The metro-east lost several quality people in the last few days.
In addition to the sad news about the death of former St. Louis University men's basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour came word of the passings of former Belleville East boys basketball coach, boys golf coach and athletic director Jim Reynolds, Collinsville High All-American basketball player Terry Bethel and Collinsville booster Frank Brada.
Reynolds, 60, arrived in Belleville about two months before I did in 1985. He was the first Lancers basketball coach I dealt with on a regular basis, and although his teams never were blessed with an abundance of talent, Reynolds always maintained professionalism in his dealings with the media. It wasn't easy for him to deal with the losses, particularly after coming from Crete-Monee, where his teams thrived. But it didn't stop him from doing what he could, and he was never defeated by his situation. I hadn't talked to Reynolds much in the last few years since he retired, but he remained a fixture at Belleville East and it was always good to run into him and say hello. He will be missed by many, many people.
Bethel, 72, died in Simpsonville, S.C., after battling cancer. He was the first All-American at Collinsville and was the best player on the Kahoks' team in 1956-57 that finished runner-up to Herrin in the state tournament. Longtime Collinsville fans have distinct memories of Bethel, a smooth 6-foot-7 post player who used finesse to confound anyone who tried to guard him. I wish I had been able to watch him play, but he was long before my time. I can only trust the comments of many who say he was one of the best players to ever wear the purple and white.
Brada, 86, was a shy man who shunned any kind of attention, but he was a father-like figure and mentor to many Collinsville basketball players until the early-2000s. Brada handed out advice to young players and spent much of his own money to provide them with anything they might need — shoes, a meal, a little bit of change in their pocket, etc. He was always there for the players if they needed to talk — becoming sort of a middle man between them and former Collinsville coach Bob Bone. For many years, Brada was in charge of the Collinsville statistics team. Typically, they were high-school girls who were trained how to keep stats. Frank was always proud of them and their accuracy. One year, Frank continually approached me to do a story on the girls. I was at the Collinsville Herald at the time and Frank said it was an especially good group of girls. Well, I did the story and it was the only time Frank agreed to be quoted in the paper.
