Forget about March Madness and deep tournament runs, no local basketball teams will be making any kind of splash at the state tournaments coming up. The last flicker of playoff hope was unapologetically snuffed out on Thursday night when the Molalla girls lost to visiting North Marion.
What are we to do on Tuesday and Friday nights?
Take a deep breath and ready ourselves for a new season I guess.
Before we move on however, it is important that we look back and give props to the fans.
On Thursday night there was a energetic home crowd dolled up in Indian orange and black filling Capasso Court with inspired noise. They brought out the foam fingers and face paint and while their team didn’t win, they made their presence known.
Then there were the Country Christian fans; these guys really got fired up. They filled the decibel level of the home gym to the top every night. I don’t know how a guy can make two pressure-packed free throws in the first place, but ad the screaming and jawing of a good fan base and then it really gets interesting. Country Christian is the type of place where even the grandparents are joining in on the “Cougar power, over power!” chants.
Not to be outdone, the fans down the road in Colton could really make things uncomfortable for opposing teams. Not uncomfortable in the way that it is uncomfortable when a guy at the Y chooses to undress in the locker directly next to you when every other locker in the place is open, but more uncomfortable in the sense that you didn’t know whether to shoot the ball or cover your ears or run and hide.
In the Colton boys’ nail biter lose to visiting Amity opposing fans began the rumblings of a rebel cheer—that is until Colton fans, including many moms, countered back to drown out the visitors.
Most championship teams have a few things in common; one of them is a great fan base. There was Blazer Mania 20 years ago and there are the Cameron Crazies of today. Molalla has got good fans already, now if the rest will just fall into place.
The love you give comes back in the end.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Stupid Cupid
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and I am left with the parting shadows of two potentially sweetheart seasons that never ended up materializing.
The Colton boys basketball team and the Country Christian girls team were two clubs that had you wishing things could have turned out differently. Both teams ended their season in close games to teams they could have beaten if the cards were laid out just a little differently.
Both the teams played on last Tuesday night and had me up late clicking refresh on my computer, just hoping that my heart would not be broken on the day of roses and chocolates.
Sadly, cupid’s arrow did not bring the Vikings or the Cougars into an affair with an extended playoff run.
Stupid cupid, work on your aim.
The Vikings lost five games this season decided by four points or less. They had me rooting, fingers and even toes crossed, that somehow they would turn that corner and come out on the upside of a close game or two.
The Cougars, on the other hand, were a team whose annual rise, from struggling to win a game two years ago to a team that made it to the Casco playoffs and challenged Perrydale for a state playoff spot, had you rooting for the underdog. They played the game the right way, hard and fast, and just found themselves running into the slow-it-down Pirates.
As it happened, neither team was meant to be.
Before Valentine’s Day came, I was hoping to have a couple of sweetheart seasons to follow, a couple of teams that you really cared about running in the postseason, but it was not meant to be. This day of Hallmark love has never worked out for me, so I don’t know why I was expecting anything different. That doesn’t mean I won’t be doing the same thing next year; holding my breath and hoping that my sweetheart comes through.
The love you give comes back in the end.
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The Colton boys basketball team and the Country Christian girls team were two clubs that had you wishing things could have turned out differently. Both teams ended their season in close games to teams they could have beaten if the cards were laid out just a little differently.
Both the teams played on last Tuesday night and had me up late clicking refresh on my computer, just hoping that my heart would not be broken on the day of roses and chocolates.
Sadly, cupid’s arrow did not bring the Vikings or the Cougars into an affair with an extended playoff run.
Stupid cupid, work on your aim.
The Vikings lost five games this season decided by four points or less. They had me rooting, fingers and even toes crossed, that somehow they would turn that corner and come out on the upside of a close game or two.
The Cougars, on the other hand, were a team whose annual rise, from struggling to win a game two years ago to a team that made it to the Casco playoffs and challenged Perrydale for a state playoff spot, had you rooting for the underdog. They played the game the right way, hard and fast, and just found themselves running into the slow-it-down Pirates.
As it happened, neither team was meant to be.
