Steve Powell coached his greatest teams in the early 2000s. The players were local celebrities and their names still resonate.
Jerry Johnson. Perry Patterson. Dustin Salisbery. They brought home two District Three championships. They created enough memories to fill a dozen scrapbooks.
Everyone wanted to be part of the Red Tornado back then. To wear one of the warmups that Powell bought for the boys was considered a badge of honor.
“It was like being a rock star,” said Brandon Way, who graduated in 2003. “Everywhere you went, people recognized you.”
McCaskey named its court after the longtime coach before a Lancaster-Lebanon League game against Lebanon Friday night. The ceremony was a reminder of the glory days and was a celebration of a legendary basketball figure.
Head coach Dustin Salisbery, right, gives a hug to Gloria Campbell, the widow of late head coach Steve Powell, after McCaskey dedicated the court in Powell’s honor before the team takes on Lebanon in an L-L League Section One boys basketball game at McCaskey High School in Lancaster on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.
CHRIS KNIGHT | Staff Photographer
Powell arrived at McCaskey in 1972 as a volunteer assistant under Pete Horn. “Bird,” as people called him, took over the varsity in 1993 and remained on the sideline until his death in 2018.
There were 468 wins, the most in L-L history, along the way. Powell’s imprint on the city went far beyond numbers.
Tony Jefferson, a member of the Class of 1996, was among the many alumni who filled Shultz Transportation Gym to honor his mentor.
“He was a very important person to me outside of basketball,” Jefferson said. “He was a father figure to a lot of us. This was a family reunion. He was about family and keeping us all connected.”
Powell discovered basketball when his older sister, Ethel, took him to watch one of Chester High’s games in the 1950s. From that day forward, he wanted to become a member of the Clippers.
The next stop was Millersville, where Powell served as a captain, was all-conference and was a scholar-athlete. He’s a member of MU’s Hall of Fame.
Powell arrived at McCaskey shortly after graduating from college and never left. The character known for his colorful sweaters spent 46 years with the Red Tornado.
“Each season was very special to him,” said Gloria Campbell, Powell’s life partner. “Everything at McCaskey was special to him.”
Once Powell put down roots in Lancaster, he tried to make a difference. He owned two businesses, Powell Steel and the Bird’s Nest restaurant, and often gave jobs to his players.
Carlos Montgomery graduated from McCaskey in 1986, when Powell was an assistant. The Chester great could still play in those days. Bird was a lights-out shooter with a wide wingspan that was the inspiration for his nickname.
“He was always a motivator and always positive,” Montgomery said. “He was just a great guy to be around who always looked out for the team and for individuals beyond school.”
Fans who attended McCaskey’s win against Lebanon were greeted by a photo of Powell above the entrance. The recognition was long overdue.
Casey Jones, a close friend of Powell’s and a former School District of Lancaster board member, said former athletic director John Mitchell initiated the idea to name the court in the coach’s honor.
“I don’t think anyone can deny that Coach Powell was a very significant member of this community,” Jones said. “Even though he didn’t play for McCaskey, he believed in McCaskey throughout.”
Powell guided the Red Tornado to nine of their record 14 league titles, along with district championships in 2000 and 2002. Nine of the Red Tornado’s 12 1,000-point scorers played when he was head coach.
Jefferson said alumni used to come home at Thanksgiving and Christmas for pickup games against the current team.
Powell built a bond that lasted beyond graduation by loving his players and having tough conversations with them.
“He knew how to adapt to us,” Jefferson said. “He knew our parents. He knew where we lived and he knew what we’d been through.”
Way watched in amazement when Powell brought standouts like Ty Ballard to Hamilton Elementary to throw down dunks and inspire the younger students. There was no doubt Way wanted to be part of McCaskey lore someday.
Salisbery was in eighth grade when he met Powell at an AAU tournament. The first topic between the two of them was Salisbery’s grades.
Two years later, Salisbery transferred from Lampeter-Strasburg and became part of the Red Tornado’s golden era.
McCaskey’s first victory on Steve Powell Court was Salisbery’s third as McCaskey’s coach.
“He was a great man,” Salisbery said. “Outside of being a coach, he really helped out a lot of players with their lives. That’s my greatest story about him.”
Men who haven’t worn the red and black uniform for decades returned to recognize Powell. It was important for them to be there Friday night.
“You couldn’t find a nicer guy,” Montgomery said. “He’d give you the shirt off his back.”
That, more than records and championships, is what Powell meant to McCaskey.
Steve Powell with assistant coach Mike Mitchell on McCaskey’s bench in 2008.
VINNY TENNIS | Staff Photographer
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