2013-4 Season Chapter Five - And Down the Stretch They Come!!! - MV 56 - Danbury 45 Game Story

December 13, 2013 - Varsity Gym

One of the greatest calls in broadcast sports belongs to Kentucky Derby broadcaster Dave Johnson.  As the annual Run for the Roses reaches its thrilling climax Johnson's 'and down the stretch they come' call blends excitement, uncertainty, high stakes and anticipation all into one.

Here's a little flavor:




Maumee Valley would probably have been listed as a 4-1 pre-race favorite over the Danbury Lakers.  But coach Drew Davie has a much stronger club than in the past few years.  The Lakers are a young team with only two seniors, but seven returning lettermen.  With increased experience and better athleticism, the visitors from Marblehead have moved away from their traditional 2-3 zone setup to a man-to-man defensive scheme.  Their offense also features more ball movement which seeks to screen for open shots near the key in the 8-15 foot range.  They practice patience and don't give up.

In Friday's action, MV got the Lakers down early, and it looked like it might turn into a walkover after one quarter.  But Danbury fought back in the third quarter and tied the game at 40-all with 3:56 left in the fourth quarter.

Then down the stretch came the Hawks with a sprint to the finish line led by speedster Danny Hazimah.  Danny contributed key steals and points off in-bounds plays in the late action to give Maumee Valley its fourth straight win.

The Hawks are now 4-1 overall and 3-0 in TAAC play.

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

First Quarter - MV 20 - Danbury 11

Danbury took the initiative and a 6-5 early lead on baskets by Hunter Stinchcomb, Kegan Rakosky and Caleb Gerber.  MV got through some opening sluggishness to thke the lead with defensive pressure like this set, which forced a Laker turnover



then another forced turnover led to this Thad Woodard hoop.



Solomon Collins scored next on a beautiful pass Danny Hazimah to make it 14-6 and coach Davie called time out to settle things down.

After a Danbury basket, the Danbury defense couldn't handle the Truth (Foreman) on this Eurostep sliding drive for two



Truth followed this up with another basket, and Solomon ended the quarter scoring to make it 20-11.  The Hawk guards were coming in waves against the visitors on defense, backed up by Rashad Woodley and Nick Towns down low.

Second Quarter - MV 11 - Danbury 9

Thad led off with a steal and basket, answered by a Danbury 6-0 run.  Nick Towns regained Hawk momentum with a score, then Rashad Woodley made one of the plays of the game with a behind the back dribble-drive for two.  Fortunately Channel 11 was there and caught this play in their highlight package.

The Lakers continued to hang in.  Rakosky scored an old-school three pointer to keep it at a six point deficit.  MV struck back with defense, first with a tough tie-up by Keith McClure then this Danny Hazimah steal and basket.



Solomon Collins closed out the first half scoring a muscular clean-up basket after a vintage clock-eating final minute set.



The Blue and White enjoyed a 31-20 half time lead.

Third Quarter - Danbury 16 - MV 7

Lucas Isaza opened things up with a driving reverse layup, but the visitors began a huge comeback.  Six different Danbury players scored in a furious 18-5 run over the remainder of the quarter.  The Hawks could not find the rim from the floor or the line during this stretch, and also committed eight fouls of their own vs. Danbury's three.  This put the guests in the bonus early on, aiding and abetting the Lakers' efforts.

By quarter's end, the Hawks looked up at the scoreboard and found themselves up by only one basket, 38-36

Fourth Quarter - MV 18 - Danbury 9

The frame started off sloppily as both sided committed a pair of turnovers.  But the hero of the evening would begin to emerge.  Danny Hazimah scored first to extend the Hawks lead to four.  More frenzied play ensued, and the Lakers' Caleb Gerber and John Rhodes scored the next four points from the charity stripe.  The game was tied at 40 and Danbury was in the double bonus with 3:56 to play.

