2013-4 Season Chapter Seven - Taming Richard Parker - Maumee Valley 63 - North Baltimore 46 - Game Story

December 27, 2013 - at North Baltimore

In Yann Martel's/Ang Lee's wonderful novel/movie Life of Pi, the title character ends up marooned in a lifeboat with a tiger named Richard Parker.  The lost at sea plot segment shows Pi's efforts to coexist with one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. To survive, Pi must use his wits, respond to adversity and impose his will on the Tiger.

Maumee Valley took the 45 minute trip south to visit North Baltimore's one year-old High School complex.  They have a wonderful gym with some throwback features such as 'The Jungle' (a recessed band stand) and banners preserved from their old gym honoring State Champions as far back as 1925.  Although not quite elegant (lots of optic orange will do that to a room) it's a fine space, similar to the new gyms at Fayette, New Riegel, Edon and Lakota.  Property taxes are a school district's best friend.

Now while there was nobody on the North Baltimore lineup named Parker, the Hawks would still face a stern test tonight in this facility in the North Baltimore Tigers.

Hey, I thought this was gonna be an easy road win.

Friday's two hour game sequence clearly paralleled the movie.  MV would initially be pushed around by the Tiger(s), but would focus on their survival and wear down their hosts on the way to a seventeen point victory.

Starters - Marcus Knabbs ('14), Lucas Isaza ('15), Thad Woodard ('14), Nick Towns ('15), Rashad Woodley ('14)

First Quarter - NB 14 - MV 12

It was a sight not yet seen thus far this year as 6' 6" Sophomore(!) Chad Wright stepped into the circle, equal in height to Rashad Woodley, and won the opening tip.  Maumee Valley started in man-to-man defense.

Good defensive posture is essential.

In a portent, North Baltimore's Levi Newcomer was called for a quick player control foul.  Foul trouble would hinder the Tigers throughout the night, forcing them into a defensive shell.

Lucas Isaza opened the scoring for MV with two points and the Hawks opened up pressing on defense.  North Baltimore's senior swing man Jacob Frost answered back with a three.  Nick Towns scored for the Hawks from close range.  After a travel call against the Tigers, Nick hit this two pointer off a Thad Woodard feed...



... to extend the lead to 6-3.  Tyler Trumbull answered back with two, then Frost hit his second trey to put NB back on top 8-6.  Nick maintained his single-handed effort to keep MV in the game with a right-hand base line hook shot.

Juat another Nick Towns wannabe.  At least as far as the haircut is concerned.

Newcomer hit a free throw, then after several misses by both teams Nick Towns scored his eighth point of the quarter assisted by an alert Rashad Woodley...



After more cold shooting by all ten guys on the floor, each team's big guys - Wright and Woodley - exchanged baskets.  Gabe De Los Reys closed out the quarter with a three pointer putting the home team ahead by two.

It was a tight ballgame evidenced by eight lead changes in the quarter.

Yo, these guys are tough.

Second Quarter - MV 18 - NB 16

The Hawks ran their motion offence against the Tigers' 2-3 zone but couldn't convert.  NB's Sean Watson beat the visitors' press for two, then scored again on an and-one.  The home crowd was excited about their team's 19-12 lead at the 6:39 mark.  It would be their high point for the evening.

The Hawks needed to crawl back into the boat.

Keith McClure took the first step on the comeback trail with a sorely needed three pointer, answered in-kind by De Los Reys.  Solomon Collins scored the next three in the old-school fashion, driving down the middle for two and scoring on the bonus.  NB's Trumbull hit a two to back the Tigers lead up to five points.

MV's press began to pay dividends, with Solomon and Thad Woodard scoring the next five points to tie the game at 22 all.  Coach John Eichar sensed his team needed to calm down and took a time out at the half way point in the quarter.  Both teams went cold for a spell, broken by De Los Reys' two free throws.

Rashad tied the game again with a putback off a missed shot.  Jacob Frost said 'so what' and made the Tigers' fifth three pointer to take back the lead then Sean Watson made a free throw to get it back to four.  Marcus Knabbs was fouled going to the hole and made the pair then Danny Hazimah pulled MV to within one with a foul shot.  The Hawks took a 30-28 lead with another Keith McClure three pointer and NB's Wright scored two to knot up the score 30-30 at the half.

The Hawks had taken North Baltimore's best shot of the night and fought back to even.  Half of the home team's points came on three pointers.  MV would be determined to stop that in the second half.

Third Quarter - MV 15 - NB 10

North Baltimore stayed in their 2-3 zone, as three of their starters had three fouls.

