Originally Posted, Tuesday, December 22, 2009
We’ve reached the holiday break for area high schools, each team now has about ten days off to rest, be with families and recharge their “batteries” in preparation for the grind of the winter sports schedule during January, February and early March.
I’ve had the chance to see each of the loca teams play in person at least once, and in most cases multiple times so far this season, and it is evident that the teams to beat, at least in Miami County, are the Louisburg Wildcats.
The Wildcat boys basketball team is unbeaten, new Head Coach Chad Harvey has his team playing at a high level, and buying into the new system. Add to that, Harvey has a talented roster of players, and the Wildcats are clearly the cream of the Miami County crop. The Wildcat girls have lost but once, and that was on a disputed, fluke of a call against Burlington on their home floor, which saw the ‘Cats go from two down to nine down with just 18 seconds to play in the game. Finally the Wildcat wrestlers have the Hood brothers, all of which are ranked at the top of their weight classes, as well as several other tough wrestlers. The ‘Cats have taken two tournament titles on the young season, and will be looking for more after the holidays.
The Frontier League will present challenges for the Wildcats, Gardner-Edgerton is a very talented team, and will very tough to beat. But look for the Wildcats, all three teams to be at or near the top when the playoffs start in March.
The Osawatomie Trojan boys basketball team is also playing at a high level, they have a very talented and quick lineup and will be a force in the Pioneer League, it will take some time to see if the league will be challenging enough to toughen the Trojans for a deep run toward the state tournament.
The Trojan girls basketball team will struggle this year, and it will be no surprise, given the fact the Trojans have but one senior and one junior on their squad. Trojans Head Coach Don Blanchat will have to mold a group of Freshmen and Sophomores into a cohesive unit. It will be interesting, as one minute the girls will play like seniors, and the next they won’t be able to get the ball across half court. Look for good things from the Trojans, a couple of years from now.
The Trojan wrestlers have talent, starting with one of the top ranked wrestlers in the state at 189 pounds in Zach Grimes, but they too are young and inexperienced, and will struggle at times to grow and compete.
Another bright spot this winter is the Osawatomie-Paola boys swimming team. Two meets into the season, the boys have qualified multiple swimmers for the state competition and should qualify at least two more relay teams in the upcoming weeks.
That leaves me with my Paola Panthers, I don’t know how many games the Panther boys or girls will win in basketball, but I do know one thing, they will always be competitive and will never quit. The Panther boys are young, with lots of sophomores and juniors, and just one senior, the future can be bright for the Panthers, but they have to find someone to consistently hit shots from outside the paint, and a consistent floor leader that knows the flow of a game and when to speed things up and when to slow them down.
The Paola girls are struggling to find an identity early in the season, but when you’re coming off a year like the Panthers had last year, that’s top be expected. The Panthers lost three of the most talented players ever to wear the black and gold, and Head Coach Stuart Ross and his squad must find a way to play “Panther Basketball” while molding players to fit the necessary parts.
If the last three weeks are an indication of what to look forward to in the next two and a half months, one thing will be for certain . . . it will be a fun ride, and I’m looking forward to it!
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