KEN KARRSON: St. Francis' future has gotten brighter

Contrary to public opinion, not all media people revel in being bearers of bad tidings.

There's nothing wrong with good news, provided it isn't fabricated. While we're not made to hold our hand on a Bible and swear to it, I'd like to think most reporters try to adhere to the same whole-truth tenet demanded in courtrooms.

So with that in mind, let me say that St. Francis de Sales basketball is not going to be returning to the Larry Moore salad days anytime soon.

Moore, the man who led the Pioneers to nine straight regional titles during the 1990s and one fourth-place finish in Class A, was honored Tuesday night by being inducted into St. Francis' athletic Hall of Fame. Appropriately enough, the current Pioneers did their part to make the event more memorable as they pulled off a 1-point upset of Brother Rice.

The storyline resembled so many of the Moore era, but it's highly unlikely that it marked the start of a full-blown program renaissance.

Don't get me wrong -- the Pioneers are definitely traveling on the right track. Coach Kevin Wolfe has infused his athletes with a sense of pride, and he's also got a few skilled players in his midst.

The problem is that Wolfe is fighting an uphill battle. There's probably never going to be the kind of talent pool necessary to lift St. Francis into -- and, more importantly, keep it in -- the upper echelon, a sad fact of life at a school saddled with a severely reduced enrollment.

Once upon a time, St. Francis was a very viable educational option for families whose livelihoods were tied to East Side industry. However, most of those blue-collar jobs long ago disappeared, and along with them a hefty chunk of the student population.

Unfortunately, Kevin Wolfe can't alter that scenario. Nor could Gene Pingatore or Morgan Wootten if either man was in Wolfe's position.

While being interviewed about Moore, Wolfe said the former's past efforts were especially notable since the program's "been down for so long." But even Moore acknowledged that "based on (today's) enrollment, it would be awfully tough to have that (same level of) success."

St. Francis is also victimized by its lack of name recognition. It's a small fish in the Catholic League pond, and a number of the bigger schools are usually going to get first dibs on the basketball talent.

That's the reason Wolfe and his staff deserve a lot of credit for what the Pioneers have already accomplished. Personally, I'd love to see St. Francis experience a true revival because Wolfe is a good guy, and he's putting in the necessary work to try to create a buzz around his program.

Success, though, needs to be kept in perspective. Wolfe has gotten the Pioneers up off the canvas -- if they can string together some .500-or-better records, consider his a job very well done.

One thing's for sure, however: St. Francis' future is brighter than it has been in a long time. And that's the truth.

This column is solely the writer's opinion. Reach him at kenneth.karrson@nwi.com.