Former Wahconah Coach Honored by MIAA
AMHERST, Mass. — Former Wahconah High School boys basketball coach Ed Ladley was presented with the Sherman A. Kinney Awardon Saturday for his Outstanding Contributions to Interscholastic Basketball.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Atheltic Association recognized Ladley for the 42 years he coached Wahconah's program — based in Dalton — presenting him with a plaque at half-time of the Western Mass Division 3 Championship at Curry Hicks Cage on the UMass-Amherst campus.
“It's a really humbling experience to receive such a prestigious award for the history of the MIAA. It's really about basketball, students in school and the MIAA's recognition of activities that foster both sports and sportsmanship in their league,” Ladley said, who was joined by his wife, Rose Marie, during the presentation. Also in attendance were his eight children.
Ladley led his teams to five Western Mass championships in 13 appearances; and more than 60 postseason wins in 32 postseason appearances. In four state final appearances, he helped capture one particularly special title in 1987, as public announcer George Miller recalled during the presentation.
Miller recounted the 1982 Division 2 State Final, during which Wahconah rallied from a 19-point deficit against Boston Tech with less than five minutes to play in the contest to outscore its opponent 21-1 to end the game, in a 58-57 win — prior to the institution of the 3-point line.
As a high school boys basketball coach, Ladley amassed a 516-396 record in 912 career games, all with Wahconah.
According to Miller, Ladley was a unanimous choice by coaches and administrators from across the state to receive the annual award — now in its 20th year.