Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

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pfloyd
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Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

Post by pfloyd »

Unioto 56
Miami Trace 50 a final


The first game of the 2021-22 season, without the Covid protocols limiting the number of fans, masks etc. Pfloyd actually IN the Cheap Seats rather than on livestream ... real, hardcopy roster sheets! AND people!!! fans in the stands! - I was smiling the entire evening - seeing people! talking to coaches! hearing the sound of basketballs hitting the floor, whistles ... coaches - let's say- coaching!!! fans - let's say - supporting their players and team ... high school basketball Below the Lancaster-Dixon Line is simply the best ...

First game of the season! usually means teams make mistakes - turnovers, usually both teams are finding their basketball legs with players coming out of football season - last night's contest was an EXCELLENT opening night game !!! Unioto who I picked #4 in the preseason rankings, Miami Trace my #11 - neither team disappointed me ! after getting "politely chastised" by some for how high the U was ranked and that MT wasn't going to be as good as their #11 ranking - I was pleased with BOTH TEAMS ! the U dealing with players not doing basketball this season, Miami Trace an unknown commodity ... Coach Hoops looking to find a replacement for graduated pg Isaac Little (who by the way is coaching the U freshmen squad who won 51-26 for Ike's first coaching W - congratulations!) - only 7 TOs on the night tells me they will be fine handling the ball by committee - Branson, Blake Hoops & Newton Hoops, Braxton Platt ALL handled the rock under pressure ... Miami Trace from last year's impression of TEAM - had size, lots of "pieces" but very little "TEAM" - what I saw last night was a team with less size - Andrew Guthrie (6-8 and a beast down low) still gives them real size that has to be "game planned for" but they ARE a very good TEAM where the parts DO IN FACT come together as a whole ... MT STARTED 3 sophomores, 1 junior and 1 senior ! coming off the bench with 1 sophomore, 1 junior and a senior - if my math is correct that is only 2 seniors, 2 juniors and 4 very talented sophomores - MT will be improving throughout THIS season and will be a force in the Elite 8 rankings NEXT season as well - Coach Ackley & staff - well done ...

The opening quarter saw MT get scoring from across the board as 4 starters dented the napkin stat sheet ... led by the big man in the middle Guthrie's 6 points including a triple from beyond the arc ... senior Hayden Hunter added 4, sophs Eli Fliehman 2, Austin Boedeker 3 with 2 points off the bench by senior Bryson Sheets ... Unioto looked like a team playing without a true point guard - 3 turnovers, 4 fouls in the quarter, all of the scoring coming from seniors Desean Branson (7 pts) and Evan Park (2 pts) - the rest of the team on the floor looked to be "thinking"/trying not to make mistakes as this was their first meaningful varsity/game experience ... Miami Trace 17 Unioto 9 after 1 ... in ALL sport - "thinking" is a killer to good play at both ends of the floor - on the offensive end if you "see an open player, think about passing it" - the window has closed ... defensively if you are again thinking/over reacting - jumping out at the ball - the offensive player has gotten "that step" and gets to the rim - the U's youngin's were thinking instead of reacting ... quarter #2 the athletes that are up and down the U roster showed, the basketball IQ's took over ... instead of relying on the seniors - the youngsters started figuring out their roles, contributing without thinking "should I or shouldn't I" - they started playing basketball, defensive pressure on the perimeter and especially down low with 6-5 sophomore Joran Perkins holding his own in the paint at both ends vs the MT big man Guthrie ... Guthrie was held to 2 points down low ... the U forced 3 turnovers including a big time slam by Branson in transition ... the Sherman's perimeter scoring potential showed as the U went 4/8 from downtown - Newt Hoops 2 and one each from Gabe Corcoran and 6-5 Evan Park ... Park last season was a big man 3 point threat - the biggest takeaway from last night is that Evan Park is a complete player this season ... inside on the boards - playing physical in the paint, can score down low AND PLAYED down low, can/will step out for the 3 ball, hits the midrange jumper and score off the dribble (17 points for the night) ... Unioto with 21 points in the 2nd took the lead on a Park 3 pointer at the end of the period ... Unioto 30 Miami Trace 29 at intermission ... by the beginning of the 3rd Coach Hoops troops looked comfortable, looked confident ... the 3rd period had the U playing "get up in 'em" D - the defensive pressure took MT out of their offensive flow, keeping them out of their spots both down low and on the perimeter - Guthrie was held in check with 0 points as team MT was held to 8 in the quarter ... the Shermans led by Park's 6 points, a nice 8 foot jumper from Perkins, a finger roll in the paint by Branson and triple off the bench by Ben Spetnagel opened up a 6 point lead going into the final period ... Unioto 43 Miami Trace 37 after 3 ... Free Throws - neither team was close to proficient at the charity stripe ... Miami Trace 6/15 (2/4 in the 4th) , the U going 4/11 only 3 for 9 in the 4th with a bunch of front end of 1 & 1's missed to allow Trace to whittle down a Unioto 13 point lead to the final margin ... Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

