In the world of sports, sudden death usually means the team that scores next breaks the tie and wins the game. Immediately.

Sudden-death scenarios are pretty rare. And often controversial. They generate a sudden victory, an equally sudden defeat, and lifetimes of memories.

The worst example was the 2021 AFC playoff game between Buffalo and Kansas City. The Bills and Josh Allen didn’t touch the ball in sudden-death overtime. The Chiefs won the coin flip and the game 42-36. Patrick Mahomes ended things with a touchdown drive.

Buffalo fans and more were not happy and the NFL changed its overtime rule. Immediately.

Mike Tramuta

It has come to my attention recently that an epic sudden-death basketball game was played some 60 years ago this month in Gowanda.

Memories of that classic boys junior varsity game remain vivid for two participants, one a coach, the other a player.

The game stands as a time-tested example of coaching leadership.

Tim Bobsein has generously offered his thoughts on his 1964-65 Gowanda Central School junior varsity team and its first-year coach, OBSERVER columnist Mike Tramuta.

In an email in response to my call for reader recollections and submissions, Bobsein outlined a memorable 10-6 season with the then-recent Fredonia State grad and former Dunkirk High and Cardinal Mindszenty multiple-sport standout Tramuta.

The Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame is located at 15 W. Third St. in Jamestown. Its website is chautauquasportshalloffame.org.

I’ll let Bobsein tell the tale, with a wee bit of editing:

“He was rather intense and I was never on a team that improved so much in a season. First game was against Dunkirk and they killed us. Coach was not happy and we got better and tougher.

“Early in the season we went to Jamestown and lost by more than 40 points.

“Practice was not fun, but we got better and tougher. Learned the basics. Passing, cutting, defense, picks, and you have five fouls to give and make sure they are good ones.

“So on a Tuesday Jamestown came to GCS gym. Coach Tramuta gave us the pregame talk and told us he knew we weren’t going to win, just don’t embarrass him. Never heard that from a coach before.

“Right off the bat we go up 10 points at the end of the first quarter and now we hear from coach, ‘You haven’t got this game won yet.’

“I remember we put up six shots, missed them, got the offensive rebounds and shot again. Jamestown got the ball back, and going back to play defense I was expecting an angry coach, but he was cheering us on.

“Jamestown couldn’t figure out what defense we were in. We would change from zone to a combination man-to-man zone after every made foul shot. “Nothing verbal was said and we knew what to do … it was coached into us. We won in overtime and I know that was one of Mike’s sweetest coaching wins. It was one of mine. We did not lose the rest of the year.” Well said, Tim. Vivid recollection. Super submission, thanks.

Coach Mike, meanwhile, has already referenced that very game in one of his must-read OBSERVER weekend columns.

He tells of an initial 60-point loss in Jamestown and then a four-overtime, sudden-death victory at GCS.

Mike writes in his “Coaching in sports, dependency” column in the OBSERVER on Oct. 27, 2018:

“I ended up with seven kids on the team who were willing to put themselves on the line every day and work hard to become better and smarter players.”

“The motivation that this team picked up in two months stunned me later,” he admitted.

“On paper, Jamestown was bigger, stronger, better than us and they knew it. What they forgot about was a player’s heart.

“To make a long story short, the game went into four overtimes/sudden death due to the varsity game.

“I remember telling my center, Doug Lay, who was a quick jumper, and played above his ability, ‘You can get the tip,’ even though their center was 6-foot-6.

“Doug tips the ball to Stan (Jimerson), Stan takes a dribble and lets it go. In it goes to win the game. In all my coaching, I was never prouder of a group of kids who came back and won the game 50-49 in four overtimes/sudden death.

“That type of motivation was to play a key part in my coaching/counseling career, because it’s amazing what can be accomplished when kids/adults don’t care who gets the credit and they are true to themselves as athletes and clients.”

Equally well said, Mike, a highly successful coach for decades and longtime rational emotive behavior therapy counselor.

In fact, you can read Mike’s entire column if you go to the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame website, find his 2020 inductee profile and click down to publications. It’s worth your time. Call it a sudden victory.

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DO YOU have a favorite, funny, weird, best or worst memory of amateur sports refereeing, playing or spectating? Drop me a line at mandpp@hotmail.com and let’s reminisce.

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Bill Hammond is a former EVENING OBSERVER sports editor.