After considering playing either football or basketball in college, standout Tyrone senior Damon Gripp has officially chosen the hardwood, finding a new home on the Lock Haven University Bald Eagle basketball team.

In his senior year, Gripp was named the Altoona Mirror Basketball Player of the Year and also named to the first-team of the Pennsylvania Football Writers Class 3A All-State Team.

While Gripp racked up the accolades as a wide receiver the past two seasons, basketball was always his first love and his top choice for college athletics. 

“I’m excited for this new experience, and a new atmosphere to take my game to the next level,” said Damon Gripp.

Gripp led the Golden Eagles to a 17-3 record and a Mountain League Championship in 2021. 

He averaged up to an impressive 21.8 points a game, finishing with 392 points on the season, capping off a very successful 1000+ point varsity career. 

With Gripp heading onto the next level for his basketball career, it’s a bittersweet moment for his dad, George Gripp, who was also Damon’s high school head coach. 

George Gripp had the privilege to coach his son through all four years of high school basketball. And the team he coached was especially close, having grown up playing travel ball together, with several of Damon’s teammates graduating with him in the Class of 2021.

“I will miss coaching the entire senior class. I have been coaching that group longer than any other group that has come through Tyrone,” said George Gripp. 

As both his coach and his dad, Coach Gripp is happy with his son’s decision to attend Lock Haven.

“Lock Haven has a solid team who plays in a very competitive PSAC Conference. Damon really likes the coach and more importantly, Coach Nestor really wanted him to come there. Their style of play is a good match for him,” said Coach Gripp.

Damon stressed that he has had a lot of support over his years from his family, friends, the community, and especially his dad.

“My dad helped me a lot by taking me to the gym and setting up practices for me and my brother,” said Gripp. 

Over the years Gripp also trained out at Core and Dorman’s Sports Performance for speed and quickness, with various basketball trainers, and spent a summer training with a former NBA player. Most summers he was playing on two AAU travel teams plus practicing on his own for countless hours.   

Gripp said this coming season he wants to improve on every aspect of the game and get to know the program. 

Lock Haven’s last basketball season was canceled due to COVD, but in the 2019-20 season they finished with a record of 12-15. 

The Bald Eagles also made their second straight playoff appearance in 2019-20 and managed a 9-13 record in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. The Bald Eagles also upset two nationally-ranked teams, West Chester (12) and  Shippensburg (24), for the first time in LHU history. 

Gripp is hoping to become a key player for the Bald Eagles in his coming years and can’t wait to start the next level of his basketball career.