When Jasper, only a couple months removed from , first walked in to the athletic director’s office more than 35 years ago and told the director he would like to coach, he was informed the school would be soon starting a girls’ basketball program. If Jasper coached the girls for a year, the director would give him a boys JV team to work with the following year. “I thought wow, what a great deal,” Jasper says. However, after three days of watching the girls practice, Jasper walked back into the director’s office and said, “All bets are off, I’m staying with this.” Now, 35 years later, Jasper says, “It’s been the greatest run ever.”

Although he says every team he has coached has been exceptional, this one clearly holds a special place in Jasper’s heart. “Rarely do you have a team this charming,” Jasper said. “That’s a strange word to use for basketball. Usually you talk of tenacity, or intensity, or focus, but this team really was charming. People who watched us play were charmed by both the grace in which the game was played, and the intricacies of which were emphasized. As we went through to win the county championship and started the state tournament run, the people following us grew. They got into this because it was just such good, good basketball.”

“The kids on this team are so special,” Jasper said, “very humble, very unassuming. They don't look that intimidating, but they played with such a passion. The basketball that they played was just gorgeous to witness.”

The team is unusually close, perhaps because the nine seniors have been playing along side each other for so long. “Some only got short moments on the floor,” Jasper said of the nine girls graduating this year. “But each one was a critical and integral part of what we did, because of the energy they brought to practice, the attitude they brought, and their understanding of what their roles are.”

Tina Pinelli, one of the seniors on the team said the championship was made all the more special because of how tight the group is and that they were able to accomplish it together. “We are such a close-knit team,” said Pinelli. “Usually there's seniority, but on our team, we're all friends, whether we're freshman, or sophomores, or seniors.” Mary Beierle, a senior guard, credits the team’s closeness for its success. “All of us are friends on and off the court and I think that translated itself onto the court. That's why we play so well together. Every day at practice every single one of us put everything out there. And when it's game time that's how we played too.”

It is rare that a team’s roster has three sisters, let alone three sisters as talented as the Elys are. Their mother, Laura Dougherty, also played basketball for Pascack Valley under Coach Jasper, who calls her “the greatest player to ever play here.” Jasper describes the three sisters, Sara, a senior, Maggie, a junior, and Terry, a sophomore, as “talented, competitive, and skilled.” Sara, who wore the same number her mother did, scored a team high 15 points a game, with 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

Rebecca Lynch missed almost her entire junior season last year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament or ACL, a serious knee injury. She returned this season to score 14 points, snare 11 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. Jasper described Lynch’s play as “truly eye popping” and said, “Through her own perseverance not only did she return, but she returned better than the incredible player she was prior to her injury. In spite of her ACL, as the season went on she just got stronger and better and better.”

Mary Beierle is the third Beierle daughter to have played for Jasper, and it was the 12th straight year a Beierle was on the team. Cassie, 25, graduated in 2000 and Dana, 21, graduated in 2004. Jasper characterized the sisters as “great leaders,” and joked “ I feel a little bad for the parents after 12 years of going through this, I don't know what they're going to do now.”

When speaking of his 800 career wins, Coach Jasper becomes very humble. The number “embodies every kid that I've ever coached, every family that's ever been involved,” Jasper said. “I'm very honored to have won this many games. I know that I'll be coaching for many, many more years. It's what I do. I love coaching, and I love teaching. Nobody has a better gig.” Senior Kierstien Arvelo explained why the milestone was an important one for the team. “We were here for his 700 win, and it’s just awesome to be here for 800. He totally deserves it. We all respect him so much.”

Two of the seniors will be playing college basketball next year. Lynch was awarded a full scholarship to St. Peter’s College, and Sara Ely will be playing for the University of Pennsylvania .

Although many of the familiar faces will be gone, the team hopes to continue its success, and every one of the players will take with them lasting memories of this past season. “I don’t think we could’ve asked for anything more,” Pinelli said. “It was the perfect season.”

Megan Burrow's e-mail address is burrow@northjersey.com.