Mmgord77
03-11-2009, 10:44 AM
I had the pleasure of watching a good bunch of the State Tournament games from this weekend.
On Thursday, I was able to sneak over and watch the two afternoon games of the Class B boys. This was my first opportunity to see Lane Adams (Red Oak). I came away impressed in a much different way than I was expecting. The "superstars" that I have seen come through the Big House the last couple of years have probably averaged about 30 shots a game. That's what I was expecting... what I saw was a "superstar" that trusted his teammates and played completely within the game. The Medford boys, although they played extremely hard, just didn't have the horses to keep up with Adam, Sullivan, and the other RO players.
The next game was a game I thought would be one of the best of the Tourney... turns out it was as good as I thought. Roff vs. Stringtown was a great game. I don't think either team played their best game, but I think the other team had a part in that. Tyrus McGee is always a pleasure to watch. I like to watch Brett Smith when he keeps his cool and head in the game. It was a great small school battle with Stringtown squeaking it out.
Great 2 games to start out watching... had to sneak to Yukon to watch Washington girls play.
I was able to start watching the next day, at Semifinal day in the Big House, at 1:30. Got to see an incredibly boring and slow game, but a game that was played just like coaches wanted. Preston pulled out a W in OT over Ripley. The game swayed back and forth... defense was the key. I thought Ripley probably out played Preston overall, but Preston made some big shots at the end. This was the 3 OT game out of the 4 games in the morning session.
The afternoon session started with the 2 Class A girls games. Okarche vs. Crowder was a great girls game! Coach Myers (Okarche) is always a pleasure to watch and her girls play hard. I got to see Katie Beebe for the first time in a while. She's a great ballplayer... Crowder had their own stud in: Alex Tucker. The game itself was a battle until the very end. Unfortunetly, it had a little bit of a controversial ending... one I thought was incorrect. With the score tied at 57, a Crowder girl makes a nice move into the lane and puts up a shot. The shot missed, but out of no where, the ref calls a contact foul. There was not much contact, if any on that last shot (in my opinion). It was a very tough call to make with under 3 seconds left. The Crowder girl misses her first free throw short, but buries the second. Beebe's half court heave was unsuccessful and Crowder got to the finals.
The 2nd Class A girls Semi was with powerhouse Preston against former "Belle of the Ball" Cashion. To be honest, I really didn't think this would be much of a game... of course, I didn't think Beaver vs. Preston would be much of a game either. Well, it sure did start about as I had imagined. Preston was in complete control. The 2nd quarter was really kind of boring. But, I got a text at half that told me to watch out for a run in the 3rd quarter by Cashion. Sure enough, Cashion came storming back to get within about 6 of Preston in the 3rd quarter. Really impressive... Unfortunetly, I think the Cashion girls just ran out of gas and couldn't hold it close in the 4th. Preston ended up winning by 12, in a game that was closer than the score indicated. The Welch girl (Cashion) has been a pleasure to watch since she burst on the scene in '07 with one of the State Tourney's most famous shots. She played a very good game. Preston just has too much experience and size.
Class B boys had the evening on Friday. This time, I was excited to see the Garber vs. Stringtown matchup. I figured Red Oak would cruise again, against Big Pasture. First up was RO vs. BP... The game went about like Thursdays RO game. BP played extremely hard, but they just didn't have the horses either. In this game, Adams put on a little more of a scoring display. But, alot of his points came from playing good defense. Again, I was extremely impressed. Sullivan didn't have as big of a game, but didn't need to. Highlight of the game was at the end with freshman Devin Derryberry (RO) coming off the bench to BURY a 3 pointer from the wing!!! The whole place went nuts... probably the loudest the Big House was all weekend. That was fun!!!
2nd game was an anticipated match between Stringtown and Garber. Could Garber handle McGee and Smiths? Could Stringtown try to push the pace and could they handle Vencl? The game didn't disappoint (unless you're a Stringtown fan...). Garber controlled the pace of the game completely. Stringtown didn't have much of an answer for Vencl. McGee didn't have one of his best games, thanks to the hardnosed D from Garber. Brett Smith did have one of the more impressive dunks of the Tourney at the very end of the game (LOOK FOR THE HIGHLIGHT TO BE POSTED SOON!!!). Garber won this one going away by 9.
