Date: Fri 09-Jul-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

Owen-Gallagher

Full Text:

Owen Gallagher -- Hall of Fame 1999

BY KIM J. HARMON

When Owen Gallagher retired from coaching the Newtown High School girls'

basketball team back in March of 1992, he told The Newtown Bee with a chuckle,

"Now I can sit up in the stands with everybody else and yell at the refs."

But he hasn't exactly done that. Now, during the winter months, he can be seen

quietly manning the clock at the scorer's table during the Lady Nighthawks'

home games.

Basketball is just in his blood.

As is field hockey and jump roping and slo-pitch softball, just to name a few

of the things coach Gallagher has been involved with during his time in the

Newtown school system.

It is probably no surprise, judging from the relationship that he had with his

players, that coach Gallagher was there -- on the basketball court or the

field hockey field -- for some of the more momentous moments in the history of

Newtown High School sports.

"Coach Gallagher is more than a coach," said Lynn Lattanzio during the team's

banquet in March of 1992. "He's really more like a father to every person on

the team. We knew that we could call and talk to him about things in the

spring, or summer, or whatever. It didn't have to be basketball season."

In January of 1988, coach Gallagher watched as his girls -- possibly for the

first time ever -- defeated Masuk in basketball on a buzzer-beater by Marty

Huntingdon.

And in February of 1989, coach Gallagher was once again on the court as the

Lady Indians defeated the Pantherettes, 35-32, for what would be the last time

until February of 1998. Despite being blown out by 29 and 20 points during the

regular season back in 1989, coach Gallagher devised a plan to slow down the

Masuk offense ... and it worked.

After that season, in which the Lady Indians finished 17-9 and went to the

finals of the old Western Connecticut Conference (where they lost to 20-1

Immaculate), coach Gallagher was named WCC Coach of the Year. After the loss

in the WCC Finals, the Lady Indians defeated Simsbury and West Haven in the

CIAC Class LL state tournament and then squared off with Southington in a

three-overtime epic battle that saw the Lady Indians fall, 56-54, despite 30

points from Kasey Keating.

Coach Gallagher wound up his career on the hardcourt following a 13-8 season

in 1991-92 ... the final year in the career of Lynn Lattanzio, the school's

all-time leading female scorer.

But he wasn't through with coaching. Oh no, there was still the field hockey

team to consider. He spent two years as a junior varsity coach before moving

up to the varsity level in the fall of 1991 and his impact was just about

immediate.

After a 1-11-2 record under Kristine Kautz in 1987, the Lady Indians went

three seasons without recording a single victory until the fall of '91, when

the Lady Indians finished 5-7-2 and took second in the Briggs Division.

After a 2-11-1 campaign in 1992, coach Gallagher retired from that position as

well ... but only for five years, it turned out. Coach Gallagher returned to

the sidelines in the fall of 1997, trying to spark a team which continued to

struggle. After a 3-9-2 record in '97, coach Gallagher had the Lady Nighthawks

heading towards great things.

In the fall of 1998, in what would be his final year as mentor of the program,

coach Gallagher led the Lady Nighthawks to a record of 4-7-4, which lent them

their first CIAC state tournament berth in 17 years. And there, they defeated

Windsor, 1-0, in quadruple-overtime before losing to No. 1 Simsbury, 1-0, in

the first round.

Even beyond basketball and field hockey, coach Gallagher has been involved in

sports in some form or another.

Looking back to 1976 ... he was a member of the Newtown Police team which

finished undefeated at 14-0 and captured the Newtown Slo-Pitch B Division

championship.

And looking further back, to 1966 ... he was selected by the Parks and

Recreation Department to replace Harold S. DeGroat as the part-time Director

of Town Recreation. In a front page story in The Bee, it was written that Owen

Gallagher was a counselor for the trainable retarded at the Summer Camp in

Canaan, New York, and served as basketball official for the Westport

Recreation League and the Willimantic Men's League. He also assisted with the

New Haven High School track and field team and was active with the regional

YMCA in Ridgefield and Newtown as instructor in gymnastics and swimming for

the handicapped.

Owen Gallagher has touched the lives of many young athletes in the town of

Newtown and has made a positive impact on all. And for that, he has been

selected to the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame.