ALBANY - Jerry Mortimer's farewell tour continued Monday.
Albany High School was the latest to have a ceremony to pay tribute to the Black Hawk head boys basketball coach, who will be retiring the clipboard after coaching the Warriors the past three decades.
Prior to Monday's game, Albany head coach Derik Doescher read a brief statement about Mortimer and what he has meant to basketball in the Six Rivers Conference and southern Wisconsin. Albany gave Mortimer a certificate of thanks and his own personal seat in the bleachers, engraved "Coach Jerry Mortimer, Black Hawk Basketball, 1981-2009."
"All the things they did for me was great. I'm so humbled," Mortimer said. "It tells me that maybe people did take notice. Coaching is kind of a lonely place. But I have nothing but respect for Albany. What they did was absolute class. Absolutely first class."
On the sign at the entrance to the school was a message for Mortimer as he arrived, thanking him for his years of service.
"The sign outside I didn't see when I came in because it was daylight. I didn't look at it. But someone asked me if I saw it, so I did," Mortimer said.
In one of his final weeks of coaching, Mortimer said that this week may be the toughest of them all.
"It's a tough week for me. Today is my birthday, 54, but Thursday's going to be very hard. It's my last game and its home. It's also my dad's birthday. He's not alive, but it's his birthday. So a lot of things go with it," he said.
The Warriors gave Mortimer a pleasing birthday present on Monday, earning their 11th win of the season and ensuring that the legendary Black Hawk coach will end his career with a winning season.
Black Hawk hosts Monticello, the Six Rivers East champion, on Thursday.
Albany High School was the latest to have a ceremony to pay tribute to the Black Hawk head boys basketball coach, who will be retiring the clipboard after coaching the Warriors the past three decades.
Prior to Monday's game, Albany head coach Derik Doescher read a brief statement about Mortimer and what he has meant to basketball in the Six Rivers Conference and southern Wisconsin. Albany gave Mortimer a certificate of thanks and his own personal seat in the bleachers, engraved "Coach Jerry Mortimer, Black Hawk Basketball, 1981-2009."
"All the things they did for me was great. I'm so humbled," Mortimer said. "It tells me that maybe people did take notice. Coaching is kind of a lonely place. But I have nothing but respect for Albany. What they did was absolute class. Absolutely first class."
On the sign at the entrance to the school was a message for Mortimer as he arrived, thanking him for his years of service.
"The sign outside I didn't see when I came in because it was daylight. I didn't look at it. But someone asked me if I saw it, so I did," Mortimer said.
In one of his final weeks of coaching, Mortimer said that this week may be the toughest of them all.
"It's a tough week for me. Today is my birthday, 54, but Thursday's going to be very hard. It's my last game and its home. It's also my dad's birthday. He's not alive, but it's his birthday. So a lot of things go with it," he said.
The Warriors gave Mortimer a pleasing birthday present on Monday, earning their 11th win of the season and ensuring that the legendary Black Hawk coach will end his career with a winning season.
Black Hawk hosts Monticello, the Six Rivers East champion, on Thursday.
