Some situations in sports – and life – you never forget.

It was many years ago when I first met Coy Stampone. He was a basketball coach in the Nazareth program under then head coach Charlie McGarvey, and we met as instructors at a summer basketball camp at the school.

At approximately 6-foot-4, Coy is an imposing figure with his height and solid stature. But you soon realize he is a genuine, frank individual with his great sense of humor. He is the type of person who will always do you a favor if he can.

Another thing I quickly also noticed is that Coy is a basketball lifer. He was a member of Bangor’s 1977 Colonial League championship team and has relished his relationship with then head coach Bill Pensyl over the years.

He studies and digests the game at every possible angle and loves to talk shop and evaluate players.

Stampone served in various capacities at Nazareth, eventually being a varsity assistant to current coach Joe Arndt until he left to move back home to the Slate Belt to coach at Pen Argyl, where he went 6-16 in one season.

But Stampone wanted to get himself firmly situated, and he did. He became the head coach at Northampton, where he teaches, for the 2012-13 season.

Life in the East Penn Conference (EPC) is never easy and Stampone suddenly found out why it is. His first two years produced 3-19 and 2-20 seasons.

Stampone never wavered.

His ever-optimistic attitude and drive paid off with a 13-10 season in 2014-15.

But Stampone’s teams took another slight nose-dive with 10-12 and 9-13 campaigns the next two seasons, falling out of contention for district berths down the stretch in both seasons and the whispers began.

Is Stampone the right guy for the program? He certainly was doing the right things with his teams playing in fall leagues as well as summer tournaments and team camps.

Stampone’s dedication again paid dividends this winter as his team captured the Lehigh Valley basketball scene with a 13-game winning streak and a last-second win over Bethlehem Catholic, the lone EPC team to beat them in the regular season.

His 16-win squad will face Parkland in the district playoffs this weekend, and a win will guarantee them a spot in the state tournament.

As a journalist, it is not acceptable to openly root for a coach or a team. But for Coy Stampone, I will.

Stampone is one of the good guys in basketball and in life. He has built a foundation at Northampton that can keep the Kids in the upper echelon of the EPC for the next few seasons. Stampone also is a joy to deal with professionally, as he always answers a call or returns it as quickly as possible, no matter what day or time it is.

The summer camp days at Nazareth still stay with me. Here’s hope Northampton stays with Stampone for some time.