Western 66
Waterford 46 a final
... as of 2:45 pm I sat in my classroom thinking - Where am I going tonight to watch basketball? ... it was D4's Sectional Championship night ... I had narrowed it down to either Federal Hocking vs Manchester or Western Pike vs Waterford ... Thursday night I had texted the AD at Fed Hock to find out when the doors were going to open "5:45" was Stephanie Evans' reply ... by the time I took the short trip from LHS to my house in Logan I had talked myself into making the hour and 45 minute drive to Latham ... I hadn't seen Coach Williams' Indians live yet this year! It was Friday night - no "day job" on Saturday - Latham/Western High School for Western vs Waterford it was ... glad I made the trip! ...
... it was an auspicious beginning to the night's action as the PA/sound system did not work - the National Anthem? as all tried to get things up an running, the PA announcer stood, along with the entire gymnasium crowd, the Star Spangled Banner was sung acapella by the entire crowd! - it was outstanding/ gave me chills ... no announced starting lineups - no PA for the entirety of the contest ... on the court, the game opened with Waterford drawing first blood - as Jarrett Armstrong for Waterford was fouled shooting a 3 pointer , Armstrong calmly nailed the 3 FTs ... 3-0 Wildcats and we were off! from there on it was the Jarrett Armstrong Show in the 1st period as he went on to knockdown 14 points in the period ... 3 three pointers in a row in the first ,,, Armstrong hit 14 of the Wildcats first 16 points - the only fg other than those by JA was a 2 pointer by Chip Adams ... for Coach Williams' Indians finding the bottom of the basket wasn't as easy ... forced to play a half court game, the TEAM only had 2 makes in the qtr. soph Drew Haggy with a drive to the rim for 2 points and sr. post player Chase Carter added 2 points at the rim to go with 2/2 from the FT line ... Waterford 16 Western 6 after 1 ... down double digits in the post season early makes a favorable outcome tough - it's like spotting a team playing for a sectional crown 10 pts or handicapping your own team a 10 spot - anyway you look at it Western was down 10, offensively 0/4 from beyond the arc, coughed up the ball 4 times in the quarter ... needing to rely on an anemic offensive unit to close the gap so TEAM could "get back in it" before intermission ... Western is young - starting 2 seniors and 3 sophomores ... luckily one of the seniors is a veteran of the "one and done"/"survive and advance" wars, has been through a long post season run to the promised land at the Convo last season , and is more than happy to carry the TEAM - Chase Carter ... the sr 6-4 ,big man stepped outside the 3 point arc for a pair of triples to go with a 2 pointer in the paint and 2/2 from the FT line ... Kam Janes chipped in 3 pts and Cole Henderson 2 pts ... with Carter showing the senior leadership needed in the post season - the Indian defense kept Armstrong off the 3 point line for the most part - only 3 FTs in the period for Armstrong - outstanding on ball defense by Kam Janes/Logan Lightle/Daniel Rodriques took the 3 point threat out of the equation for the first time in the game as WHS went 0/7 from the 3 point line in the 2nd ... the Wildcats were held to 2 fgs in the period - a 2pter by Gaibe Ponchak (3pts) and a putback bucket by stretch forward Cole Sparling ... in the end, the Indians "defense" combined with Chase Carter taking over the offense for Western reeled in the Wildcats before intermission ... the game was no longer a "difficult to manage" comeback, it was now a 1 possession game heading into the locker room ... Waterford 24 Western 21 at the half ...
Side Note ...Halftime - that "down" time in the game allowing players to catch their breath, get hydrated while the coaching staff makes "adjustments" based on what took place on the court in the opening 2 qtrs/ coaching staffs looking honestly/objectively at their TEAM ... Western Pike has one of the best coaching staffs in SEOhio - I've seen the accumulated game videos on EACH opponent Western has played or are going to play this season,... I've seen the coaching breakdowns of their own Indians team in working to make TEAM better ... Coach Williams/Asst Coaches Jimison,Whitt,Opperman and McLeod made adjustments : looked at what the Indians do best and turn it up - defense ... asked themselves - "How do we get more offense other than Carter?" (answer) - defense creating offense, defense changing the tempo of the game, defense "freeing up" the rest of the TEAM to spread the floor and use the conditioning/constant movement to allow sophomores Kam Janes/Drew Haggy to become part of the offense ... adjustments ... End of side note ...
