Setting the Table – the 2011-12 pre-season essay
What is good? *
When they were four or five years old, it was just another fun game with a big orange ball. But after a while they’d make one or two baskets in a row and someone (Mrs. Hermann, likely) told them they could be good if they practiced. There were also those times during lower school recess where the games would devolve into grade school arguments – not so good...according to Mrs. Lundholm.
In 1st-3rd grade, good was passing the ball 27 times (which added up to two times around a circle) without dropping it to set a school record for the 'Maumee Valley Passing Challenge'. This sophisticated training constituted their first practice sessions.
When they were in fourth grade, four of them joined up with many of their peers to play on a shorthanded fifth grade team in their first organized league play. They didn’t win much, but learned to compete. In the meantime, a third-grader was putting in time as the ball boy for the University of Toledo’s men’s basketball team. People looked at him dribbling around in pre-game and said ‘that kid is pretty good’ – as in skilled.
In fifth and sixth grade, they played in Maumee Valley’s famed Lower School Gym, AKA ‘the Carpet’, winning several games playing a tightly packed 2-3 zone. Notably, in their games against Toledo Christian there was this young man that shot right over that zone and was impossible to stop. His mother came to every game, keeping copious statistics on his performance. Now that kid was good – talented and intense.
In seventh grade, the four guys all came home the first day of school and excitedly told their parents ‘There’s some big kid coming to school this year!’ When asked if the big kid played basketball, they replied ‘I don’t know…’ That winter, the seventh graders would win the TAAC 7th grade championship in one of the most improbable comebacks in school history – in any sport at any grade level. It was the first-ever middle school basketball championship by a Maumee Valley team. It turned out the big kid was plenty good – a rebounder and scorer.
They almost repeated in eighth grade, until a fateful call went against the Hawks with time running out in that year’s championship game. Two free throws later, it was a crushing loss. During that season, a new coach joined the middle school staff. Nobody knew his name at first. All anyone could say was that he had been a coach at Maumee and he had several good seasons there – good as in multi-year NLL champs.
In their ninth grade year, the MVCDS community was formally introduced to Coach Jim Robinson. Coach told the parents he was committed to building a top-notch basketball program. He explained the amount of hard work and dedication it would take to play basketball at this highest of standards. Of course, most of the parents were used to Maumee Valley's high standards in all other aspects of school life, so this seemed natural. Players and parents bought in. It was the dawn of a new chapter in Hawk sports history. The coach had redefined the meaning of good, raising expectations to a very high level.
Most all of the ninth graders played their own schedule that year under freshman coach Josh Arthur and nearly ran the table in Toledo, shocking teams from bigger schools boasting big time basketball histories. It was an eye opening example of what a good team could do. One freshman was called up to play varsity, and took his lumps in the 4-15 debut season. The coaching staff knew the future looked good.
The summer in between ninth and tenth grade, these Hawks had three good experiences. Several of them earned spots on AAU teams, improving their skills against tough competition. Second, the team got a taste of big time summer league play at the Whitmer High School summer league. The Blue and White were regularly punched in the nose by the big schools, but at season’s end, a first ever win over Toledo Start from the City League opened some eyes. Third, and most important – remember that young UT ball boy? He joined the team as an incoming freshman, turning heads with his ball handling and leadership abilities. Now that kid was really good – and now so was the team.
2009-10 produced a remarkable ten-game turnaround. From 4-15 the previous year, the team finished 14-6, losing in the playoffs after a pyrrhic last regular-season win in which two of the Hawks' senior starters were injured and missed the playoffs. For the group of now four sophomores and one freshman, it was their debut as varsity players. They learned the faster varsity speeds and helped MV to their best finish in nearly a decade. Good for this team was now accelerating at an accelerating rate.
During the 2010 sophomore to junior year transition summer, the final link was forged onto this team chain. Remember that TC kid who shot the lights out during grade school? He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Emmanuel Christian, earning first team all-TAAC honors in 10th grade. He began coming to the summer league games as a spectator the year before, and now he had transferred to Maumee Valley. This development was good – like the feeling when that last piece drops into a puzzle. The core of the Hawk basketball team now included a ball handler, a shooting guard, a tough post player, an athletic forward with a shot, a fighter/rebounder, a shooting forward and an all-around third guard. This many complimentary players on a single D-IV team are a rarity.
What happened next was gaining maturity. In 2010-11, the group assumed the mantle of leadership and grew up, defeating long-time TAAC rivals, one ranked in the State Top 10, on the opposition’s home courts. And the coach? He did 'good' during the season - good as in his career 500th win, A 17-2 regular season record was cut short though by a tough double overtime loss in the Sectional Finals.
