Bulldogs win go 3/3 against some feisty Jellico teams
Greetings Bulldog fans! It's time to knock the cobwebs off of the Dog Blitz after a small sabbatical from writing for Christmas and New Years. Over the last couple of games, the Bulldogs have shown both ends of the spectrum. Against Harriman on January 7th, the Boys JV, Girls Varsity, and Boys Varsity all took hard losses. For the Boys Varsity, in particular, it was the worst game of their season as they fell 76-33... much worse than their Dec 3 loss that was 61-46. The Harriman Blue Devils were rotating starters back into the game in the 4th quarter as Wartburg was rotating in Junior Varsity - which made that loss feel a little bit personal. Head Coach Travis Nelson did, indeed, take it personal as he proceeded to practice harder with a laser focus on correcting their struggles. It showed up last night as Jellico came to Wartburg and found a hungry Bulldog squad that proceeded to play their best games of the season (JV and Varsity).
At 5 PM, the Boys Junior Varsity took the floor. They have been known for playing a little streaky - but they played 4 solid quarters against a quick, relentless defense of Jellico. I do not have the stat sheet - but I know that they were led in scoring by a fantastic game from "Rampage" Reid Quinney who continuously found himself open for three-pointers from the corners. Also turning in solid efforts were "Master P" Parker Rogers and "No Nonsense" Noah Ward on the Bulldogs' way to a 65-62 victory! This JV team means business - and they are tough to beat.
At 6:30, the Girls Varsity took the floor against a Jellico squad that came into the game with a (1-15) record on the season. The Lady Bulldogs have stumbled a bit in recent games, but this was a "get right" game as they handled Jellico with relative ease. The Lady Bulldogs came out on top 62-51.
And finally, at 8 PM, Wartburg and Jellico faced off. They both came into this game at 2-0 in District play - so the winner would walk away with with the coveted 1st place in 1A District 3. To make matters a little bit scary for the Bulldogs, Jellico beat Harriman on December 13 by a score of 75-74. This is the same Harriman team that Wartburg had recently played their worst game of the season against. I am happy to report that our Bulldogs played a fantastic game - 4 good quarters of team basketball - the resulted in a HUGE win of 59-56 - catapulting the surging Dogs into the #1 spot in their District!
But basketball isn't all about stats... it's about community... so let's get into some of the shenanigans:
At 5 PM, the Boys Junior Varsity took the floor. They have been known for playing a little streaky - but they played 4 solid quarters against a quick, relentless defense of Jellico. I do not have the stat sheet - but I know that they were led in scoring by a fantastic game from "Rampage" Reid Quinney who continuously found himself open for three-pointers from the corners. Also turning in solid efforts were "Master P" Parker Rogers and "No Nonsense" Noah Ward on the Bulldogs' way to a 65-62 victory! This JV team means business - and they are tough to beat.
At 6:30, the Girls Varsity took the floor against a Jellico squad that came into the game with a (1-15) record on the season. The Lady Bulldogs have stumbled a bit in recent games, but this was a "get right" game as they handled Jellico with relative ease. The Lady Bulldogs came out on top 62-51.
And finally, at 8 PM, Wartburg and Jellico faced off. They both came into this game at 2-0 in District play - so the winner would walk away with with the coveted 1st place in 1A District 3. To make matters a little bit scary for the Bulldogs, Jellico beat Harriman on December 13 by a score of 75-74. This is the same Harriman team that Wartburg had recently played their worst game of the season against. I am happy to report that our Bulldogs played a fantastic game - 4 good quarters of team basketball - the resulted in a HUGE win of 59-56 - catapulting the surging Dogs into the #1 spot in their District!
But basketball isn't all about stats... it's about community... so let's get into some of the shenanigans:
A scary moment that paused the games...
Some things are bigger than basketball and sports in general. With 1:45 left in the final game of the night, there was a scary medical emergency for a young man in the stands. Without hesitation, several community members stepped in to assist while the rest of the crowd quietly waited. I found myself praying for the young man. Thankfully, he was stabilized enough for an ambulance to come and take him for further evaluation and care. The point is this: it had already been a long night of basketball, but nobody was complaining about stopping a game to take care of a real need. Prayers up for that young man... and I'm proud of the compassion our community showed during that moment.
"Magnum" Jeremy Miller?
I previously had pegged Assistant Coach Jeremy Miller as "Pearl Jam" because of their hit song Jeremy.... but whoa nelly! Hold the phone... Miller showed up to coach the JV with a different sort of swagger... there was something different... Assistant Coach Jeremy Miller was sporting a Magnum PI mustache - and I think the fanbase is here for it! The good news is that the JV came out ready to play for "Magnum" Miller - and they looked as good as they've looked all year. Usually, you expect to see JV games that are sloppy and filled with young athletes that are making plenty of mistakes. Each and every game, these boys look more smooth, poised, and ready to rock and roll. The coaching is taking hold of these kids - and they are finding new heights of skill. Thank you to the Coaches for all of the hard work! If you read this article, you owe it to "Magnum" Miller to walk up and say... "Hey Jeremy... sweet mustache!" That will be code for: "You are doing a really great job... and we love you!"
