Basketball Classic Keeps Brothers' Memory Alive

Saturday marked the 17th annual Rick and Chris Block Memorial Classic. The classic is a night of remembrance, fun and basketball -- a game that both Block men loved very much. 

The classic began after Rick Block was killed in a tragic small plane crash. Just 10 years later, Rick’s brother Chris suddenly died of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). 

HCM is also known as enlarged heart -- a disorder that has been linked in the deaths of former Loyola-Marymount star Hank Gathers, Chicago Bears lineman Gaines Adams and former NBA stars Reggie Lewis, Kevin Duckworth and Jason Collier. HCM occurs in about one in 500 people.  

Both Blocks graduated from Lehigh University and are in the Pennsbury Hall of Fame. Both men also held basketball records that have yet to be eclipsed.

The Rick and Chris Block Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a Pennsbury High School basketball player who best exemplified excellence in academics, community service, leadership and of course basketball. The Block family named Zach Sibel this year’s scholarship winner.

"It’s a great honor," Sibel said. "Both Block’s made a significant impact in the history of Pennsbury Basketball. There’s some amazing athletes that have won it before, and some amazing people that have won it before. It’s a great family, and just an awesome honor."

Molly Phillips, Stephanie Gray and Chris Glennie were the other candidates.

Amy Block-Patterson, a sister of the two Blocks, explained what made this year so difficult to decide a winner.

"Laying all four of these applications on the table, on paper, they were all overqualified. We had four of the most qualified student athletes ever, all with phenomenal GPAs and basketball accolades. It was tough and we relied on testimonies from others. Some other years we don’t have this much competition," Block-Patterson said.

She explained why Sibel walked away with the scholarship.

"He was a huge influence and a strong supporter on the team this year with all the changes that had taken place. He kept a very positive attitude and just really helped the other players, and that’s leadership," Block-Patterson said.

The basketball classic originally began as an alumni game, but it’s been a Beef and Beer for the past couple of years due to a lack of alumni participation. 

The Block family wanted to bring the basketball aspect back into it, and did so with the involvement of the Pennsbury Regional Basketball League (PRBL). PRBL commissioner Jeane Schnitzler organized the basketball aspect of the event.

"We wanted to get the boys of PRBL involved," Schnitzler said. "They wanted to come out and play today and volunteer their time. They’re just a bunch of eager, young boys that want to come out and have a good time for a good cause. They love playing."

"It's about fun and having a good time. I came here to represent the cause," game participant Amin Vora said.

The Pennsbury varsity basketball players handled the duties at the scorer’s table. Sibel offered the play-by-play. He may not of had the soothing voice of the late Harry Kalas, but he entertained the capacity crowd.  

Afterwards, many people headed over to the Da Bar for a Beef and Beer.

The Block family said it wants to express gratitude to the plethora of people who helped make the program possible.