Coping with injuries and disappointment
There are a bunch of games in class two, three, four and five this week. The big news last night was Dora knocking off undefeated South Iron in their sectional game. I thought this game was a coin flip but I gave a point nod to South Iron and missed the flip. I heard about it from the Dora Falcon players in a good natured way, as one of the superb Luna triplets tweeted a "nice prediction" to my blog tweet. Maybe it motivated them. Doesn't matter, except that the game should have been at the end of the play-offs and called a ''state championship" game. I don't think anyone touches Dora the rest of the way. The SI Panthers have some great talent coming back so next year will be another state championship show down in the first sectional.
A couple of good games this week include the Chaminade vs Webster game in class five district four and the Eureka vs Marquette game in district three. I understand Tarris Reed, Jr., the fine 6'8" sophomore for Chaminade did not dress for their semi-final game against Kirkwood. I hope he can play by Friday. It is hard to sit out games due to injury, illness, or worse yet, suspensions, but Chaminade is great, even without him. The game could go either way if he is still out. Chaminade, 19-6, for the season, could easily be 23-2 with only two bad losses to CBC against their fine season. The other four games were very close matches. Webster Groves is 20-7, but all seven losses added up to 26 points, which means a missed three in any game was the difference. With Reed in the game, I give Chaminade a slight edge. Reed has a couple of years left, so if the roof fell in, he would still be back for another run at a title but I am sure it would sting to have your team lose if you couldn't dress. It would really stink for those graduating seniors too.
Note: I heard after posting that Reed will be back from a one game absence for Friday.
Marquette, 14-13, is in the other district final against Eureka, 20-7, but the Wildcats could have easily been playing Lafayette, led by their senior star, Ryan Campbell, if he had been hurt in the first minutes of their semi-final. This must really hurt right now for Campbell, who had an outstanding junior year with 15.5 points per game, but struggled with about 11 per game this year. He had stated in a West County magazine article that the district championship was their goal this March. He was obviously gunning for winning districts.
Unfortunately, the injury came on a close block/charge with Hunter Hacala of Marquette. I watched several replays on Hudl, Prepcast and Gateway and it was a horrific collision. Some people at the game thought that Hacala lowered his shoulder and flips his arm up, breaking Campbell's nose. The groans and angry outcries from the audience, when Campbell was called for the block, were only reinforced by him leaving the floor weakly, with blood running down his face. I obtained a photo of the exact instant that they collided and it shows Campbell reaching in and colliding with Hacala's head on his nose. Ouch! So, for those Lafayette fans that felt like the game was stolen from you, the ref got it right. Campbell fouled on the reach. It's just sad to have your senior season end like that.
I bring this collision up for a couple of reasons:
- While Campbell and Lafayette didn't reach their goal, Ryan has a great opportunity to succeed at Maryville University next year and I am sure he will put the work in to put this disappointment behind him. Sometimes adversity brings out the best in us and we work harder to erase bad memories. I hope that happens for him and I wish him the best.
- Secondly, I know Hunter Hacala, as he played on Larry Hughes 16U with our grandson, Nate Parker, and he is a good kid. It was an honest collision and no one should be putting any blame on him. It will be an interesting match-up between these two players, who guarded each other in their first game in January, and the two teams, who played a hard fought game before Eureka came back to win in the fourth quarter as they held Marquette to zero points in the final 4 minutes of the game. This game will be a cliff hanger again. The winner of this game will face the Chaminade-Webster winner in the sectional.
That's all for now. I will have some sectional picks for class four and five later this week.
For those of you seniors that have ended your season, good luck.
For those still playing, play your best. And have some fun.
Isn't March basketball great?
A couple of good games this week include the Chaminade vs Webster game in class five district four and the Eureka vs Marquette game in district three. I understand Tarris Reed, Jr., the fine 6'8" sophomore for Chaminade did not dress for their semi-final game against Kirkwood. I hope he can play by Friday. It is hard to sit out games due to injury, illness, or worse yet, suspensions, but Chaminade is great, even without him. The game could go either way if he is still out. Chaminade, 19-6, for the season, could easily be 23-2 with only two bad losses to CBC against their fine season. The other four games were very close matches. Webster Groves is 20-7, but all seven losses added up to 26 points, which means a missed three in any game was the difference. With Reed in the game, I give Chaminade a slight edge. Reed has a couple of years left, so if the roof fell in, he would still be back for another run at a title but I am sure it would sting to have your team lose if you couldn't dress. It would really stink for those graduating seniors too.
Note: I heard after posting that Reed will be back from a one game absence for Friday.
Marquette, 14-13, is in the other district final against Eureka, 20-7, but the Wildcats could have easily been playing Lafayette, led by their senior star, Ryan Campbell, if he had been hurt in the first minutes of their semi-final. This must really hurt right now for Campbell, who had an outstanding junior year with 15.5 points per game, but struggled with about 11 per game this year. He had stated in a West County magazine article that the district championship was their goal this March. He was obviously gunning for winning districts.
Unfortunately, the injury came on a close block/charge with Hunter Hacala of Marquette. I watched several replays on Hudl, Prepcast and Gateway and it was a horrific collision. Some people at the game thought that Hacala lowered his shoulder and flips his arm up, breaking Campbell's nose. The groans and angry outcries from the audience, when Campbell was called for the block, were only reinforced by him leaving the floor weakly, with blood running down his face. I obtained a photo of the exact instant that they collided and it shows Campbell reaching in and colliding with Hacala's head on his nose. Ouch! So, for those Lafayette fans that felt like the game was stolen from you, the ref got it right. Campbell fouled on the reach. It's just sad to have your senior season end like that.
I bring this collision up for a couple of reasons:
- While Campbell and Lafayette didn't reach their goal, Ryan has a great opportunity to succeed at Maryville University next year and I am sure he will put the work in to put this disappointment behind him. Sometimes adversity brings out the best in us and we work harder to erase bad memories. I hope that happens for him and I wish him the best.
- Secondly, I know Hunter Hacala, as he played on Larry Hughes 16U with our grandson, Nate Parker, and he is a good kid. It was an honest collision and no one should be putting any blame on him. It will be an interesting match-up between these two players, who guarded each other in their first game in January, and the two teams, who played a hard fought game before Eureka came back to win in the fourth quarter as they held Marquette to zero points in the final 4 minutes of the game. This game will be a cliff hanger again. The winner of this game will face the Chaminade-Webster winner in the sectional.
That's all for now. I will have some sectional picks for class four and five later this week.
For those of you seniors that have ended your season, good luck.
For those still playing, play your best. And have some fun.
Isn't March basketball great?
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