Sectional basketball continued on Friday night around the Capital Region, and many teams are taking the court. While most eyes are on the players, just as many eyes will be on the coaches.

Schalmont High School boys' basketball head coach Greg Loiacono and Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons boys' head coach Steve Garzone are facing off in the playoffs for the very first time, but they're more than just local rivals.

"Somebody happened to invite me over to Doyle Middle School to play pick up games and that's when I met a bunch of guys I eventually became really good friends with," Loiacono said.

Garzone was one of those guys.

"After every game we usually go out for breakfast and then from there he started playing on our men's softball teams and then from there the friendship just kind of progressed," Garzone said.

The pair have been friends for more than a decade, making memories along the way.

"It's a lot of fun stories," Loiacono said.

They clicked right away. Both were single at the time and around the same age. 

"Him and I, we took a boys trip in RV down to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, not knowing anything about NASCAR and it was a pretty amazing experience," Garzone said.

For Loiacono, his favorite memories are also sentimental.

"His wedding day and my wedding day, the births of our children and meeting his child for the first time and him meeting my son for the first time," Loiacono said. "I think that was pretty special for both of us."

Garzone and Loiacono were at each other's weddings, their wives have become close and their kids are nearly the same age. And on Friday night, the pair of pals have teams tipping off in a playoff game for the very first time. 

Loiacono's Sabres are 2-0 in non-league play over Garzone's Golden Knights. Garzone is hoping his team, which includes seven seniors, will put a notch in the win column over Schalmont for the first time.

"This time, it's gonna be a little bit different," Garzone said.

"Yeah, I don't really wanna think about that," Loiacono said.

"I wanna beat him pretty bad, really bad," Garzone said.

Loiacono and Garzone are both hoping their respective teams will be celebrating when the buzzer sounds because one team won't play again this season, but the outcome won't change a thing. 

"Coaching against your friends, it's fun, it's fun to compete," Loiacono said.

"He's a good man, a good coach, don't want to see them go home, but hopefully, it's them and not us," Garzone said.

"Unfortunately, someone is gonna have to lose but at the end of the day, we'll still be friends," Loiacono said.

Friday night's game between the two teams tipped off at HVCC at 6:30 p.m. Schalmont won 65-53.