Championship Saturday... one of the best days of the year. Fans, Players, and Coaches are nervous and excited. The Big House is electric!!! The crowd for the first game was very large, for it to be a Class B girls matchup. Several thousand fans showed up to watch Varnum vs. Cyril. Cyril girls were not expected to be in the Finals. I'm pretty sure most everyone outside of Cyril (and maybe the western part of the state) thought it would be Lomega in the finals against Varnum. But, Cyril girls were legit. They were a good team. Unfortunetly, no one on the court on Saturday could hold a candle to Kodi Morrison. She put on a display! The Seminole State (softball) signee lit up Cyril and the Big House for 33 points and 10 or 11 rebounds. Cyril had no answer... they laid back to stop the drives, she buried a 3. They defended her crossing half court, she eventually blew right by them into the lane for the score. If they were able to slow her down, she would dish to another great player in Kelsi Vass who knew how to finish (with either hand, nonetheless!). It never was much of a game after halftime. Cyril's Cassidy Boggs did her best to hold them close, but they fell short by 20.
2nd game of the day was the Class A boys Championship. To everyone's surprise, outside of the panhandle, Texhoma boys came roaring into the finals to face Preston. The start of the game was not very pretty... both teams showed early nerves. Preston settled down before Texhoma... Texhoma really didn't settle down completely until they came out of halftime to start the 2nd half. Texhoma did come back to make it a game in the 2nd quarter. Preston was up 5 at the half. The second half was an epic battle... Texhoma came out and made an immediate run to take the lead. Matt Freeman turned unconcious from the 3 point line, finishing 5 - 7 from behind the arc. JD Pugh was the steady force all day for Texhoma. Preston's point guard (Motte) ended up controlling the game towards the end. He ran his squad as good as anyone could ask in such a big game. They settled down and got back in the game. With just a few seconds left, Preston's shooting guard (Huffman) busts a long range 3 to tie the game and send it to OT. And amazing shot by the sophomore!!! OT was slow and a little back an forth. But, with 33 seconds left, Motte threads a gorgeous pass down low to the post cutting baseline for the score to put them up. Texhoma lost a heartbreaker by 4 in OT. Preston played a very steady game and played to their strengths the whole time.
I was unable to make the Class A girls Championship game due to the Washington girls playing in their Area finals game against Sulphur (which they won!!!). I did hear that the Preston girls went on a massive run in the first half to pretty much put the game out of reach. They were a very good, senior laden team. Their closest contest came in the opening round against Beaver.
The final game was the Class B boys Championship. Garber vs. Red Oak. Both teams are extremely versatile in their games and how they can play. I knew it would be a good game, but I had no idea about the pace of the game. Garber would control the pace of the whole game, and tried to keep it pretty slow and under control. Unfortunetely for Garber, Red Oak didn't mind that pace either. The first half was pretty uneventful. Garber had to be happy that they held Adams and Sullivan completely in check, but had to be dissappointed to be down 10 at half. Red Oak had to be pretty excited that Adams/Sullivan were struggling, yet they were up 10 and they held Vencl in complete check. Garber made a run in the 2nd half to get back in the game, but they just couldn't hang on in the end. Although Adams ended up with 16, he only had 8 with about 2 or 3 minutes left in the game. He hit free throws to seal it up. Tyler Miller (Garber) had a nice game, but was forced to shoot way too much because of Red Oak's game plan against Vencl. All in all, I don't think Red Oak was going to be beat... they played at such a high level all 3 games.
Personal Thoughts and Opinions: A great weekend!!! Class B girls was a highly contested class, but Varnum ruled the Tourney this weekend. Class A girls seemed to be a one team race... good ball elsewhere, but Preston (sorry Beaver) was definitely the class of Class A. Class A boys was probably as weak overall as I've seen in years. That does not take anything away from Preston's championship at all... they beat the competition that was in front of them. But, I felt the Semifinalists from Class B would have all been favored to win Class A. Class B didn't dissapoint. It was pretty much a 3 team race all year and those 3 teams put on a good show at the Big House. We got to see 2 D-1 talents perform on the big stage, and several others who will definitely go on to play college ball.
I thought the reffing on Friday left something to be desired. But, I thought the games on Saturday were reffed pretty well.
I'm glad they chose to fire Rennell's after this weekend... it would've taken away from the athletes and teams. One of the better moves OSSAA has made by waiting... :)
Cyril will be a great team next year, as they bring all their girls but one back. Garber will be the favorite in A or B, as they bring all but 2 role players back. Preston boys were pretty young and should be a top squad next year. Preston girls will be interesting to watch as they graduate a VERY strong and successful nucleus.
