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Machinery fire clears Hanover Township building

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<p>Hanover Area reached into successful programs of past Wyoming Valley Conference girls basketball seasons to fill two coaching vacancies Thursday.</p><p>The Hawkeyes named former two-time Holy Redeemer state semifinalist Chris Parker to guide Hanover Area&#8217;s girls basketball program, while former Meyers girls coach Chris Gray was approved to coach the Hanover Area boys team.</p><p>Both choices were approved during Hanover Area&#8217;s regular board meeting Thursday.</p><p>Ironically, both Parker and Gray are neighbors.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m looking forward to him having a fresh start,&#8221; Parker said of Gray, while echoing the same sentiment about himself. &#8220;Chris and I get along really well. We&#8217;re friends. I think it&#8217;ll work out well that we&#8217;ll both be coaching at Hanover Area, him with the boys team and me with the girls team.&#8221;</p><p>Parker won over 100 games during his five seasons coaching at Holy Redeemer and took the Royals to the PIAA quarterfinals in each of his final three seasons. The Royals were 9-4 in the state playoffs during Parker&#8217;s final four seasons at the helm, reaching the PIAA semifinals in Class 3A in 2014 and in Class 2A in 2015.</p><p>But his program at Redeemer was twice put on probation by the District 2 committee, and Parker also drew heat at the school for lopsided victories. He also coached three seasons at GAR, without making a state playoff appearance.</p><p>Gray was the WVC girls basketball chairman and had a Meyers program with limited numbers among the top three divisional finishers in two of his final three seasons. He wasn&#8217;t re-hired at Meyers for the 2016-17 season after incurring a DUI charge following a trip to watch a Meyers boys basketball game.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a new chapter,&#8221; Parker said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Former Meyers coach Chris Gray, left, listens to ex-Holy Redeemer Coach Chris Parker during their final girls basketball media day as coaches of their old programs in 2015. Both were hired to coach basketball at Hanover Area on Thursday &#8212; Parker with the girls team and Gray as the new leader of the Hawkeyes boys. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_coaches1_faa-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Former Meyers coach Chris Gray, left, listens to ex-Holy Redeemer Coach Chris Parker during their final girls basketball media day as coaches of their old programs in 2015. Both were hired to coach basketball at Hanover Area on Thursday &#8212; Parker with the girls team and Gray as the new leader of the Hawkeyes boys. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hanover Area hires Chris Parker, Chris Gray