North Baltimore's back defensive line.  The guy on the right tended to over rotate..

The Tigers started aggressively on offense with Chad Wright and Levi Newcomer scoring four quick points.  MV bounced back, with leadership from Nick Towns and Thad Woodard, who stole the ball and scored on a breakaway, enhanced by a Newcomer foul - which Thad converted.  Jacob Frost hit a three, and MV answered with a basket.   It would be NB's last three ball of the evening.

Following a Tiger free throw, Danny Hazimah found a seam in the zone to give MV its first lead of the half...



...but Wright scored again to take it back.  Both teams turned the ball over and at 3:32 Josh Arthur called time out to set up another wave of pressure defense.

Maumee Valley's press finally knocked the Tigers for a loop.  Solomon and Thad scored on consecutive NB turnovers.  The Tigers were unable to bring the ball in bounds and MV regained possession.  The Hawks now patiently worked against the zone, ultimately getting the ball in deep where Rashad Woodley was fouled...



He made both shots.  The Hawks ended the quarter on a 6-0 run and held a five point lead, their largest of the evening to date.

Fourth Quarter - MV 18 - NB 6

MV opened with ball to no avail, but Thad cleaned a Tiger forward's clock with a steal up top, which he converted into three points on the and-one.  MV forced another turnover.  Faced with an eight point deficit and a ravenous Hawks defense, Coach Eichar called an early time-out to avoid a full blown collapse.

Coach Arthur now went back to MV basics and ran 35 seconds off the clock.  This forced the Tigers out of their zone, and now it was MV taking the time out to set up a counter.  They did so, in the form of this Solomon Collins pull-up 15 footer...



...the lead was double digits.  Lane Bishop ended the Hawks' 10-0 run with a basket and foul shot.  Then Chad Wright thrilled the home crowd with a mean block, but Solomon came up with the ball and drew a foul, making one of two.

Solomon would be this evening's fourth quarter hero.  He was again fouled and made the pair, upping Maumee Valley's lead to ten.  Solomon kept up the heat, stealing an in-bounds pass and rambling coast to coast for this two pointer...



MV struck again with a Woodard steal and Lucas Isaza basket and with 3:30 left.  Their lead was stretched to 14, and the smell of victory was in the air.

Fortunately there was no smell of rotting fish.

The teams traded baskets, including this Isaza reverse layup...



MV finished with scores from Thad and Rashad, and tripled their opponents score in the fourth quarter.  Solomon would lead the Hawks in scoring this night with 16, seven of which came during the fourth quarter.

Scoring:

Danny Hazimah - 3
Marcus Knabbs - 2
Keith McClure - 6
Lucas Isaza - 6
Nick Towns - 10
Thad Woodard - 14
Solomon Collins - 16
Rashad Woodley - 6

Afterthoughts-

You will forgive your Hawkblogger for sounding repetitive, but the MV formula for victory tonight was again:

• a deep rotation, providing MV with more fouls to give, and less individual foul trouble
• a no-star lineup - any and all Hawks contribute at any given time
• new players ready to step up on offense - actually two this night with Nick Towns early and Solomon Collins late
• never ending pressure which stresses opponents to a breaking point.

Wore you out tonight, Richard Parker.

North Baltimore has an improving squad with an up-tempo style of play.  The Tigers can only get better.  They have an excellent chance at a winning record in MAL play and could do some playoff damage.  Chad Wright has two more years to improve on a solid base and could attract some college recruiting attention.  Better times are ahead for the Tigers.

Finally, without giving the story away, Life of Pi reflects on how we mentally filter life compared with its sometimes harsh reality.  The Hawks are now 6-1 and have a few more games before the grinding three game Ottawa Hills/Toledo Christian/Gibsonburg stretch.  Those three games will go far to determine how high the reality plane lies for these 2013-4 Hawks.

Happy New Year from your Hawkblog.

MV 85 - North Baltimore 39 - Quick Summary

The Hawks tallied their highest point total in the Jim Robinson era, smacking down the North Baltimore Tigers 85-39.  MV's inside game was outstanding against a taller NB front line as evidenced by the evening's record setting high scorers - Jared Sturt tied his career high with 25, Julius Turner had his MV-best 19 (all but three from two point range or the line) and Dixon Stoddard set a new career mark with 11 on the evening.  The game was never close, as full court pressure stymied the hosts early.  The Hawks scored the first ten points of the game and never looked back.

Other scorers for the HawkSquad included Rick Deichert with 11, Dave Brown 6, Caleb Willhight 5, and Nick Frasco and Jonathan Krueger 4.

