WEST SUNBURY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Before a rivalry game with a lot at stake early in the season, members of the Moniteau and Karns City girls basketball teams stood along the baseline, shoulder to shoulder.
They had all signed two basketballs to present to Stacy Martin and Brenda Knoll, two women with deep ties to both communities who are fighting a battle against cancer.
Players, coaches and most of the fans who packed the Moniteau gym wore black T-shirts with a pink ribbon on the front and the words, “In this family no one fights alone,” on the back.
“When Karns City did their ceremony at the school and they all had their strong shirts on, I reached out to Wendy (Yeager Taylor) and asked her, ‘Hey, how can I get some shirts for my girls who want to wear them when they come here?’” said Moniteau girls basketball coach Dee Arblaster.
That idea blossomed into a short ceremony and a presentation of the signed game balls to both the Martin and Knoll families between the junior varsity and varsity game on Wednesday night.
“Our communities are just so tight,” Arblaster said. “We may be bitter enemies when we play, but when it comes down to it, we are very close.”
Knoll has strong ties to both schools.
She graduated from Karns City in 1990 and began her teaching career at Moniteau, where she was a math instructor. After spending many years as a teacher, Knoll became the principal at Moniteau and then at Dassa McKinney Elementary before returning to Karns City.
“I really didn’t know Brenda worked here for so long,” Arblaster said. “She was a principal and all the girls knew her. She was their principal.”
Stacy Martin’s husband, Denny, is a longtime youth football coach in East Brady and has taught physical education at Moniteau since 2004.
Both Knoll and Martin are battling breast cancer.
“It was important that we show support for them because Brenda has done a lot for our community,” Arblaster said. “And so has Mr. Martin and his wife.”
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