But that wound healed quickly and it was off to team and individual camp, summer leagues and AAU once again. Speaking of healing, their coach suffered a stroke, but made a remarkable recovery over the summer, returing for his core group's last season together, This past summer, the guys took the time to learn each other’s games even better. The one-time summer league doormat won one of its 2011 summer leagues outright and earned a Number 4 seed in the Division-1 heavy Toledo Central Catholic summer league playoffs, losing in the semi-finals to the host school.
Now it’s the final season together for these seven Maumee Valley Hawks:
Seniors:
Rick Deichert, Nick Frasco, Jon Krueger, Dixon Stoddard, Jared Sturt, and Julius Turner
and Junior:
Dave Brown
So what is good for this group in the 2011-12 season?
This question looms large in the minds of the Maumee Valley basketball community this season. The implication of good being a relative term will definitely be part of the conversation. Expectations are high, driven by an internet age which carefully analyzes sports down to (and frankly past) the High School level. More importantly, expectations are high because these seven are determined to succeed.
Again, what is good? Regardless of the outcome of this season, the goodness in each of these gentlemen is already on display – high achievement, good character, outstanding futures ahead. One day they will look back at their own High School achievements. Your Hawkblogger hopes they will remember:
- That they prepared to and performed at their highest level possible,
- That they appreciate that they received the gift of a lifetime when Jim Robinson and his great staff decided to invest in them,
- That they grew even more as young men – and finally, hopefully
- They remember that some fateful shots, rebounds, steals and bounces went their way and this season extended well into March 2012.
Good luck, Hawks. Look beyond good. Greatness lies within you.
* - with apologies to Mrs. Price and the Senior seminar.
Game Summary
It was a packed house this evening, as students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents gathered for the christening of the 2011-12 basketball season.
Maumee Valley used balanced scoring and second half pressure defense to go 1-0 on the young season tonight, pulling away from the Fayette Eagles in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks led by three at the half on the strength of Rick Deichert's 12 points. Jared Sturt encountered some early foul trouble and was forced to miss much of the second quarter.
His return in the second half was more than the Purple and Gold visitors could handle, as they fouled Jared three times in the first minute of the third. Jared's presence underneath combined with a stifling MV press was the difference maker, as the home team extended their lead to five at the end of the third, then wore the visitors down at the end to finish the game up 11.
First Quarter – MV 12 – Fayette 8
Starting five – Dave Brown (’13), Rick Deichert (’12), Jared Sturt (’12), Jon Krueger (’12) and Julius Turner (’12)
With their tallest player not too much over six feet, Fayette did not contest the opening tip, playing four men off the jump circle in defensive mode. They would not lay back for long, pressing MV from half court in. Still Rick got open and nailed a three pointer to start the scoring. The Hawks played tough defense themselves, and it paid off as Rick got a steal and feed to Dave for two more. After another stop, Julius canned this long three pointer…
…and it was 8-0 Hawks. Coach Mitchell went to his bench for a pick-up, subbing three new players in. The visitors also slowed down the pace of play at both ends and it was a sluggish mid quarter. Fayette finally scored at the 2:29 mark to make it 8-3. Rick countered on the break with a twisting left handed finish for two. Julius stole the next Fayette possession off a trap…
…and it was 12-3 MV. Fayette called its first time out with 2:02 left. Nick Frasco replaced Rick, who had picked up his first foul. The Eagles converted their in-bounds play to cut the lead to 12-5, then a quarter ending three pointer closed the gap to four.
Second Quarter – Fayette 12 – MV 11
On the floor – Same as first quarter
Fayette threw its opening possession away and the Hawks cashed in with Jared Sturt’s first points of the year…
But Chandler Sanford hit a three for Fayette, then the Eagles got a steal near the mid court line and finished the break, cutting MV’s lead to 14-13. After a missed Hawk shot, Jared committed his second foul of the half and the visitors converted both ends. Fayette had overcome a nine point deficit to go ahead, 15-14. Jared countered with a two, but would sit out the rest of the half to avoid a third foul.
After an Eagle miss, MV threw the ball away but Fayette missed an easy layup on the break. That would be a turning point as the visitors would never lead again. Rick scored the next four points with a driving two pointer, then another two on a Euro Step finish on a break to pull the Hawks back ahead by five, 20-15.
Again, Coach Mitchell controlled the tempo with a time out at the 4:30 mark and again his team responded out of the huddle with a three-ball. They also slowed the pace once more and there was no scoring until Thad Woodard fouled Travis Pennington on a three point attempt with 2:11 to go. Pennington converted two of three to tie the score back up.