Before Valentine’s Day came, I was hoping to have a couple of sweetheart seasons to follow, a couple of teams that you really cared about running in the postseason, but it was not meant to be. This day of Hallmark love has never worked out for me, so I don’t know why I was expecting anything different. That doesn’t mean I won’t be doing the same thing next year; holding my breath and hoping that my sweetheart comes through.
The love you give comes back in the end.
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Monday, February 12, 2007
Wrestlemania
Coming into my new job I knew nothing about wrestling. It sat as some vague idea in the corner of my mind; I knew more about the WWF than I did about legitimate wrestling—and I was pretty sure that slamming metal chairs across opponents back was not a part of prep wrestling.
It was my lack of knowledge on the subject that made me less-than-thrilled about having to report on an event that I knew almost nothing about.
What I didn't know is that wrestling basically writes itself.
Here are two competitors matched head-to-head. As simple as this concept sounds, it is rarer than one might think. Instead of having a ball flinging around or a body of water to swim through, the object of this sport is to pin a guy to the ground who is trying to do the exact same thing to you.
Talk about drama–this sport has it all. Strength, skill and speed. The anguish of defeat written out in the expressions of the losers, and the fluid grace of a wrestler at the top of his craft, pinning another on his way to victory.
I was a swimmer in high school. Back then, I thought to myself, "well it is just me against the other guys." However that was not entirely true. I was racing to beat a time and to set a record.
In wrestling, you are basically trying to get through another guy. Never mind times or records–the only thing that matters is if you have enough in you to pin the other guy down to the mat.
I tried wrestling once, I think I was nine years old, and I got creamed. For some reason I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and the other guy just grabbed and yanked me around for a while. I had no idea of what I was supposed to do. What I remember from then and what I see now are the same thing: wrestling is hard.
More power to those who can do it.
Each sport has its own criticisms and saving grace. In basketball there is the beauty of team ball, the fluid passing and stifling presses. In swimming there is the ridiculous efficiency needed in each stroke and flip turn– and the unparalleled conditioning that is needed to compete in the long events.
Wrestling has a simple beauty, one of stripped down and raw competition. Take another guy down.
For me, this past month of watching Molalla and Colton compete has taken wrestling out of the corner of my mind, dusted it off and placed it on the shelf next to the other sports I already appreciate and enjoy.
The love you give comes back in the end.
--------------------------------------------------------
It was my lack of knowledge on the subject that made me less-than-thrilled about having to report on an event that I knew almost nothing about.
What I didn't know is that wrestling basically writes itself.
Here are two competitors matched head-to-head. As simple as this concept sounds, it is rarer than one might think. Instead of having a ball flinging around or a body of water to swim through, the object of this sport is to pin a guy to the ground who is trying to do the exact same thing to you.
Talk about drama–this sport has it all. Strength, skill and speed. The anguish of defeat written out in the expressions of the losers, and the fluid grace of a wrestler at the top of his craft, pinning another on his way to victory.
I was a swimmer in high school. Back then, I thought to myself, "well it is just me against the other guys." However that was not entirely true. I was racing to beat a time and to set a record.
In wrestling, you are basically trying to get through another guy. Never mind times or records–the only thing that matters is if you have enough in you to pin the other guy down to the mat.
I tried wrestling once, I think I was nine years old, and I got creamed. For some reason I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and the other guy just grabbed and yanked me around for a while. I had no idea of what I was supposed to do. What I remember from then and what I see now are the same thing: wrestling is hard.
More power to those who can do it.
Each sport has its own criticisms and saving grace. In basketball there is the beauty of team ball, the fluid passing and stifling presses. In swimming there is the ridiculous efficiency needed in each stroke and flip turn– and the unparalleled conditioning that is needed to compete in the long events.
Wrestling has a simple beauty, one of stripped down and raw competition. Take another guy down.
For me, this past month of watching Molalla and Colton compete has taken wrestling out of the corner of my mind, dusted it off and placed it on the shelf next to the other sports I already appreciate and enjoy.
The love you give comes back in the end.
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