Pfloyd's Official "unofficial" Napkin Stats - Miami Trace

Scoring ... Andrew Guthrie 14, Hayden Hunter 8, Austin Boedeker 8, Bryson Sheets 7, Eli Fliehman 7, Garrett Guess 6
3 Pointers ... 4/10 ... Garrett Guess 2, Bryson Sheets 1, Andrew Guthrie 1
FTs ... 6/15
TOs ... 13
Pbck ... 2 fgs/ 4points on putback buckets
Tbk ... 2 fgs/ 4 points in transition

... I liked what I saw from Coach Ackley's Miami Trace team ... as I pointed out - as it was pointed out to me as well by Coach Lowe of Jackson last night - the Miami Trace TEAM is playing like a TEAM this season ... very balanced scoring - would not be surprised at seeing 3-4 players in double figures scoring in games this season ... Guthrie at 6-8 draws a crowd , last night the U handled him down low one on one - other teams who aren't as strong in the post will need to double down on Guthrie - this season Coach Ackley has the role players around Guthrie to make teams pay ... I'll get to see MT vs Lancaster at the Zane Trace TipOff classic Friday evening - will be good to see if TEAM MT shows game 1 to game 2 ...

Pfloyd's Official "unofficial" Napkin Stats - Unioto

Scoring ... Desean Branson 17, Evan Park 17, Newton Hoops 7, Gabe Corcoran 5, Jordan Perkins 4, Braxton Platt 3, Ben Spetnagel 3
3 Pointers ... 6/22 ... Newt Hoops 2, Desean Branson 1, Ben Spetnagel 1, Evan Park 1, Gabe Corcoran 1
FTs ... 4/11
TOs ... 7
Pbk ... 3 fgs/ 6 points on putback buckets
Tbk ... 6 fgs/ 12 points in transition

Unioto should not be hungout to dry as rebuilding - losing an outstanding senior class last season, losing the 2 pgs who ran the show ... losing a player who decided to not play this season/one who was a starter last season ... not to worry! the U will be just fine imo - PG? last night we saw a TEAM who could bring the ball up court but I see freshman Blake Hoops as THE PG/floor general as the season moves along - in the 4th period last night B Hoops delivered a dime to Braxton Platt on a from behind the 3 point line bounce pass - the young man sees the floor, handles the rock, strong with the ball & has a body that you can't "out physical" ... throw in Hoops the Elder - Newton - drained back to back 3 balls - he knows the game, has game and he too is a leader on the court with a high basketball IQ ... Evan Park was the big standout last night - his game went from 1 dimensional - a perimeter threat- to being an all around player at both ends ... Branson will always be a threat offensively with his speed, and he can hit the perimeter shot but he is a role player especially out on the perimeter defensively/quick enough to take chances - if he gets the take away he will finish above the rim ... everyone who saw the floor last night is a contributor at both ends of the floor ... Jordan Perkins impressed me defending the bigger/stronger 6-8 Guthrie - as a sophomore - the youngster is outstanding AND he hit a nice 8 footer at the offensive end ... it adds up to the SVC is not going to be a Zane Trace cakewalk - the U will be a player in the SVC ... #4 in the rankings - the potential is there to be very good ... the U comes to Logan to take on the #3 in the preseason rankings Chieftains ! looking forward to seeing Coach Hoops & the U next Friday night at Jym's Gym in Logan ...


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Ironman92
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Re: Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

Post by Ironman92 »

I read that while hearing Dick Vitale’s voice


mlittle
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Re: Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

Post by mlittle »

Was awesome seeing a packed gym and hearing the roar again. Really missed it last year


danicalifornia
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Re: Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

Post by danicalifornia »

Thanks Floyd for the rundown. Look forward to taking in some games at ZT with you the next couple of days


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pfloyd
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Re: Unioto 56 Miami Trace 50 a final

Post by pfloyd »

danicalifornia wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:48 pm Thanks Floyd for the rundown. Look forward to taking in some games at ZT with you the next couple of days
I'll be there daniC ... I have some of the napkin stat sheets already filled out with what I know ... will fill in the rest tomorrow evening for Friday night and Saturday after I get the all important ZT TipOff program LOL ...


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