Game 1

We came out with an attitude and hustle. There is nothing better than starting a game with “The Swarm,” which is our full-court press. The press sends a clear and quick message that we have come to play, and play with intensity difficult to match. This was a different SATCH team than we played earlier in the season (Your guess is as good as mine). This home-schooled team was easy to beat and we had a large lead when our second team entered the game. Unfortunately, the second team was unable to maintain the healthy lead, so we only won by a dozen. What is important is that we moved ahead in the tournament with a convincing victory and took one step closer to a strong and memorable finish to this fantastic season.

John Horsey finished with another double-double (13 points and 13 rebounds). Keaton Hart contributed another complete effort (10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists). Bradley Ward came off the bench with 8 points and Matthew Dunn added 4 points of his own. Obviously I am pleased with how the tourney started.

Game 2

This was the most frustrating game of the season. We got beat by one player who had his career game. We were in foul trouble almost from the beginning. Northeast is a solid team, but we had already beat them twice this season. They simply refused to strike out against one team in one season. We did not lose due to a lack of heart, but due to foul trouble and one player lighting us up from all over the place. He was hitting everything, and not because of a lack of defense, but because he was on fire. The hardest part of this loss was having to forget it quickly as there was still one game to play.

The stat sheet showed the fewest offensive rebounds of the season, which is another reason we did not win. We crash the boards, period. Not rebound is uncharacteristic of how we usually play. John Horsey had 17 points and 7 rebounds. Foul trouble prevented him from pouring in a career game as 15 of his points came in the first half. Mason Bent has 12 points and Keaton Hart dished 5 assists. Bradley Ward had 5 rebounds off the bench.

Now is the team to dig deep and finish the season with a victory. We simply must finish the season with a win, as no other memory is acceptable.

Game 3

We dominated, from the first buzzer to the last buzzer. After being removed because of a large lead, our starters returned to the game with two minutes remaining to finish their final career middle school game. Our opening press created havoc for the opponent, but confidence for our boys. We finished the season on a winning note and earned a third place finish in the district tournament. We dedicated the victory to Malcolm Barnes, who was unable to play in the two games on this day. Malcolm, you are our teammate and friend.

The stats were joyful. Mason Bent ended the season like he started the season, by leading the team in scoring. He had 20 points and selfishly stole the ball from the opponent 4 times. Keaton Hart crashed the boards grabbing 8 rebounds. Our captain, Michael Pender, earned 6 assists. I was especially proud of Matthew Dunn for hitting all four of his free throws. Matthew has worked hard and would have been my choice to take a half court shot if needed.

I am so proud of our boys. I will cherish the memories of coaching this team. It was my absolute pleasure and honor to be their coach. Please congratulate them on a fantastic season. They were usually the shortest team, and not necessarily the best shooting team, but they played AS A TEAM, showing a consistent unselfish spirit. They played solid fundamental basketball. They played with unmatched intensity and heart. They earned their impressive record. Thank you, boys, for giving me your best. Go Cougars!