By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
FORK UNION – There hasn’t been an outpouring of appreciation like the one that was held at Thomas Gymnasium at Fork Union Monday night in quite some time.
But there haven’t been too many coaches like Fork Union postgraduate basketball’s Fletcher Arritt.
A capacity crowd of the entire corps of cadets, family members, FUMA faculty, former players, coaches and fans filled Thomas Gym to capacity to honor their mentor and friend Arritt in his final home game at Fork Union.
“It’s not so much about the basketball, it’s about the person,” said FUMA product and former NBA player Shammond Williams.
On Monday, it wasn’t so much about Fork Union’s postgraduate game against Fishburne Military School as it was about celebrating the storied career of Arritt, who is set to retire this year.
The Blue Devils’ coach for more than four decades (42 years as coach and biology teacher) has compiled an astonishing 888-281 record while coaching over 500 players. Arritt recently revealed he has been diagnosed with stage three lymphoma. And although he has undergone chemotherapy treatments, he has hardly missed a beat. While Monday’s game ended with an 80-68 loss to the Caissons, it didn’t overshadow the special evening. Nothing could.
“It’s a blessing and I am very thankful,” said Williams, who played under Arritt in the 1993-94 season. “He taught us how to stay constant; he told us how to stay God-fearing individuals.
“Without coach Arritt, there’s no way I could have gone to the University of North Carolina. The man allowed me to come here and play basketball and I am extremely blessed that I had that opportunity. Even though he’s not my coach anymore, that person I can still call on and rely on. He’s been a blessing in my life for sure.”
FUMA held a 42-41 halftime lead over Fishburne, but it dissipated in the second half. But that was understandable considering the emotional reverence of the night. There were several touching moments spread through the evening that would have made even the toughest military man buckle a bit.
The crowd gave a standing ovation for Arritt and his wife, Betty Jean, when Fork Union presented them with a basketball by longtime friend and colleague Bill Hitchcock that was signed by faculty and coaches. Dave Odom, the former Virginia assistant and Wake Forest coach, gave a presentation on behalf of college basketball. Others of note on hand included Craig Littlepage (UVa’s athletic director), Terry Holland (East Carolina athletic director), Jeff Jones (American coach), Ted Jeffries (former UVa player who played at FUMA), Jason Williford (former UVa player and current Virginia assistant coach), and Mack McCarthy (former VCU coach).
The former players in attendance included Williams, who starred at North Carolina before heading to the NBA, and Harold Deane, who had a brilliant career for the Cavaliers after attending FUMA, when he wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of Matoaca High School.
But nothing was more apropos, than in the waning seconds when the corps broke out into chants of “Coach Arritt and we love Arritt.”
However the celebration had to wait until Fishburne had secured its 17th win of the season.
“Getting beat is worse than chemo,” said Arritt, who’s fierce competitiveness has never waned in 42 years.
But he acknowledged a number of bright spots.
“The atmosphere was great, we had a lot of the old players back and I told somebody I like to laugh at them when I see them coming because a lot of them are overweight,” Arritt said. “I always have fun. It was a big crowd.”
Ron Trapps led the way for the Blue Devils with 19 points while teammate Kion Brown added 14 points and Brandon Neel finished with 10 points.
“We didn’t play up to our capability and that’s what happens when you lose – you don’t play up to your capability,” Arritt said. “That’s how it goes. But in basketball, you can’t win every game. You have good times and you have bad times and fortunately over the years we’ve had more good times than bad times. I guess that’s the reason I’ve been here a long time.”
Arritt, who attended FUMA and then went on to play basketball in addition to running track at Virginia, always attempted to keep the game simple. He told his players the only thing they had to focus on was winning.
“The best part about coaching [at Fork Union] is those five things: you get to work with kids and there’s no interference, the press leaves you alone, the parents leave you alone, there’s no phones and no perfume. So they listen to pretty much what you say.”
The Blue Devils have won 16 games and can say they left Arritt’s final season as a winning one.
“We have four tough games left. We just gotta play harder and do the right things and we’ll be OK, Arritt said.
Arritt’s soul, style and imprint will take FUMA far into the future as Brooks Berry, a former FUMA player and Arritt’s son-in-law, will go from assistant coach to head coach of the postgraduate program in Arritt’s absence.
“It would have been nice to win [tonight],” Berry said. “[I’ve got] big shoes to fill, but I’m honored to have the opportunity to do it. It’s just a wonderful opportunity to first off work at Fork Union but to have a chance carry on the tradition of coach Arritt.”
Berry said Arritt had a huge impact on him on and off the court. On the court, Arritt helped him get the opportunity to play at West Virginia University.
“Off the court, after my parents, he’s been the single most influential person in my life. I married his daughter, so that’s a pretty big impact right there,” Berry said. “[As for tonight,] that’s the way basketball is, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but I think tonight is a great example of the integrity coach Arritt has shown as well. The game didn’t go our way, but he handled himself and led the team in a way that represents the school in a positive way.”
One of many constants in Arritt’s coaching philosophy is that it’s all about the players. One current player, Brown, from Richmond, knows first-hand what Arritt’s influence does to your heart and soul.
“He’s made a huge impact on me since I got here last year,” said Brown, a 6-8 forward. “He got me to where I am right now because he’s been working hard with me. Every day he works with me before practice for about 15 minutes. I’ve got unlimited moves because of him, 20-plus schools recruiting me, and it’s all just because of him. He’s made me a better person and I just love him.”
For now, there is still work to be done. FUMA plays Fishburne again on Friday in the Hargrave Military Invitational, then Princeton next weekend.
They may have come to say goodbye, they may have come to offer support, but the one thing they all walked away with is an even deeper understanding for just how many players and people Arritt has impacted.
