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Friday, February 1, 2008
Where Are They Now?
Greater Reading, PA
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By: Michael J. Esterly , VYPE
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Photo(s) By: Stacey Jack Edwards
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Stacey Edwards (Jack)
School: Kutztown High School
Accomplishments
All County Selection 1981, 1982, 1983
2,034 total points scored at Kutztown High School
1983 Rhodes Trophy - Outstanding Girl Basketball Player in Berks County
Honorable Mention - National High School Girls Basketball All- America Team
County Champions 1982, 1983
48 points scored in single game (Kutztown High School)
3-time All Conference Selection (Manhattan College)
GTE Academic All-American
Basketball Co-Captain (Manhattan College)
Wagner Tournament MVP
Elected to MAAC All Tournament Team
INDUCTIONS:
1999 High School Hall of Fame
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Scoring 1000 points in a high school basketball career is a feat that places an athlete on a cherished pedestal, enshrined among the elite scorers in county history. A 2000 point output is almost unheard of, only a handful of players in Berks County have managed to climb to this plateau. Kutztown High School basketball phenom Stacey (Jack) Edwards is one of these exceptionally skilled individuals.
Stacey graduated in 1983, but not before compiling a total of 2,034 points for the Cougars. This made her the first female to score 2,000 points not only at Kutztown High but in all of Berks County. She also eclipsed the previous single game scoring records of both Kutztown and Berks County by netting 48 points against Brandywine in 1983. Stacey collected numerous other accolades in her storied tenure at Kutztown, including three all-county selections, the 1983 Rhodes Trophy for best girls’ basketball player in Berks County, and an honorable mention nod to the National High School Girls’ Basketball All-America Team.
Stacey’s fondest memories from her playing days are the experiences of playing for head coach Dean Lengel and the county championship triumph against Reading High during the 1982 season. “We got to play them in our back yard,” said Jack. The game was held at Kutztown University, just around the corner from the high school. “Reading was undefeated and favored heavily in that game” she added. The following year, (Jack) Edwards guided the Cougars to a second straight county championship by defeating Muhlenberg.
Following high school, Stacey left the idyllic countryside of Kutztown and headed for New York City where she attended Manhattan College to continue her studies as well as her basketball career. “It was different from home because there weren’t as many trees” she noted. Remarkably, her sister-in-law, Brandywine Heights girls’ basketball coach Donna Jack, played at Manhattan during the same time that Stacey did. During her collegiate basketball career, sophomore through senior years, Stacey received All Conference and All Academic Awards. In her senior year, she played an important role in helping her team qualify for the famous NCAA tournament. They traveled to Durham, North Carolina, where they fell to the Duke Blue Devils in the opening round. “They were a lot bigger than the girls on our team. Even though we lost during the first round, I had a good time playing against a top shelf opponent such as Duke.”
Stacey graduated from Manhattan and, in 1992, married Larry Edwards. They live in Madison, New Jersey, where they are raising their two children, Kelly and Troy. Eight years ago, Stacey left her job as a chemical engineer at ABB Lummus Global to become a stay at home parent. Stacey is still involved in basketball, coaching her daughter in her third grade program as well as in a recreational basketball league during the summer.
Stacey keeps in touch with former high school teammate Cindy Hartranst. “We get together once a year to exchange Christmas cards,” said Stacey. While reminiscing about her Kutztown Cougars’ back-to-back County championships, she said, “I still get goose bumps when I think about it.”
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