One more full week off for the Hawks, then it's back to TAAC play at the Emannuel Christian Roy Parmalee Gymnasium against the tied-for-first-place Warriors.  The Warriors just dropped two in a row in their own Holiday Tournament, including a last second heartbreaker Friday night against Summerfield, Michigan.

MV 85 - North Baltimore 39 - Insightful Internet Commentary

No, these are not Apollo Astronauts, they are Caleb Willhight and Julius Turner in their warm-ups and headphones discussing the 46 point Hawk victory over the North Baltimore Tigers:

North Baltimore Preview

Fast facts

Opponent: North Baltimore
Enrollment (9-12): 260
Division/League: D-IV / Midland Athletic League (12 members)
Team Nickname: Tigers

Preview from Blanchard River Buzz

Head Coach: Jon Eicher (1st season)
Last Season: 8-13 overall, 4-7 Midland Athletic League
This Season: 0-7 overall, 0-3 MAL
Returning Letterwinners: Evan North 6-5, sr., F; 5.3 ppg., 5.8 rpg.; Andrew Peters 6-0, sr., G; 1.2 ppg., Austin Davis 6-4, sr., F; Alex James 6-3, sr., C; 1 ppg.;
Top Prospects: Jacob Frost 6-1, soph., G; Jordan Watson 6-1, jr., G; Travis Engard 6-0, sr., F; Branden Sully 5-7, soph., G; Chase Nichols 5-9, soph., G;

Notes: The Midland Athletic League does a fine job of publishing team and individual statistics during the season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, those statistics show a difficult picture – last place in team offense (35.0 points/game), next to last in both team defense (67.0 ppg allowed) and rebounding (-7.2 rpg average deficit). Through six games, North Baltimore’s leading scorer is their Senior big man Evan North, averaging 13/game (that’s 37% of the Tigers output for you stats geeks.). North is also fifth in MAL rebounding, averaging 7.2 boards per game.

MV lost its last outing at NB 57-53. For those who were there, it was an unforgettable game in terms of officiating.

And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Chapter 18 – Hawks-prey – Maumee Valley 57 – North Baltimore 39 at the Varsity Gym – 2.19.11 - Game Story

Setting the Table

Good Evening North Baltimore
Every shot’s like an open door
Every block is a fantasy
Every fast break's a symphony

Good Evening North Baltimore
And that night when we took to the floor
The world's waking up to see
North Baltimore and MV!

         - With apologies to Scott Whitman



So, would the visiting North Baltimore Tigers play like Tracy Turnblad this night – that plucky underdog who turns the world upside down and wins the day?

Well, not tonight.

And no, there was nobody in the crowd who even remotely resembled Edna in case you were wondering.

Game Summary

Maumee Valley extended their record to 15-3 tonight with a 57-38 win against Midland Athletic League foe North Baltimore at the Varsity Gym. Although the score was almost identical to Friday's 57-39 win against Cardinal Stritch, the game had a decidedly different feel. MV played loose and confident from the opening tip-off.

The Hawks dominated play from the opening, leading after 11-6 after one quarter and 25-11 at the half. Although North Baltimore's game was designed around the outside shot, the Hawks were 7-15 from beyond the arc, compared with 6-13 for the Tigers.

The night featured perfection from the line from one Dixon Stoddard who, according to exclusive Hawkblog sources simply stopped thinking and started shooting. This mind-clearing exercise worked to the tune of an 8-8 evening from the charity stripe.

First Quarter – MV 11 – NB 6

Starting five – Dave Brown (’13), Rick Deichert (’12), Jared Sturt (’12), Jonathan Krueger (’12) and Julius Turner (’12)

North Baltimore Starting five – Clinton Ebright (Sr), Parker Emahiser (Sr), Tyler Schloemp (Sr), Tyler Hillard (Sr), and Evan North (Jr)

North Baltimore rolled out a 2-3 zone against MV. The Hawks rotated between man, zone and full court pressure defense throughout the evening.

The evening started out with the now-familiar Rick Deichert lob to Jared for two to open the scoring. But North Baltimore ran a well-timed backdoor play from Evan North to Parker Emahiser hit for two.

Rick Deichert drove in along the right baseline to tie the game, and Emahiser fed Clinton Ebright for a three ball. Julius Turner then fouled North, who made the first of two free throws, then the visitors rebounded the second shot and had the ball with a 6-4 NB lead. It would be the high water mark of the evening for the Tigers.

Jared blocked a close in shot by NB post player Evan North, and in frustration he first fouled Jared at the visitors’ end, then fouled Dixon Stoddard 20 seconds later. Dixon made his first two points of the evening and North took an early seat.