What were your opinions and thoughts from the weekend?
On Thursday, I was able to sneak over and watch the two afternoon games of the Class B boys. This was my first opportunity to see Lane Adams (Red Oak). I came away impressed in a much different way than I was expecting. The "superstars" that I have seen come through the Big House the last couple of years have probably averaged about 30 shots a game. That's what I was expecting... what I saw was a "superstar" that trusted his teammates and played completely within the game. The Medford boys, although they played extremely hard, just didn't have the horses to keep up with Adam, Sullivan, and the other RO players.
The next game was a game I thought would be one of the best of the Tourney... turns out it was as good as I thought. Roff vs. Stringtown was a great game. I don't think either team played their best game, but I think the other team had a part in that. Tyrus McGee is always a pleasure to watch. I like to watch Brett Smith when he keeps his cool and head in the game. It was a great small school battle with Stringtown squeaking it out.
Great 2 games to start out watching... had to sneak to Yukon to watch Washington girls play.
I was able to start watching the next day, at Semifinal day in the Big House, at 1:30. Got to see an incredibly boring and slow game, but a game that was played just like coaches wanted. Preston pulled out a W in OT over Ripley. The game swayed back and forth... defense was the key. I thought Ripley probably out played Preston overall, but Preston made some big shots at the end. This was the 3 OT game out of the 4 games in the morning session.
The afternoon session started with the 2 Class A girls games. Okarche vs. Crowder was a great girls game! Coach Myers (Okarche) is always a pleasure to watch and her girls play hard. I got to see Katie Beebe for the first time in a while. She's a great ballplayer... Crowder had their own stud in: Alex Tucker. The game itself was a battle until the very end. Unfortunetly, it had a little bit of a controversial ending... one I thought was incorrect. With the score tied at 57, a Crowder girl makes a nice move into the lane and puts up a shot. The shot missed, but out of no where, the ref calls a contact foul. There was not much contact, if any on that last shot (in my opinion). It was a very tough call to make with under 3 seconds left. The Crowder girl misses her first free throw short, but buries the second. Beebe's half court heave was unsuccessful and Crowder got to the finals.
The 2nd Class A girls Semi was with powerhouse Preston against former "Belle of the Ball" Cashion. To be honest, I really didn't think this would be much of a game... of course, I didn't think Beaver vs. Preston would be much of a game either. Well, it sure did start about as I had imagined. Preston was in complete control. The 2nd quarter was really kind of boring. But, I got a text at half that told me to watch out for a run in the 3rd quarter by Cashion. Sure enough, Cashion came storming back to get within about 6 of Preston in the 3rd quarter. Really impressive... Unfortunetly, I think the Cashion girls just ran out of gas and couldn't hold it close in the 4th. Preston ended up winning by 12, in a game that was closer than the score indicated. The Welch girl (Cashion) has been a pleasure to watch since she burst on the scene in '07 with one of the State Tourney's most famous shots. She played a very good game. Preston just has too much experience and size.
Class B boys had the evening on Friday. This time, I was excited to see the Garber vs. Stringtown matchup. I figured Red Oak would cruise again, against Big Pasture. First up was RO vs. BP... The game went about like Thursdays RO game. BP played extremely hard, but they just didn't have the horses either. In this game, Adams put on a little more of a scoring display. But, alot of his points came from playing good defense. Again, I was extremely impressed. Sullivan didn't have as big of a game, but didn't need to. Highlight of the game was at the end with freshman Devin Derryberry (RO) coming off the bench to BURY a 3 pointer from the wing!!! The whole place went nuts... probably the loudest the Big House was all weekend. That was fun!!!
2nd game was an anticipated match between Stringtown and Garber. Could Garber handle McGee and Smiths? Could Stringtown try to push the pace and could they handle Vencl? The game didn't disappoint (unless you're a Stringtown fan...). Garber controlled the pace of the game completely. Stringtown didn't have much of an answer for Vencl. McGee didn't have one of his best games, thanks to the hardnosed D from Garber. Brett Smith did have one of the more impressive dunks of the Tourney at the very end of the game (LOOK FOR THE HIGHLIGHT TO BE POSTED SOON!!!). Garber won this one going away by 9.