Depth Showing Up for Girls
The girls have had an up-and-down season so far for Head Coach Michael Poland. They have recently stumbled, trying to find their rhythm and establish their footing as a powerhouse in the District. They are clearly led by the trio of "Speedy" Ann Williams, Braylen "Queso" Melton, and Myrah "All Good" Hood... Williams played her typical efficient point guard role - 5 Points, 5 Assists, 5 Rebounds. She speeds around with little effort and plays nearly mistake-free basketball. She also got hobbled last night with an apparent ankle injury. Melton, who was honored a few games ago for SIGNIFICANT softball notoriety, had 10 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds... she was a foul-drawing machine as she had 5 trips to the line in the 2nd half - shooting 6/10 from the line. And Myrah "All Good" Hood didn't seem All Good last night with a noticeable limp. She played through the pain and dropped a team-leading 24 points to go along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds.
But a good team will need more than three to have consistent success. Enter - the ROLE PLAYERS...
1. Banner Brown looked smooth and comfortable in her shooting last night. She knocked down 3 three-pointers and gives the Bulldogs another scoring threat.
2. Bryleigh Stafford seemed to log more minutes than normal last night. She is growing into her role in the post, and she responded to the additional playing time with 4 points, tied for a team-leading 6 rebounds and 4 steals before ultimately fouling out. The best part - even though she has fierce play - she is ALWAYS smiling... Sonny Stafford gettin' the job done! Great work!
3. There are several freshman that have played significant roles this season. Jordyn Pemberton and Bradlee Sexton seem to make great plays every game... but another freshman that seems to be logging extra time is Addison Brown. Brown has a slight frame, but that doesn't stop her from charging into traffic looking for contested layups. She also got open for a nice three-pointer last night. Making the most of minutes seems to end with additional minutes normally - so look for Brown to continue getting more usage.
Congrats to the Lady Bulldogs on a big win! Let's keep up the good work moving forward!
But a good team will need more than three to have consistent success. Enter - the ROLE PLAYERS...
1. Banner Brown looked smooth and comfortable in her shooting last night. She knocked down 3 three-pointers and gives the Bulldogs another scoring threat.
2. Bryleigh Stafford seemed to log more minutes than normal last night. She is growing into her role in the post, and she responded to the additional playing time with 4 points, tied for a team-leading 6 rebounds and 4 steals before ultimately fouling out. The best part - even though she has fierce play - she is ALWAYS smiling... Sonny Stafford gettin' the job done! Great work!
3. There are several freshman that have played significant roles this season. Jordyn Pemberton and Bradlee Sexton seem to make great plays every game... but another freshman that seems to be logging extra time is Addison Brown. Brown has a slight frame, but that doesn't stop her from charging into traffic looking for contested layups. She also got open for a nice three-pointer last night. Making the most of minutes seems to end with additional minutes normally - so look for Brown to continue getting more usage.
Congrats to the Lady Bulldogs on a big win! Let's keep up the good work moving forward!
Boys Take First... Fans Stay Stressed
As mentioned earlier, the Boys Varsity came into this game with high stakes. The winner would take control of first place in the district. They didn't disappoint with a hard fought win. They have struggled all season with getting behind early and having to play catch up for the whole game. But not this game. They came out swinging and got the lead early. The Jellico squad was very handsy - fouling at a high rate... By the end of the fourth quarter, they had 4 fouls on just about every player - with at least one player fouled out.
One player that put in a phenomenal effort was sophomore standout Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney. Man Hands has been the Bulldogs leading scorer in 3 of the last 4 games, and has shot up to 2nd on the team in scoring for the season with 129 points. He had a team-leading 15 points last night... but get this... he also had a team-leading 18 REBOUNDS! I had to go back and recount, because that statistic just jumps off the page - but sure enough - Athletic Director Kyle Ryans' advanced stats has 18 rebounds - a pretty good mixture of offensive and defensive rebounds. That's a double-double for the sophomore Quinney - and plenty more where that came from.
Another player that played well was Lawson Swint. His 14 points were his 2nd best scoring effort of the season, and he also contributed six rebounds and some crucial baskets when we needed points. He does not shy away from conflict or contact - but he did a good job of keeping a cooler head last night as the Jellico boys were foul-happy and looking for contact. After a scary fall early in the Harriman game, it was good to see Swint back to his full speed self doing "Lawson things".
This was the best game of the season for the Bulldogs as they played 4 great quarters of basketball - which is exactly what it was going to take to beat Jellico. They took the win in dramatic fashion - and they'll look to continue their hot play next Monday in a re-scheduled game against the (3-13) Concord Christian Lions.
One player that put in a phenomenal effort was sophomore standout Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney. Man Hands has been the Bulldogs leading scorer in 3 of the last 4 games, and has shot up to 2nd on the team in scoring for the season with 129 points. He had a team-leading 15 points last night... but get this... he also had a team-leading 18 REBOUNDS! I had to go back and recount, because that statistic just jumps off the page - but sure enough - Athletic Director Kyle Ryans' advanced stats has 18 rebounds - a pretty good mixture of offensive and defensive rebounds. That's a double-double for the sophomore Quinney - and plenty more where that came from.
Another player that played well was Lawson Swint. His 14 points were his 2nd best scoring effort of the season, and he also contributed six rebounds and some crucial baskets when we needed points. He does not shy away from conflict or contact - but he did a good job of keeping a cooler head last night as the Jellico boys were foul-happy and looking for contact. After a scary fall early in the Harriman game, it was good to see Swint back to his full speed self doing "Lawson things".
This was the best game of the season for the Bulldogs as they played 4 great quarters of basketball - which is exactly what it was going to take to beat Jellico. They took the win in dramatic fashion - and they'll look to continue their hot play next Monday in a re-scheduled game against the (3-13) Concord Christian Lions.