That however would be the apex for the Lakers on this evening.  Thad Woodard was fouled shooting and made the pair.  Danny Hazimah stole the ball and Marcus Knabbs, playing in foul trouble all evening, was intentionally fouled himself.  He made one of two and the Hawks did not convert on the resultant in-bounds play.

Danny Hazimah again stole a Danbury pass and got to the basket for two on this play.



With both teams now sensing the balance of the game in hand, the pace quickened with pressing, traded free throws and more end-to-end action.  Danny continued to stretch the lead for MV with this two pointer:



Then after a strong defensive stop by the Hawks, Marcus scored on a free throw and Solomon made an experienced-player steal.  He watched a Danbury break unfold coming downcourt and stepped aside, baiting the visitors to make a pass inside for what they thought would be an easy layup.  But Collins cut in front of the pass and took it back for a score.

Danny got free at the 1:59 mark on this half court play.



And then, with 1:01 remaining, Danny scored again on this long in-bounds play.



The Hawks led 52-41 following a 12-1 run with just over a minute to go.  The teams traded a few late game baskets but the outcome had been decided.

So the Hawks have now won four straight and three in conference.  Saturday's game against Arcadia was snowed out, and so MV will have the weekend to prepare for a Tuesday game in New Riegel, one of the storied D-IV basketball programs.

Scoring:

Truth Foreman - 4
Danny Hazimah - 10
Marcus Knabbs - 3
Keith McClure - 3
Lucas Isaza - 5
Nick Towns - 2
Thad Woodard - 15
Solomon Collins - 6
Rashad Woodley 6

2013-4 Season Chapter Two - MV 67 - Monclova Christian 17 - Delaying a Rebuild - Game Story

December 3, 2013 - Varsity Gym

Maumee Valley routed the Monclova Christian Thunder 67-17 to even their record at 1-1.  Every MV player saw game time before the end of the first half.  The final points of the first half were scored on a Rashad Woodley three pointer from the left wing to put the Hawks up 37-8.

Eleven Hawks scored before the night was over.

Monclova Christian returned to boys basketball action after missing a full season in 2012-3.  During this period the Thunder lost a few players to transfer and are clearly in a rebuilding mode.  Their team is dominated by underclassmen who are just now receiving their introduction to varsity basketball.  There was no JV game.

The Hawks did not cooperate with the rebuild on this night.

Our fairly representative highlight for the evening was this left handed drive to the basket by Lucas Isaza.



Scoring:

Truth Foreman - 6
Danny Hazimah - 8
Marcus Knabbs - 2
Keith McClure - 4
Jack Herrmann - 6
Lucas Isaza - 7
Jeremy Anderson - 5
Nick Towns - 3
Turner Booth - 6
Thad Woodard - 2
Solomon Collins - 9
Rashad Woodley - 9

MV 68 - Danbury 39 at the Varsity Gym 1.13.12 - Quick Summary

The Hawks ran their win streak to seven tonight at the Varsity Gym, crusing over the Danbury Lakers 68-39.  It was the same story from the last few games, as MV jumped out early on the strength of pressure defense and outside shooting, then wore down the visitors throughout the remainder of the game.  The Blue and White are now 9-1 (4-1 TAAC) at the half way point of the season. 

Julius Turner led Maumee Valley in scoring for the third game in a row, pocketing 19 this evening.  Julius has scored  62 points in his last three games.  Rick Deichert had 15, exploiting the zone early and often with a 3 for 3 start from beyond the arc.  Jared Sturt had 10 this evening, as Danbury would not come out of their tightly packed 2-3 zone. 

The Hawks also got contributions this evening from Dave Brown and Dixon Stoddard (7 each), Caleb Willhight (6) and Jonathan Krueger (4).

Things get a little tougher for Maumee Valley next Tuesday as they travel to Oregon to face the Cardinal Stritch Cardinals.

