By STEFAN GESTWICKI
OBSERVER Sports Report
Not two months ago, Rob Genco and Jerome Moss were pacing the sidelines at Karl Hoeppner Field working together as the head coach and assistant coach of the Dunkirk Marauders football team.
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Genco has returned back to Silver Creek to lead the Black Knights on the basketball court while Moss once again helms the Marauders.
On Monday night, the two led their respective teams in a non-league basketball clash at the new gymnasium at Dunkirk High School.
"After this game I'm going to want nothing but wins for Dunkirk," Genco said. "Just not tonight."
This past football season was Genco's first as Dunkirk's head coach. When he got the job, he quickly called Moss to join his staff.
"Experience," Genco listed as Moss' biggest coaching advantage. "He's been around the game a lot longer. He's made more adjustments at both ends of the floor. There's nothing he hasn't seen. I've been doing this for 10 years and he's been doing it a lot longer than that."
As close as he is to his Dunkirk athletes, Genco had no trouble coaching to beat the Marauders.
"It's not tough for me because this is what I do," he explained. "This is what I focus on. I hope it's a competitive game that the two teams use to get ready for a great season."
That's easy for Genco to say as he puts a powerful Silver Creek team on the floor night after night.
"This team we're bringing here today has a quiet confidence about them," Genco added. "We're pretty focused."
Knowing each other's coaching techniques in football doesn't necessarily mean anything on the basketball court.
"I've known Coach Moss for several years and he has his players running a system the same way we do," he continued. "They do it well and you have to play well to beat them. We really want to win tonight."
When the game is over, Moss and Genco will go back to helping each other in any way that they can.
"Absolutely," Genco agreed. "We already have been asking each other about teams we've scrimmaged. I'm not better than anyone else to not take advice. If I ever need anything, he's a guy I can go to."
Both coaches made it quite clear that while they are the head coaches, this game is Dunkirk vs. Silver Creek, not Moss vs. Genco.
"That said," Genco added, "I'm coaching against kids that I've built great relationships with. We're excited. The kids are excited. It's good clean fun and the competition will be great."
Silver Creek won the game, 90-70.
