ACS Gym - 1978. Any game involving Saints came with it's share of excitement, drama and anticipation. From the moment Saints' bus arrived at the gym, windows foggy from "steam up", to the moment the team entered the gym, fans would be "rocking". The sight of green and white splashed all over the floor made fans go crazy. Singing, cheering, rocking - the noise from excited fans was almost deafening. Saints basketball was never just a game. It was an EVENT! Here, Saints center Boakai Kiahon #22 is taking a shot during warm-up.
ACS Gym - 1978: Boakai Kiahon #22, Saints center and one of the premier "Bigs" in Monrovia at the time, jumps the ball against rival Ndu Adighibe of the Foxes of CWA. Saints forward Bill Findley and shooting guard Kassa Pratt are in position for the jump.
ACS Gym - 1978: Saints center Boakai Kiahon #22, attempts a shot against the Alligators of AME Zion, as the Saints put on another clinic in a 1978 classic. But, no commentary can do justice to this picture better than someone who was there, in the moment.
Below is commentary by Alson Nyema Saba, as he remembers this game:
Great picture! Wow! St. Patrick’s won that game by 8 points. That was my final year at A.M.E. Zion as many of the players on St. Patrick’s. I played as a shooting guard and small forward for A.M.E. Zion in 1978 at 6'. We had a fabulous team, namely: Swallo Stem (c), Olu Blay (c/f), the late Daseline Harris, (pg), Raymond E. Grigsby (sh.g) (VA) and I (Alson Nyema Saba) (NJ) (small forward/ shooting guard). Others: Ian Sheriff (sg) (NJ), late Emery Johnson, Alex Marshall, (USA/Lib) Kodjo Conduah (MD) and to name a few, Coach- Jimmy McCritty, he was as fascinated about my coolness and my shots (3 pointer area-considered as 2pts). Oh yes, my shots were excellent. Driving to the basket was not my cup of tea because of many reasons. By 1980 and up to 1984, A.M.E. Zion took control of HS basketball in Liberia. Thanks to the foundation we built. Also, thanks to you President Stephen Koffa for updating your records and representing St. Patrick’s HS class of ’78; the best of the best class. Another thing, on the right side of that photo (looks like me) and on the opposite was the late Emery Johnson (Alligators) with Kiahon going high to the sky.