Now it was Coach Jim Robinson’s turn to demonstrate his coaching skill. Needing a answer, the Hawks ran this double-screen play setting up Rick in the corner with an open three point attempt…
…which he nailed at a key moment to put the Hawks back on top. That was the end of the first half scoring. The Hawks survived Jared's exile to the bench with a 23-20 half time lead. Rick led all scorers with 12 in the first half; he would not score for the rest of the game, contributing in other ways.
Third Quarter – MV 11 – Fayette 9
On the floor – Same as first quarter
Jared’s return to the floor proved quite disruptive for the visitors, who appeared to have game planned a physical double-team on the MV Post player. In the first 53 seconds, Fayette committed three floor fouls on Sturt, including the third on the Eagles best 2010-11 scorer, Trevor Cox. Coach Mitchell pulled his starting guard. Jared finally got the ball on an in-bounds play and scored on a put-back.
MV came out in a press, giving the Purple and Gold some trouble. Julius got a steal, and was fouled on the floor by Chandler Sanford. Jon Krueger scored on the in-bounds play and MV led 27-20. Julius again stole a pass and was again fouled on the floor, this time by Travis Pennington. Fayette finally got the ball across half court after 2:06 lapsed in the quarter and having committed five fouls.
But they didn’t quit. Pennington hit two free throws. Julius Turner responded with this three:
Again, Fayette climbed back in. Sanford made a three, then Trevor Cox scored a tough short range shot coming right to left across the key. Fayette had cut it to 30-27, but in the process had committed its seventh foul at the 1:48 mark. Julius was the victim of the foul and made both ends of the 1-and-1. Turner continued his steller defensive play with yet another steal and Jon Krueger scored next with this called (we on the Hawkblog staff are 95% this is true) bank shot.
MV almost forced a turnover on a 10 second call, but Fayette got the last second time-out. Again, the Eagles converted out of the T.O., then gained the ball back in the last 20 seconds but could not convert. Still, consistent with the first two quarters, the visitors held off an onslaught and were down only 5 at the 75% mark.
Fourth Quarter – MV 16 – Fayette 10
On the floor – Same as first quarter
MV opened the scoring with a beautiful behind the back pass by Rick to Jared who finished for two. Fayette went 1-and-done, Dave Brown pulling a rebound down and going coast-to-coast for the hoop. Fayette came back with two points, but the Hawks began to apply pressure with entry passes to Jared. He drew the foul from Travis Pennington, his fourth, and Jared made both ends.
Jon Krueger stole the ball and got it to Dave Brown on this fast break…
Maumee Valley finally had a 10 point lead, 42-31.
The visitors mounted a comeback with a two, then a three. The 42-36 margin would be their final push.
Julius got the ball to Jon for this two pointer at the 3:35 mark:
An errant pass cost the Eagles a back court violation and MV began to take time off the clock. After some deliberate play, Jared scored on an offensive rebound, then Jon Krueger was fouled grabbing a rebound by Travis Pennington – his fifth and final foul. Following more clock-burning by MV, Jared scored the Hawks’ final points of the game following this melee:
A final Fayette score at game’s end cut it to 50-39, and that was it for the evening.
Final Game Thoughts
Fayette’s coach Todd Mitchell has been at his school for ten years, and his system is well established. His Eagles are consistently well-conditioned and coached. Coach Mitchell ensures that his players are tough-nosed, well rounded and anything but quitters. He coached a great game Saturday night, strategically using his time-outs and calling key plays as play resumed. He kept his Eagles in the game, never letting Maumee Valley pull away until game’s end. We wish the Eagles well in BBC play.
Potpourri
The game was a sellout, the Varsity Gym packed to the max…the Students were out in full force providing great support to the team in their 2011-12 debut…the game was Julius’ best defensive performance of his career, far and away, with numerous steals and baseline stops..several alumni returned for the game including the Class of ‘10’s Carter Bayer and Jangus Whitner…the usual assortment of coaches from the following schools were in attendance looking for clues – Monclova Christian, TC, Ottawa Hills and Gibsonburg.
Scoring
Scoring was balanced for the Hawks this evening - Jared, with 10 in the second half led the way with 14; his counterweight Rick scored all 12 of his in the first half. Julius Turner - 10, Jonathan Krueger 8 and Dave Brown 6.
For Fayette, Trevor Cox and Travis Pennington each scored 12, Chandler Sanford had 9 and Zayne Colgrove and Kevin Ferguson each contributed 3.
Next up
It’s Kenny N’Douba-less Monclova Christian Tuesday night out at the Thunderdome, a second out-of-conference game leading up to the first big TAAC stretch – Gibsonburg-Toledo Christian-Ottawa Hills in a row between December 8 and 17.
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