The controversy swirling around Apache Paschall continued two days after his death Thursday.
The decisions by Bishop Ford and Christ the King administrations to decline to play against Nazareth this week in the wake of the school’s girls basketball coach’s death has Paschall’s family irate. Nazareth and Ford were supposed to play Thursday and Christ the King was supposed to come to Naz on Saturday as part of the school’s Homecoming Day.
Nazareth is seeking forfeits for each, a matter CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens said Wednesday that they would look into after the games did not occur.
“We spoke to everyone at the hospital,” said Elaine Bartlett, Paschall’s mother. “They said they wanted to play. If anyone should be do any type of canceling, it should be coming from us. [The game] would have been a tribute to Apache.”
Paschall’s daughter Nytea, a student at Nazareth, said the team planned on wearing warmup shirts with “Rest In Peace Coach Apache” on them and leaving an open seat at the start of the team’s bench with his trademark towel draped on it. She was so upset about the decision made by Ford’s administration that she said she called principal Frank Brancato, told him she was coming to the Park Slope school and when she arrived there, she said, he had left.
On Wednesday, Ford president Ray Nash told The Post that he didn’t want his team playing Nazareth because Paschall has not yet been buried and “any coach in the CHSAA who passes away, we are going to show respect to that coach. I think he deserves the respect.”
Christ the King president Mike Michel had similar sentiments Thursday. The school made the decision initially under the impression Paschall’s funeral would be scheduled for Saturday and are standing by it.
“We are doing what we think is best for the families, our students and their students,” he said. “That’s what we feel is the right thing to do.”
Paschall’s family and assistant coaches Ron Kelley and Lauren Best are offended that outsiders are attempting to dictate to them what’s right and what’s wrong.
“It’s not about the basketball game,” Kelley said. “It’s not about winning and losing. I don’t care if we lose. It’s not about the competition. This is what they love to do. This is what they know Apache loved to do.”
Added Paschall’s brother, Jamel: “Whatever gift you have in life, that should be how you’re remembered when you’re going to that next plain. That’s how that should be handled. I knew that’s what he would want, because that’s what he was about.”
Paschall’s wake will be next Friday and his funeral the following day at a location yet to be determined. There will also be a fund set up for donations. Nazareth’s next schedule game is Wednesday against Archbishop Molloy and Stanners coach Scott Lagas reportedly has no plans to ask for the game to be moved.
In the meantime, Kelley and Best are searching for an opponent to play Saturday for Homecoming. All the players want to do is play.
“We wanted to play because that’s what Apache would have wanted,” senior guard Darius Faulk said. “Everyone is upset and disappointed.”