Championship Saturday... one of the best days of the year. Fans, Players, and Coaches are nervous and excited. The Big House is electric!!! The crowd for the first game was very large, for it to be a Class B girls matchup. Several thousand fans showed up to watch Varnum vs. Cyril. Cyril girls were not expected to be in the Finals. I'm pretty sure most everyone outside of Cyril (and maybe the western part of the state) thought it would be Lomega in the finals against Varnum. But, Cyril girls were legit. They were a good team. Unfortunetly, no one on the court on Saturday could hold a candle to Kodi Morrison. She put on a display! The Seminole State (softball) signee lit up Cyril and the Big House for 33 points and 10 or 11 rebounds. Cyril had no answer... they laid back to stop the drives, she buried a 3. They defended her crossing half court, she eventually blew right by them into the lane for the score. If they were able to slow her down, she would dish to another great player in Kelsi Vass who knew how to finish (with either hand, nonetheless!). It never was much of a game after halftime. Cyril's Cassidy Boggs did her best to hold them close, but they fell short by 20.
2nd game of the day was the Class A boys Championship. To everyone's surprise, outside of the panhandle, Texhoma boys came roaring into the finals to face Preston. The start of the game was not very pretty... both teams showed early nerves. Preston settled down before Texhoma... Texhoma really didn't settle down completely until they came out of halftime to start the 2nd half. Texhoma did come back to make it a game in the 2nd quarter. Preston was up 5 at the half. The second half was an epic battle... Texhoma came out and made an immediate run to take the lead. Matt Freeman turned unconcious from the 3 point line, finishing 5 - 7 from behind the arc. JD Pugh was the steady force all day for Texhoma. Preston's point guard (Motte) ended up controlling the game towards the end. He ran his squad as good as anyone could ask in such a big game. They settled down and got back in the game. With just a few seconds left, Preston's shooting guard (Huffman) busts a long range 3 to tie the game and send it to OT. And amazing shot by the sophomore!!! OT was slow and a little back an forth. But, with 33 seconds left, Motte threads a gorgeous pass down low to the post cutting baseline for the score to put them up. Texhoma lost a heartbreaker by 4 in OT. Preston played a very steady game and played to their strengths the whole time.
I was unable to make the Class A girls Championship game due to the Washington girls playing in their Area finals game against Sulphur (which they won!!!). I did hear that the Preston girls went on a massive run in the first half to pretty much put the game out of reach. They were a very good, senior laden team. Their closest contest came in the opening round against Beaver.
The final game was the Class B boys Championship. Garber vs. Red Oak. Both teams are extremely versatile in their games and how they can play. I knew it would be a good game, but I had no idea about the pace of the game. Garber would control the pace of the whole game, and tried to keep it pretty slow and under control. Unfortunetely for Garber, Red Oak didn't mind that pace either. The first half was pretty uneventful. Garber had to be happy that they held Adams and Sullivan completely in check, but had to be dissappointed to be down 10 at half. Red Oak had to be pretty excited that Adams/Sullivan were struggling, yet they were up 10 and they held Vencl in complete check. Garber made a run in the 2nd half to get back in the game, but they just couldn't hang on in the end. Although Adams ended up with 16, he only had 8 with about 2 or 3 minutes left in the game. He hit free throws to seal it up. Tyler Miller (Garber) had a nice game, but was forced to shoot way too much because of Red Oak's game plan against Vencl. All in all, I don't think Red Oak was going to be beat... they played at such a high level all 3 games.
Personal Thoughts and Opinions: A great weekend!!! Class B girls was a highly contested class, but Varnum ruled the Tourney this weekend. Class A girls seemed to be a one team race... good ball elsewhere, but Preston (sorry Beaver) was definitely the class of Class A. Class A boys was probably as weak overall as I've seen in years. That does not take anything away from Preston's championship at all... they beat the competition that was in front of them. But, I felt the Semifinalists from Class B would have all been favored to win Class A. Class B didn't dissapoint. It was pretty much a 3 team race all year and those 3 teams put on a good show at the Big House. We got to see 2 D-1 talents perform on the big stage, and several others who will definitely go on to play college ball.
I thought the reffing on Friday left something to be desired. But, I thought the games on Saturday were reffed pretty well.
I'm glad they chose to fire Rennell's after this weekend... it would've taken away from the athletes and teams. One of the better moves OSSAA has made by waiting... :)
Cyril will be a great team next year, as they bring all their girls but one back. Garber will be the favorite in A or B, as they bring all but 2 role players back. Preston boys were pretty young and should be a top squad next year. Preston girls will be interesting to watch as they graduate a VERY strong and successful nucleus.
What were your opinions and thoughts from the weekend?