Herzog: Glenn coach Shanahan gives praise to dad

The hugs were coming from all angles. First, Glenn coach Dave Shanahan turned to his assistants as the final seconds ticked down and gave each of them a hug. Then, after the ritual water dousing, player after player embraced the coach. In his 16th season, Shanahan had just won his and the school's first Long Island championship.

Friends and family joined the hug parade.

"I feel like I'm at the highest point," Shanahan said. Then he paused. He knew there was one hug he wasn't going to get.

"I wish he was with me,'' he added. "He meant so much to me."

Shanahan's father, Adrian, died of progressive brain cancer on Sept. 18, 2009, at the age of 65. "No doubt, he's watching right now," the son said.

Adrian Shanahan was the No. 1 fan of all the Shanahan brothers. He attended nearly every Glenn game that Dave coached.

"His dad was his most loyal fan," said Dave's wife, Jennifer. "I met Dave 24 years ago, and his father was at every game back then. He was so unselfish. He even gave Dave the courtesy of playing that game on Sept. 18 before he passed. It was as if he was waiting for Dave and his brothers to be there with him."

One of those brothers, Patrick, was on the field for last night's postgame celebration.

"Oh my God! He would've loved this moment," Patrick Shanahan said. "He knew this was the pinnacle for Dave. He would've been right here. He'd have been on the phone every day before the game. That's the hardest thing - not to be able to talk to Dad."

According to Jennifer Shanahan, Adrian's presence was in the air last week when the Knights defeated Babylon, 34-26, to win the Suffolk Division IV championship. At halftime, Babylon led 26-21.

"The number 26 is very big in the family," Jennifer said of the jersey number worn by all the ball-playing Shanahan brothers, including Doug, for whom the number was retired for lacrosse at both Sachem and Hofstra.

She added, "I looked at the scoreboard at halftime and said, 'Dad's here. That's the number. It's not moving. It's staying.' "

Sure enough, the Panthers did not score again and Glenn rallied to earn its first trip to the LIC.

"The '26' stayed up there,'' she said. "That was Dad watching over us. He was the most wonderful, loyal and unselfish man."

Dave Shanahan said he thinks "about Dad every single day" and couldn't help but wonder how much his father would've enjoyed the Knights' 28-7 victory over Seaford.

"He liked the line play," Dave said. "He would've been watching how the guys blocked for [Ryan] Rielly and how they stopped Seaford in the second half."

And, of course, Adrian Shanahan was always watching his sons.

"He was either walking the sidelines or coaching us or watching from the stands," Dave said. "He very rarely missed a game for any of us. It's a very comforting feeling when your parents are your No. 1 fans . . . The No. 1 thing I got from him was that the things you learn in football are the things that'll last a lifetime. His philosophy was that sports exposes you to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, and you have to learn to control yourself either way. Dad taught us to do things the right way."

Maybe that's why Shanahan was joyous but not delirious last night. He was gracious in his praise of Seaford and its coach, Rob Perpall. He smiled a lot but didn't scream.

About the only time he raised his voice was when the team picture was being taken. From the left side of the frame - he deliberately did not make himself the center of attention - Shanahan pointed to the players and yelled: "It's all about you guys! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Adrian Shanahan would've been proud.