Cougars have family at roots MHS brothers are players, coaches
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2014/02/17/the_princeton_packet/sports/doc52fbdb7470011423087553.txt
From the day he took over as head coach of the Montgomery High boys basketball program, Kris Grundy has always preached the Cougars being a family.
That aspect of the program has certainly been on display this season as a pair of former Cougars water boys are starters on the court, while their older brothers are on the bench as assistant coaches.
”When I got the job, one of the things I really wanted to establish was the whole idea of family and these guys wanting to belong to this team and for this team to stand for so much more than just wins and losses on the court,” said Grundy, whose team improved to 19-0 with a 62-50 win over Ridge on Tuesday night. “I wanted it to stand for lifelong friendship and wanting to be a part of what we’re doing.”
This year, Greg Tarca and Tim Youreneff are senior starters for the Cougars. When they were much younger they could be found on the end of the bench, bringing water to players during timeouts and just loving being around the team. They grew from the days of watching their older brothers play into becoming players themselves.
Pat Youreneff and Kevin Tarca both enjoyed success on the court at Montgomery High before going on to play at the college level. Both are now working in the private sector, but are also part of Grundy’s coaching staff. It’s made for a great year being part of a successful team that includes their younger brothers.
”My dad got me into basketball at a young age,” Tim Youreneff said. “He was a big sports guy and so was Pat. I loved going to the games. I remember when Pat played AAU, I was about 4 years old and I would pretend to be a coach and I’d wear a suit and bring a clipboard.
”I think it is also special for my parents having watched Pat’s games and now it is my last year of high school and watching me play. It’s been special for the whole family. The season has been so much fun. And to have Pat there with me experiencing every game and being by my side, it is really cool.”
Pat Youreneff, a 2005 Montgomery graduate, enjoyed a successful college career at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and currently works in HR for inVentiv Health in Somerset. But he always felt like he would get back into basketball at some point.
”I thought I would want to get into it sooner or later,” he said. “Coach Grundy called me right before the season and asked if I would be interested in helping out and one thing led to another and I wound up coaching the freshmen. The first couple years I coached I worked out the schedule so I could coach the freshmen, so I was here for everything. The first two years I coached freshmen and the last two years I have been assistant varsity.”
That meant getting to coach his younger brother on the freshman team and now, as a varsity assistant.
”I never really thought about it that I would be coaching him,” Pat said. “I actually coached him as a freshman and it was tough coaching your brother because you don’t want people thinking you’re playing favorites. I feel like I’ve always been hard on him so people understand there is no favoritism going on. It’s been an unbelievable experience watching him grow as a player.”
Like the younger Youreneff, Greg Tarca grew up watching his older brothers TJ and Kevin play for the Cougars. He knew someday he’d be on the court just like they were.
”When I was a water boy I’d always dream about my name being on the board and I’ve always looked forward to being where he was at some point in time,” Greg said.
Kevin Tarca, who played at Quinnipiac and now works for the Gazelle Group in Princeton, joined the coaching staff last year. For the past two seasons he has had the chance to coach his brother and watch him grow as a player.
”It is pretty unreal,” said Kevin, a 2008 MHS grad whose sister Megan was also involved with the program as a three-year member of the stat crew. “I get flashbacks of him when I was a senior and he was the water boy. We have a picture at home that just kind of summarizes it with me on the bench and he was real little and delivering the water.
”To flash forward seven or eight years it is crazy to see him grow up into the player and kid that he is and to be able to contribute to the program is really neat. It’s nice to see that he really turned into something to be proud of.”
The Youreneff and Tarca brothers are part of a special season this year for the Cougars. The team is 19-0 and the No. 2 seed in the Somerset County Tournament. The Cougars will host 10th-seeded Bound Brook in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
”It’s pretty surreal,” Greg Tarca said. “At the beginning of the year we knew we had something special. Everything has come together in our last year with the program. I’m sure Kevin will still be involved. This is my last year playing in the program and it’s great to have this kind of season.”
It’s been a special year not only during games, but each and every practice as well as the brothers work together towards a common goal.
”It’s pretty awesome,” Greg Tarca said. “But at the same time I think it would be pretty weird without him being here.”
Added Tim Youreneff: “Freshman year (Pat) was tough on me but I think I needed that and it made me a better player. It’s cool now. I remember being the water boy at his games and watching him play and now he is on the bench watching me play, so it is special.”
Which all brings Grundy’s mantra of family to the ultimate level.
”The foundation for the whole idea of ‘Family’ started my first year when Kevin Tarca was a sophomore,” Grundy said. “My seniors that year were Chris Fischer, Chris Rogers, Dupree Wade and Doug Mallett. I still hear from those guys all the time. It has become exactly what I envisioned it to be.”
But even Grundy may have had trouble envisioning a season quite like this one, which has been as special as it gets.
”You really have to make a conscious decision to just stop and enjoy the moment,” Pat Youreneff said. “You have to take a step back every once in a while to just appreciate it.”