After a North Baltimore traveling call, Rick fired a three pointer in from the top of the key. With the score MV 9 – NB 6, coach Josh Williams called time to reset the offense. The play call resulted in an open look Tyler Schloemp, but he missed not one, but two three point tries.

Following unsuccessful possessions for each team the Hawks went to work again, now with Nick Frasco in the game. This time Jared found success on a six foot turnaround jumper in the key – assist to a sharp passing Julius Turner. It was 11-6 Hawks. Each team would have two more possessions apiece at quarter end, but no further scoring occurred and the Hawks took a five point lead at the 25% mark.

Second Quarter – MV 14 – NB 5

Starting the Quarter – Rick, Nick, Jared, Julius, Dixon

Evan North returned to the game for the Tigers. Dixon showcased his ability to encourage aggressive play by his opponents.

North committed his third foul 14 seconds into the frame, a shoulder-down charge into Dixon’s solar plexis. Dixon's defensive style sort of reminds me of this guy:



Wondering why you're having an off night?



North Baltimore switched into a 1-2-2 zone, attacking the point guard up top. MV worked a double low post game, and Dixon at the left block found a wide-open Julius on the wing for a three.

After a steal by both teams, Jon Kruger was fouled shooting and made one shot. The Tigers called another timeout, down 15-6. The inbounds play to Mitchell Archer was successful for two points.

With their main inside threat out the Tigers decided to focus their offense on the three point shot. On their next possession, Tyler Schloemp hit an NBA three pointer from the left hand bleachers.

Conversely MV duly noted the lack of a defensive stopper and started working a triangle offense down low. Rick and Jon worked the ball in to Jared for two points at 4:08.

This play sparked the Hawks onto a run. It started, as seen below, when Rick grabbed a defensive rebound and ultimately got it to Dave for the running two pointer


The Tigers missed again and Rick came right back with this three…


Three empty possessions later Rick again hit for three and the Hawks had reeled off 10 straight. It was 25-11 in favor of the Blue and White. After a North Baltimore turnover, the home team had one last chance to score but did not cash in. The Hawks were up by 14 at the half after a stellar defensive performance.

Third Quarter MV 17 – NB 12

Starting the quarter – initial game starters

North Baltimore tried to switch things up and went to a 1-3-1 zone. MV’s Julius Turner just decided to shoot over it and opened the half with a three pointer.

MV replied with its own zone, but Parker Emahiser got to the basket for two + the foul on Jon Krueger. He made the bonus to pull the Tigers back to 13. MV continued to plunder the zone, Rick hitting next with a trey.

Jared continued to make it a tough night for Evan North, blocking his shot attempt, then scoring from deep in the box. MV got the ball back on a fast break and Rick dished it to Julius for the finisher.

Tiger coach Josh Williams called time at 5:07 with his team down 35-14.

Jared blocked the next shot attempt, but after a Rick Deichert foul, Emahiser scored for the visitors. Julius then passed the ball over the Tiger zone and Jared returned the favor with this two pointer…


… then at the 3:36 mark AJ King



…hit this three pointer. Jared broke up the next NB possession with a steal and almost dunked the follow-up but was fouled – he made both ends and it was 42-16 MV.

Clinton Ebright stopped the bleeding temporarily for the Tigers with two shots from beyond the arc. MV could not convert the final possession of the quarter. It was another successful quarter for the Hawks, who were now ahead 42-23.

Fourth Quarter – MV 15 – NB 15

Starting the quarter – initial game starters

North Baltimore had the initial possession, but only for 11 seconds before Julius stole the ball and worked it to Dixon, who was fouled shooting…



…and made both tries. NB scored next on a pretty pass through the zone for a two ball by Mitchell Archer.

Julius dribbled through the zone from the left side to return fire for MV, then Ebright hit another deep three.

Following a Hawk turnover, Dixon once again wreaked havoc - first being tripped by a defender...




... and hitting two free throws, then got to the line again after this Jon Krueger rebound…





And made his seventh and eighth free throws in a row – a individual career and team season-high for the Hawk forward.

MV pressed out of the stoppage in play and forced a turnover. Jared Sturt capitalized with this two pointer...


Closing things out for the Hawks in the quarter was this Dave Brown drive to the basket – he was fouled and made both ends…


…this Daniel Brandon score from the line


… and this Nick Frasco score with 1:26 left to finish it off for the home team.


The Hawks finished the game leading by 19 – final score MV 57 – NB 38.

Final Game Thoughts

Another strong performance for the Hawks, who now have rebounded nicely following the Ottawa Hills defeat with two strong wins.  Their record now stands at 15-3. 

