Remembering the ‘Polar Bear’
Severna Park’s Gorman was only white player in MEAC when at Morgan
When I spotted an obituary in The Sun about one Jim Gorman, I immediately recognized the name and could not recall why.
Reading the article, I realized the connection was to Anne Arundel County athletics history, of which I am a career chronicler.
I first heard about Gorman from Butch Young, who ranks alongside the likes of Dick Hart (Andover), John Brady (Annapolis) and Tom Albright (Southern) as one of the most legendary boys’ basketball coaches in county history.
Young, who died in November 2019 at the age of 80, coached many great teams during his illustrious
26-year tenure at Meade High. However, the wily old coach always spoke with fond reverence about his 1973-74 Severna Park squad.
Many times, over a few beers at Kauffman’s Tavern, I heard Young describe in great detail all five starters on that team he said was so talented and enjoyed such tremendous chemistry.
Gorman was the glue guy — a rugged power forward who could rebound, defend and score. Young always praised the leadership of Gorman, who had a unique ability to bring his teammates together.
Legendary Morgan State coach Nat Frazier traveled to Severna Park High to scout shooting guard Eric Johnson, who led the team in scoring with 23 points per game. However, Frazier came away more impressed with Maurice Jennings, the 6-foot-4 swingman who averaged 20 points per game.
Frazier felt the versatility and all-around game of Jennings translated better to the Division II level and offered him a scholarship. He also recruited the 6-foot-6 Gorman, who played bigger than his size through strength and toughness.
“Jim moved really well without the basketball and was a strong post-up player. He was also a deadeye shooter from the corners,” Jennings said. “I remember Jim and I signed with Morgan together at his house.”
They were later joined in the recruiting class by Severna Park point guard Jimmy Meade, who was a walk-on. They arrived at Morgan State the season after the Baltimore school lost to Southwest Missouri State in the NCAA Division II championship game.
Marvin Webster, an imposing 7-foot center nicknamed “The Human Eraser” because of his shot-blocking ability, was a senior when the three Severna Park products were freshmen.
Jennings blossomed into one of Morgan State’s all-time greats and still ranks 22nd on the program’s career scoring chart with 1,151 points.
Gorman was the top frontcourt player off the bench for a loaded Bears team featuring Jennings, Eric Evans, Anthony Young and Darrell Davis that captured the 1977 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
Gorman was the only white player in the MEAC and was referred to by the media as Morgan’s “Polar Bear.”
Meade left Morgan after one year and transferred to Frostburg State. Johnson signed with Central Connecticut State then transferred to Bowie State. Wayne Villano was the other starter on that 1973-74 Severna
Park club, which went 18-4 and captured the county championship.
Mark Zick and Kevin Murnane came off the bench as part of a short-handed rotation dubbed “The Magnificent Seven” as the Falcons averaged 85 points per game. Severna Park, ranked No. 4 in the Baltimore-metro area at one point in the season, was upset in the regional playoffs by Arundel and Annapolis went on to capture the Class AA state championship in 1974.
Gorman died Dec. 26 of Multiple System Atrophy, a disease similar to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The Lutherville resident was 64 and had been battling MSA for six years.
Gorman enjoyed a long, prosperous career as a pharmaceutical salesman, primarily as vice president of Lifecell Corporation. He credited the influential role of Morgan State for his business success and was a generous donor to the alma mater.
Gorman, who was an assistant coach with the Bowie State men’s basketball program for a period, helped raise awareness and funds for research into MSA. In 2016, while using a motorized scooter to get around, Gorman made an appearance at Camden Yards prior to a Baltimore Orioles game to bring attention to the disease. He was joined on the field by younger brother Steve Gorman, founding member and longtime drummer of the Black Crowes.
Jennings has been hit hard by the loss of his friend, with whom he remained in close contact until the very end. Jim Gorman moved to Severna Park from Muskegon, Michigan, in 1969 and met Jennings in the sixth grade.
They were classmates at Severna Park and Morgan State, where they were roommates all four years. They were teammates starting at the youth level with the Green Hornets organization.
“Jim and I did everything together growing up and always got along great . ... Jim was hilarious and just loved to laugh. He should have been a comedian,” said Jennings, recalling that Gorman loved to watch The Three Stooges. “Jim was a real people person and had a way of making his friendships last a lifetime. He just knew how to connect with people. I’m really going to miss him.”
AAYFA champs
In early December, The Capital and Maryland Gazette ran a report on the Anne Arundel Youth Football Championship Day that took place the month before.
We had brief reports on the five championship games that highlighted the winning teams and their respective key players. Some readers wonder why we did not include the 8-under division champ.
The Capital Gazette has traditionally covered the AAYFA Championship Day involving the highest level of the organization — known these days as the American Conference. This past season, only four teams registered to compete in the American Conference at the 8-under level.
As a result, the AAYFA Board of Directors decided to have all 8-under teams play in the National Conference for the purpose of developing a more robust schedule.
Severn dominated the division, compiling an 8-0 record without allowing a single point. Jaylen Rodgers led a typically overpowering defensive effort with 15 tackles as the Seminoles posted their eighth shutout in the championship game against the Brooklyn Park Broncos.
Hasan McCoy made 10 tackles, while Kaiden LoPiccolo had a key interception that helped seal a 6-0 victory over the Broncos, who had won the American Conference 7-under championship in 2019.
McCoy and fellow tailback Gavin Willett both had more than 100 rushing yards, while Severn quarterback Charles Gray Jr. scored the game’s lone touchdown on a 5-yard keeper.
Shucobby Dicks, a longtime coach with Severn Athletic Club and past recipient of the Vince DePasquale Memorial Award for dedicated service to youth football, came out of retirement to lead this Seminoles squad.
Bouncing back
Our best wishes go out to Bernie Walter, the longtime Arundel High athletic director and baseball coach who is in more halls of fame than even he can remember.
Walter is back home in Linthicum convalescing after spending 56 straight days in the hospital due to a series of health setbacks. In an email to friends, Walter said the ordeal began Nov. 11 when he suffered a dislocated right hip. Pneumonia, high blood pressure and other issues forced him to remain hospitalized.
“I missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s,” wrote Walter, who was finally released Jan. 5. “At last, I am home with my wonderful wife Barbara.”
Walter remains the all-time winningest public school coach in Maryland history, having compiled a phenomenal 609-185 career record during 37 seasons at Arundel High. He led the Wildcats to 10 state championships, which remains a state record.
Walter was inducted into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and is one of only 16 high school coaches enshrined in the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was a member of the inaugural induction class for the National High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.