... the adjustments at halftime were evident right from the start of the 3rd ... Western was 2/11 from behind the 3 point line in the first half, the only player to hit a trey was Chase Carter (2) ... analytics say "take it to the rim" ... Kam Janes DID just that , the lefty worked into the paint for 3 straight baskets ... the baskets allowed Western to "get into" defensive sets at the Wildcat end of the floor ... on ball pressure/turning the ball handler/ jumping the ball with a double team ... transition offense out of the defense ... adjustments ... the Western defense turned the tempo of the game from one that Waterford controlled in a halfcourt game to one where Western was now calling the shots figuratively and literally - Waterford had gotten off 16 three pointers in the halfcourt sets in the first half - the 3rd quarter the Wildcats could only get off 4 triples (2/4) ... the Western defense was now keeping Waterford from getting shots , let alone shots they wanted to take ... Western outscored Waterford 22-10 in the 3rd ... every point was IN THE PAINT, AT THE RIM ... what had been 1 scoring option in the opening 2 quarters - Carter- was now a 3 headed monster attacking the basket - Carter/Janes/Haggy ... the trio accounted for all but 1pt in the qtr. a FT from Colt Henderson (1/2) ... Carter dropped 2 old fashion 3 pointers- "and ones" (8pts) / Drew Haggy 7pts/ Kam Janes 6pts ... Waterford saw their 3 point lead at the half disappear, turn into a 9 point deficit ... the Waterford game is beyond the 3 point line ... the WHS defense took away the 3 point shot, and turned the Wildcats over 7 times in the period ... scoring for the Wildcats - Jarrett Armstrong added his 4th three pointer of the game (first since the opening qtr) ... Cole Starling stepped outside the arc to drain a deep 3 ball (3pts) ... the only other fgs in the 3rd were 2 pointers from Alec Johnson/Gaibe Ponchak ... Western 43 Waterford 34 after 3 ... when a TEAM finds its comfort zone at both ends of the floor - offensively attacking the rim and in turn attacking the boards - the energy was at Spinal Tap levels at both ends ... the defense feeds the offense and the offensive energy carries over into the defensive play - controlling the boards/ allowing Waterford one shot and done ... fun to watch - adjustments ... the 4th qtr was played with a Western 18-24 point lead throughout ... at 5:33 the Indians led 54-36 ... at 1:32 on the game clock Coach Williams had already played his entire roster leading 64-40 ... Waterford kept the starters on the floor with Gavin Booker (3pts) and Gaibe Ponchak (7pts) each draining a trey vs the Western reserves... Jarrett Armstrong added 2pts with a midrange jumper to round out the Wildcat scoring ... Western forced 7 more Wildcat turnovers, the Big 3 scored the ball in the paint /at the rim with Janes (8pts)/Haggy (8pts)/ Carter the lone outside the paint bucket a 3 pointer (5 pts) ... as time ran down Western's Wyatt Henderson got in the books with an offensive board and a putback bucket (2pts) to seal Western's 3rd straight Sectional Title ... Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
... Pfloyd's official UN-official Napkin Stats - Waterford ...