Maumee Valley took charge from the start and used its superior size to take control of the game. An active man-to-man defense and timely pressing shut down whatever chances the Tigers may have had from the outside.

MV continues to feature balanced scoring, and kudos again to Dixon for a hot night at the line.

Statistically, MV was 18-37 in total from the floor, including a 7-15 performance from three point range – Rick going 4-8. The Hawks were in double digits in steals, led by Julius with three. Jared had three blocks on the evening – he’d later dispute that with your unofficial Hawkblog statistician, claiming he had many more…

Scoring

And now for the happy totals. Rick and Jared each scored 14 for the winners, and Julius contributed 10. Dixon had eight points, Dave Brown 4 points, AJ King 3, Nick Frasco 2, plus Daniel Brandon and Jonathan Krueger with 1 each.

Next up

The Hawks have several days off until a Friday meeting with Woodward High School (game subsequently cancelled), then return home the following Saturday to face North Central from the Buckeye Border Conference. Last year's victory against the Eagles was the very definition of a Pyrrhic Victory as Senior starters Jangus Whitner and Carter Bayer were both injured during the game and thus unable to play to a fraction of their potential in the 2009-10 playoffs.

JV Action videos MV 44 - North Baltimore 19 - part 2 of 2

The hits keep on coming...

Danny scores on the fast break



Haithem steals the ball and is fouled shooting - then makes a free throw





Izzy for two



Closing things out, Ahmed drives the left side for a basket

JV Action videos MV 44 - NB 19 - part 1 of 2

You guys must have been especially photogenic that evening.

Danny for three



Two AJ King videos






Thaddeus Woodard with a defensive rebound, then scoring at the other end.




And finishing this portion, a long scramble for a loose ball.

Boys’ JV Beats North Baltimore Tigers, 44-19, Goes 3-1 in a Very Busy Week of Play

From Hawkblog Special Correspondent Portia Ash

On Saturday night, the Boys’ JV welcomed the North Baltimore Tigers to the Varsity Gym and wrapped up a very busy week of basketball. The Hawks beat the Tigers 44-19 and advanced to 16-2 on the season.

The Hawks went up 10-4 on the Tigers in the first quarter and would never trail the Tigers. Throughout the game the Hawks played an aggressive press, good team defense and were able to execute their offense to put people in a position to score. The Hawks went into the half leading the Tigers 22-9.

In the second half, the Hawks continued with good execution on both ends of the floor and were able to open up a nineteen point lead over the Tigers, ending the third quarter leading the Tigers 34-15. In the fourth quarter, the Hawks went to their bench enabling more Hawks to see action in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks ended the game with a 44-19 win over the Tigers, moving their record to 16-2 on the season.

Up next, the Hawks wind down the ’10-‘11 season with a game on Friday against the Woodward Polar Bears and the final game of the season on Saturday against the North Central.

Scoring – King 13, Okeke 8, Hazimah 5, Khalil 5, Collins 4, Woodard 4, MacPherson 3, Ariss 2

Editor's note - we will double check the scoring at Portia's request.  For now we'll go with this for the upcoming Scoreapalooza.

MV 57 - North Baltimore 38 - Insightful Internet Commentary

Tonight's analysis is brought to you by the Hawks starting backcourt, Dave Brown and Rick Deichert. 




My apologies - Dave Brown scored 4 tonight, not 6 as in stated in the video and it was 4 games in 6 days, not 5.  All that interviewing pressure got to me. 

MV 57 - North Baltimore 38 at the Varsity Gym - Quick Summary

Maumee Valley extended their record to 15-3 tonight with a 57-38 win against Midland Athletic League foe North Baltimore at the Varsity Gym.  Although the score was almost identical to Friday's 57-39 win against Cardinal Stritch, the game had a decidedly different feel.  MV played loose and confident from the opening tip-off.

The Hawks dominated play from the opening, leading after 11-6 after one quarter and 25-11 at the half.  Although North Baltimore's game was designed around the outside shot, the Hawks were 7-15 from beyond the arc, compared with 6-13 for the Tigers. 

Rick and Jared each scored 14 for the winners, and Julius contributed 10. Dixon had eight points, but of note, that was the product of a perfect 8-8 night at the free throw line.  Dave Brown had 4 points, AJ King had 3, Nick Frasco 2, and Daniel Brandon and Jonathan Krueger each had 1.

It's now a well-deserved several days off for the Hawks, who rest up until Friday when they take on the Division II Woodward Polar Bears in a game just recently scheduled.