Maumee Valley 51 - Ottawa Hills 39 - quick summary

HawkNation was out in full force last night to watch their team defeat the Green Bears 51-39 at the Valley.  With the win, Maumee Valley righted their ship in TAAC play.  They earned a 2-1 record playing the three-games-in-seven-nights gauntlet of Gibsonburg, TC and OH.  The back to back wins against TC and OH are another milestone for MV. 

Ottawa Hills has a big front line, but if you can't get the ball into that group, they can't do much damage.  MV used full court pressure defense and forced 22 OH turnovers during the contest.  The defense energized the home team, which jumped to a 13 point half time lead.  In the second half, the Hawks played a lot of Robo-ball, controlling the pace and reducing the Bears' shot opportunities. MV made their free throws down the stretch and iced the game in the last quarter. 

Dave Brown was the unsung hero of the second half, controlling the ball for a series of long stretches for which OH had no answer.  Opponents simply don't apply more than token pressure against MV this season because of Dave's ball-handling presence.

The win was the Hawks' first over their TAAC rivals at the Varsity Gym in at least five years. 

MV's trio of Rick Deichert, Julius Turner and Jared Sturt combined for 42 points on the evening.  Each had their hot streaks, especially Julius in the first quarter, then Rick in the second. 

Also scoring for the Hawks were Jon Krueger with 5 and Dave Brown with four, all big free throws in the fourth quarter.

Scrimmage recap - Tuesday 11.16.10 - home vs. Start HS - Oh Canada

Fast facts

Opponent:  Roy C. Start HS (named for a former Toledo mayor)

Enrollment (9-12):  1600

Division/League: D-I / Toledo City League

Team Nickname: Spartans (patterned after Michigan State, their colors are Green and White and their fight song melody is Falcone Fight)

Scrimmage format: 10 minute running quarters (regular clock in last minute) / Eight Quarters played.

Setting the table

This was the first game in the newly repainted Varsity Gym.  Thanks to the MV Boosters for arranging this project - newly bright and white walls with great big spankin' new Hawk logo on the wall to boot.

Five Hawks were out on a great Winterim trip to Canada - Omar Hazimah, Daniel Brandon, Dave Brown, AJ King and Thad Woodard.  So the Hawks suited up with eight vs. Start's full compliment of 13.  Hurry back, eh guys?  Hopefully everyone will clear Customs back into the US this coming Friday.

And what is Winterim, you ask?  From the www.mvcds.org website - A distinctive feature of the Upper School is our Winterim program. Winterim enhances students' learning with an intensive, focused experience (Ed. – Winterim runs from November 1 through Thanksgiving). Students select from offerings that include classes at Maumee Valley, educational trips, study at other schools through The Network of Complimentary Schools, and independent study projects both within and outside of the Toledo area. At the end of their fourth year, Maumee Valley graduates have enjoyed a broad range of experiences and are well prepared to pursue their education at the next level. Click here for current and past Winterim offerings.

First Q – MV 12 – Start 12
Starting five: Rick Deichert, Jared Sturt, Nick Frasco, Jonathan Krueger, Dixon Stoddard (Hey, wait – throw in Parker and there's your 2007 TAAC 7^th Grade Champ rotation!)

Start opened in a full court press.  Rick and Nick received a baptism of fire sharing play at the point.  Aggressive defense by the Spartans did not deter the Hawks from running their offense and provided several opportunities for fast break points and backdoor cuts for easy baskets.  Start was equal to the task and the teams played to a draw.

One early theme of the game was Jared’s strong play underneath.  Start had more one-and-done’s than MV. Start had the last chance but couldn't convert.

Second Q – Start 19 – MV 8

Starting five: I dunno, sorry.

Oopsie!  Start switched to a half court trapping defense which gave the Hawks fits.  Many turnovers ensued, and Sparty rolled to a big lead.

Play was rough; Dixon, Rick and Nick were on the receiving end of some pushing, scratching and shoving. To be fair I saw our guys on the giving end as well.  Nothing egregious, just good old-fashioned City League basketball.  Good training for the coming season.  After a full season playing in the Central Catholic summer league against top flight competition, the days of intimidating MV are over.  This quarter served as a good refresher course in physical play.