Scoring ...Jarrett Armstrong 22, Gaibe Ponchak 12, Cole Sparling 5, Gavin Brooker 3, Alec Johnson 2, Chip Adams 2
3 Pointers ... 7/32 ... Jarrett Armstrong 4, Gavin Brooker 1, Gaibe Ponchak 1, Cole Sparling 1
FTs ... 7/8
TOs ... 21
PnP ... 7 fgs/ 14 points in the paint
PnT ... 0
Pbk ... 1 fg/ 2 points on putback buckets
... Pfloyd's official UN-official Napkin Stats - Western Pike
Scoring ... Chase Carter 27, Drew Haggy 17, Kam Janes 17, Colt Henderson 3, Wyatt Henderson 2
3 Pointers ... 3/16 ... Chase Carter 3
FTs ... 15/18
TOs ... 16
PnP ... 18 fgs/ 36 points in the paint
PnT ... 2 fgs/ 4 points in transition
Pbk ... 2 fgs/ 4 points on putback buckets
... I always enjoy a game where "coaching" is evident ... where game plans are made based on film, scouting ... when the game plan has be adjusted based on what is going on ON the court ... last night - the coaching from Coach Williams down through the ranks on the bench was on display ... Western doesn't have the half court "game" TEAM ... the perimeter game wasn't working - 2/11 from outside the arc in the first half ... only one scorer - Chase Carter getting it done from the perimeter ... adjust - get your other scorers in the game - get to the rim ... 5 fgs in the paint in the first 2 quarters/ 15 fgs in the paint in the final 16 minutes ... only TAKING 5 three point shots in the 2nd half (1/5) ... Coach Williams told me before the game that the one thing he KNOWS for sure that would "show up" - the Western Defense ... Coach KNOWS his TEAM ... Western gets the #1 seed in D4 in the opening round of district action - Fairfield Leesburg - best of luck to the Indians!
... I love the Western Pike gymnasium ! well laid out, old school with modern seating ...just a comfortable, high school setting for basketball ... totally enjoyed seeing Western "peoples" I made acquaintances with during the Indians deep tourney run last season - Jody Corcoran Rittenhouse (Kam Janes) yelled at pfloyd from the top of the home bleachers as I walked in/thank you for the pregame chat! JV girls basketball Coach Michael Rogers introduced himself before the game, Superintendent Brock Brewster took a break from game duties to give pfloyd a shoutout ... got a hello hug from Principal Bethany Whitt after the game and thank you for coming down to Latham ... good people West of Route 23 ... shoutout to Kevin Hines and his officiating crew - good game call ...
Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
Last edited by pfloyd on Sat Feb 25, 2023 12:02 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
Glad you enjoyed your visit to the hills. My farm is just over the hills from there as the crow flies.
Re: Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
... I'm thinking "over the hills... as the crow flies" in your neck of the woods ALMOST puts me in Cincinnati ! LOL ... seriously though, everyone I have made acquaintances with "in the hills" over the years are nothing less than wonderful people, fans of high school hoops, supporters of the kids in the school communities I have had the pleasure to visit ... I'm a broken record but there is nothing like the people/fans of high school basketball Below the Lancaster-Dixon Line ... I can talk a little hoops before/during/after games with either teams fans of the game I've watched and I feel I have made a friend for life ... good, good people everywhere I go ...
Last edited by pfloyd on Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
Enjoy. You mentioned Tyler Jimison. I'm kind of partial to him. Great kid with a love of the game.pfloyd wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 12:16 pm... I'm thinking "over the hills... as the crow flies" in your neck of the woods ALMOST puts me in Cincinnati ! LOL ... seriously though, everyone I have made acquaintances with "in the hills" over the years are nothing less wonderful people, fans of high school hoops, supporters of the kids in the school communities I have had the pleasure to visit ... I'm a broken record but there is nothing like the people/fans of high school basketball Below the Lancaster-Dixon Line ... I can talk a little hoops before/during/after games with either teams fans of the game I've watched and I feel I have made a friend for life ... good, good people everywhere I go ...
Re: Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
pfloyd, Western certainly turned it around after the first quarter. Hope to see you in Piketon on Monday. Hoping for 2 good games.
Re: Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
... not sure I can make it to Piketon - depends on when I get back from The James at OSU - I have CT scans Monday in C'bus ... have to see how things go and when I get back to Logan ... you'll have a couple of good games for sure with or without pfloyd in the cheap seats ...
Re: Western 66 Waterford 46 a final ...
pfloyd, hoping for nothing but great news for you Monday. If you do make it down, stop by the table and chat for a bit.