Joe Gallagher, the lovable Irishman (yes, that is redundant) from St. John’s of Washington, D.C. didn’t mind being interrupted at the buffet line when the person greeting him said, “Coach, don’t know that I’ve seen you since the ’85 championship game.”

Gallagher didn’t blink: “We ran the three-stack offense. We ran the four-stack to get into the game the night before, but I figured Morgan would have tape so we went back to three.

“We had Mike Tate and Mark Daly ... Danny Ferry’s last game for Morgan. Danny’s dad Bob still gives me hell about it.”

At the expense of his former pupil and lifelong friend Morgan Wootten, Joe Gallagher laughed with love and joy on that 1985 March evening when his Cadets handed DeMatha a 61-60 setback in the ACIT title game. And he remembered gladly within a twinkle of his eye, for the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament brings us some of life’s most cherished and wonderful memories.

Thus, there was much laughter, there was much love, there was much joy, and there was much melancholy and more than a few tears on Friday afternoon when the ACIT wished itself a happy 50th birthday.

“You all really deserve this,” Wootten told the full house at Cumberland Country Club. “It’s the nicest tournament I’ve ever been associated with.

“It really explains the quality of a person who does something for somebody who can’t pay him back. You’re doing something for people who can’t pay you back.

“Keep it going. I love you all.”

Former Cathedral coach Mark Walton, who might as well be known as Canada’s Minister of Basketball, said of one of his former players, “Peter Giftopolous. You know him. He played here on our ’84 team. He played football for Penn State and intercepted Vinny Testeverde to prevent Miami from winning the national championship game. He’s been everywhere. He’s been on worldwide TV, he’s been in Sports Illustrated. I asked him recently, ‘All of the things you’ve done, and places you’ve been, everything you’ve experienced. What is your best time in athletics?’ And he said, ‘The ACIT.’

“He absolutely did.”

Members of the 1961 LaSalle team, the ACIT’s first host team, who were there were Mike Long, Phil Barbe, Vince Cantone, John Harden, John Sloan, Carroll Wilt, Bill Stakem and Mrs. Marian Geatz, widow of the LaSalle coach, George Geatz.

Members of the 1967 and 1968 Bishop Walsh teams present were Glenn Cross, George Geatz, Rick Scaletta, Bob Harden, Dave Donahoe, Kevin Mattingly and coach Rick Harris. What fine memories these good gentleman bring to so many of us here in Cumberland.

Speaking of an ACIT memory, did you know Cumberland City Councilman Pete Elliott officiated in the first ACIT in 1961? Did you know he was one of four officials for the entire weekend, and did you know the four officials would work every other game through the course of the weekend? That’s what general chairman Joe Carter said.

“That’s before we paid officials the big bucks the way we do now,” Carter said.

But knowing the late Joe Divico and his friends at Wamba Caravan 89, Pete and his three buddies were overpaid with hospitality and good times.

And speaking of hospitality, Speedy Morris remembered the late John Hoban, his former assistant coach and best friend, who became one of the biggest fans and supporters the ACIT ever had. He paid a heartfelt tribute to his equally dear friend Divico and thanked everybody in attendance for “memories I will never ever forget.”

Speedy said, “There’s a guy in heaven right now who is looking down and who is very proud. I am so thankful Joe Carter and his committee have continued the fine tradition of my friend Joe Divico of having the finest tournament of any kind on planet earth.

“My wife Mimi and I raised our kids through the ACIT. It’s been a big part of my life and it always will be.”

And with that, the lights were dimmed and the slide show began to the tunes of “Memory” and “The Way We Were,” and a montage of ACIT memories appeared on the screen before us. So many old faces who wore young faces then. So many caring, giving, loving people. So many familiar faces of folks we love, and too many familiar faces of folks we love, but dearly miss.

Because of this tournament, this weekend, this fellowship, this love and this joy, we lived the Jim Valvano code once more as we laughed, we spent time in thought, we had our emotions moved to tears, and we cried.

And when the lights came on, we looked at one another through our puffy red eyes, and we realized we didn’t want to go home.

But wait ... We were home.

Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Write to him at mburke@times-news.com