In the end, MV broke down too many times and let the Spartans run away with the quarter.

Third Q – Start 10 – MV 8

Starting five: Nick, Parker Bayer, Dixon, Julius Turner and Solomon Collins

Start came off its pressure defense into straight man-to-man.  Solomon opened strong with two baskets, and Julius had some quality minutes learning the offensive system, passing up a few scoring chances to find open teammates.   A close finish with better things to come.

Fourth Q – MV 15 – Start 12

Starting five: Rick, Nick, Jared, Dixon and Jonathan

Rick opened scoring with a trey.  Jared continued his dominance under the boards and the Hawks grabbed the lead.  MV had the Spartan press figured out and began to get the ball underneath for several easy baskets.  The quarter was sealed with 28.6 seconds to go on a beautiful inbounds play to Jared for the final go-ahead score.

During the fourth quarter, the JV team finished practice and came in to watch the rest of the scrimmage.  They were treated to a quality finish by the varsity in this quarter.

Fifth Q – MV 12 – Start 12

Starting this quarter – Parker, Solomon, Jared, Rick and Julius

With only eight starters, MV played most of the night in zone.  Start had great difficulty getting quality shots during the quarter due to great match-up defense up top. 

MV continued its success beating the Spartans' pressure defense with several finishes by Freshman Soloman Collins, leading to the quote of the early season.  During a time out, Start’s coach called on his team to continue its half court double teaming.  One of the players responded ‘Coach every time we trap, they score’. 

The home team had the ball at the end but couldn’t get a shot off for the win.

Sixth Q -  MV 8 – Start 5

Starting this quarter – Rick, Nick, Jared, Dixon and Jonathan

Start got back to pressing and jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead.  The Blue and White clawed their way back in to the game with strong play from Jonathan, who burned the net twice in the 10-15 foot range.  Jonathan is a decisive shooter, confidently planting and firing his mid-range jumper.  MV took the lead with 4:24 to play and held on for the win.

Seventh Q:  Start 22 – MV 7

Starting this quarter – Dixon, Solomon, Julius, Nick and Parker

The Hawks went to work on a few set offensive pieces this quarter featuring Julius and Nick working the middle of the lane.  Although Start shot well and ran away with the score, MV showed great teamwork on a fast break and looked remarkably fresh this late in the evening.  Parker Bayer played harassing defense at the top of the key.  PK has some of the team's quickest hands, a skill many opposing point guards have experienced to their detriment over the years.

Eighth Q:  MV 12 – Start 6

Starting this quarter -  7^th Grade TAAC champ five (see 1^st Q above)

As in the Gibsonburg scrimmage, the Hawks conditioning paid dividends at game’s end.  A still fresh Jared Sturt continued to dominate underneath.  Jared showed a talent for affecting the opponents’ shots without getting in foul trouble. 

Start’s offense was limited to three point shooting, thus providing MV with several fast break opportunities.  In one of the prettiest finishes of the evening, the Hawks flew out of the gate on a three-on-one break featuring a Rick to Jonathan to Nick finish under the basket.  It was BEAU-TEEE-FUL.

Summary

MV and Start split eight quarters 3 wins each and two ties.  Either team could have won the game in a regulation four quarter affair.  And all this with five teammates gone on a Winterim trip to Maple Leaf Land.   We will be even better when everyone clears Customs on Friday and the team is reunited.

Showing an ability to slug it out with a D-1 team for eight quarters is a milestone achievement for our Lads.  It's a huge advance to see a big school team try to press and not have any anxiety about breaking it - and this without ballhandler extraordinaire Dave Brown.

Next up – lots of practice and our next scrimmage against an undisclosed opponent at a secret undisclosed location.  No truth to the rumor that Dick Cheney is coaching the opposing team.