CameraManBrent
02-28-2006, 02:43 PM
By BRENT LANSDEN
Co-Publisher
OKLAHOMA CITY - One game, one day and one opponent at a time.
That’s the way Beaver High School boys basketball coach Brian Stalder is approaching this year’s Class A State Tournament, which begins Thursday at Moore High School.
Stalder’s 25-1 Dusters, in the final eight for the second straight season, will take on Okeene at 7 p.m. in one of four state quarterfinal contests.
“It is at a point now that everyone is so good that you can’t worry about what is going to happen any past the day you are on,” Stalder said. “Maybe that is a good life lesson - we need to focus on what we are doing at the moment. We have to take it one day at a time.”
In other games Thursday: top-ranked Frontier will face Pioneer at 8:30; New Lima will battle Thomas at 3:30 and Okarche will take on Roff in the opener at 2 p.m.
Beaver’s first round opponent is one of three teams from the Three Rivers Conference. Also in are Okarche and Thomas. The Whippets, who lost to Frontier in an Area final contest but rebounded to beat Garber on Saturday, won the conference crown in 2006.
“They will be a tough matchup for us. They are big,” Stalder said. “They have 6-6, 6-5 and 6-3 in the starting lineup. And two of their guards they start are near the 6-foot mark. They are athletic, and their coach does a good job. They will cause us some trouble, but hopefully we can return the favor and cause them some matchup troubles too. I think it should be a great game.”
BHS definitely has the edge with its State Tournament experience. The Dusters played in all three games in 2005, falling to Frontier in the title matchup. Stalder’s team, last season, also played in seven playoff games - just to reach the dance - after losing in the District final.
“I think it is an advantage,” Stalder said of his team’s experience. “When you are going in for the first time you don’t know quite what to expect. We’ve done it before, and our kids have been in big games. Hopefully, experience will pay off for us. Time will tell. Other factors are hunger, intensity and preparation. I hope we have all of those where they need to be.”
As everyone might expect, the Dusters have no plans of coming back to the Panhandle without the gold ball this season. However, Stalder is cautious in predicting that sort of outcome.
“It is our goal, but we won’t have a chance if we don’t win on the first day,” Stalder said. “You can’t plan anything past that first day. You have to live it one day at a time at the State Tournament.”
One thing, the coach says, that makes his team so special is the players’ involvement in so many activities. Most are active in all of the sports, FFA, choir and band. They are also excellent in the classroom.
“They are heavily involved in everything,” Stalder said. “In fact on Tuesday, they bailed out of here at 6 a.m. for a choir contest. It’s a distraction for me, but our kids don’t want to be just basketballers. They want to work in the classroom and be in other things. I think that says a lot to the character of our players.”
Another factor is the team’s maturity. Following Friday night’s Area championship victory of Agra (52-36), the Dusters acted like they expected to be in the State Tournament. There was no huge celebration. (There may be Saturday night, however!)
“I don’t think we’ve showed our emotions as much this year,” Stalder said. “I don’t know if it is maturity or if the accident (in the fall) played into it or not. I felt like, after Friday’s game, the kids were thinking it was what is expected. It was a great accomplishment. We are not satisfied yet, but where we are at is a great accomplishment. There are only eight teams out of 96 who get to do what we are this week.”
Co-Publisher
OKLAHOMA CITY - One game, one day and one opponent at a time.
That’s the way Beaver High School boys basketball coach Brian Stalder is approaching this year’s Class A State Tournament, which begins Thursday at Moore High School.
Stalder’s 25-1 Dusters, in the final eight for the second straight season, will take on Okeene at 7 p.m. in one of four state quarterfinal contests.
“It is at a point now that everyone is so good that you can’t worry about what is going to happen any past the day you are on,” Stalder said. “Maybe that is a good life lesson - we need to focus on what we are doing at the moment. We have to take it one day at a time.”
In other games Thursday: top-ranked Frontier will face Pioneer at 8:30; New Lima will battle Thomas at 3:30 and Okarche will take on Roff in the opener at 2 p.m.
Beaver’s first round opponent is one of three teams from the Three Rivers Conference. Also in are Okarche and Thomas. The Whippets, who lost to Frontier in an Area final contest but rebounded to beat Garber on Saturday, won the conference crown in 2006.
“They will be a tough matchup for us. They are big,” Stalder said. “They have 6-6, 6-5 and 6-3 in the starting lineup. And two of their guards they start are near the 6-foot mark. They are athletic, and their coach does a good job. They will cause us some trouble, but hopefully we can return the favor and cause them some matchup troubles too. I think it should be a great game.”
BHS definitely has the edge with its State Tournament experience. The Dusters played in all three games in 2005, falling to Frontier in the title matchup. Stalder’s team, last season, also played in seven playoff games - just to reach the dance - after losing in the District final.
“I think it is an advantage,” Stalder said of his team’s experience. “When you are going in for the first time you don’t know quite what to expect. We’ve done it before, and our kids have been in big games. Hopefully, experience will pay off for us. Time will tell. Other factors are hunger, intensity and preparation. I hope we have all of those where they need to be.”
As everyone might expect, the Dusters have no plans of coming back to the Panhandle without the gold ball this season. However, Stalder is cautious in predicting that sort of outcome.
“It is our goal, but we won’t have a chance if we don’t win on the first day,” Stalder said. “You can’t plan anything past that first day. You have to live it one day at a time at the State Tournament.”
One thing, the coach says, that makes his team so special is the players’ involvement in so many activities. Most are active in all of the sports, FFA, choir and band. They are also excellent in the classroom.
“They are heavily involved in everything,” Stalder said. “In fact on Tuesday, they bailed out of here at 6 a.m. for a choir contest. It’s a distraction for me, but our kids don’t want to be just basketballers. They want to work in the classroom and be in other things. I think that says a lot to the character of our players.”
Another factor is the team’s maturity. Following Friday night’s Area championship victory of Agra (52-36), the Dusters acted like they expected to be in the State Tournament. There was no huge celebration. (There may be Saturday night, however!)
“I don’t think we’ve showed our emotions as much this year,” Stalder said. “I don’t know if it is maturity or if the accident (in the fall) played into it or not. I felt like, after Friday’s game, the kids were thinking it was what is expected. It was a great accomplishment. We are not satisfied yet, but where we are at is a great accomplishment. There are only eight teams out of 96 who get to do what we are this week.”