Palestine Magazine Winter Edition | Page 34

COURTESY PHOTO Legendary Frankston basketball coach Robert Loper was inducted into the Frankston Wall of Honor Sunday evening . Frankston ’ s school district also voted to rename their basketball gym to the Robert Loper Coliseum .
last 28 years . His Frankston teams made the playoffs 19 times .
“ You try to prepare your teams as best as you can , but they have to play on the court ,” Loper said in a 2016 interview .
Loper had some memorable squads over the years . Two standouts include the 1977 Bullard Panthers and the 2002 Frankston Indians . The 1977 Bullard team lost in the regional championship to future Baylor and NBA standout Terry Teagle and his Broaddus squad 54-53 . Broaddus , the defending champion , went on to win another state championship .
In 2002 , Frankston made it to the state title game and lost in the final three seconds to Little River Academy in Austin , 49-48 .
Loper was a three-time All-East Texas Coach of the Year - 2000 , 2002 and 2016 .
Frankston ’ s sports arena was renamed the Robert Loper Coliseum during a special dedication ceremony in December . Many of Loper ’ s former players and some of his assistant coaches joined him at center court as the honor was presented by Frankston ISD board member , Ryan Bizzard , who played for Loper during his high school days in the 1980s .
Fifty years . 917 wins . A community touched by your accomplishments and contributions and a sports arena named in your
PHOTO BY RICK KRETZSCHMAR
Frankston boys basketball player L . A . Bradford ( right ) defends Whitney ’ s Tristan Sadoski ( 24 ) while Frankston coach Robert Loper ( far right ) looks on during Friday ’ s Class 3A area playoff in Corsicana . Bradford scored 16 points while Sadoski had 17 in Frankston ’ s 43-34 win .
honor . Loper was overwhelmed by the honor , but there is no denying the body of work that earned it .
“ Frankston has always been a special place for me ,” Loper said in 2022 . “ For 28 years this community was my home away from home for so long . As a young coach in Bullard , I was told that Frankston supports its kids , and basketball in this community is rooted deep . Frankston has always been a great place for me .” And suffice it to say that Robert Loper has been great for
Frankston .
34 WINTER EDITION 2023