because so much of their young lives remain unchartered and potential untapped.

But, to be sure, they were feeling pretty good all weekend, a feeling Foreman was reluctant to relinquish.

“I don't want to leave the gym,'' Foreman said while watching the fifth-graders. “I feel like I'll be here all day. I don't want to go home. I don't know where I'd go.''