The Bulldogs Put in the Work Once Again
Well basketball fans, we have another week where the Bulldogs travel to Alcoa High School for some pre-season action. At this point, the boys are settling into a rhythm with newly-hired Coach Travis Nelson - and he is getting used to the crop of Bulldog talent he has to work with. For today's action, the Bulldogs had Kasan "Queso" Hutcherson (vacation), Noah "Screen Shot" Ward (pre-game migraine), and Josh "Juicy J" Hinkle (stomach bug) missing in action. Thankfully, Daniel "Rambo" Bunch was back in the fold after missing last weekend for wisdom teeth removal.
In the first game of the day, the varsity took on Clarkrange Buffalos. It was a tight game as the Bulldogs took them to task - ultimately falling 58-47 in a tight one. This was a game that the Bulldogs shoulda-coulda-woulda won - but ultimately, they let it get away from them. They had a short streak where they just couldn't score - but battled back toward the end. I love to hear about a team battling until the whistle blows. This one got away from them - but the next one won't if they keep hustling and grinding!
The second game pitted the varsity Bulldogs against the Seymour Eagles. This was a game where there are two ways to look at it... The Bulldogs lost a very physical game by a score of 76-53. The physicality of the game weighed on the Bulldogs patience as a little frustration showed through. According to Coach Nelson, it was, "the worst loss so far... BUT there were more positive plays in that game than any of the others we have played so far." Now that's what I like to hear! You don't go to team camps to win easy games... you go to team camps to play hard games and learn how to make positive plays regardless. This is a loss that will stand to make us better!
The third and final game of the day was the lone Junior Varsity game. In their only action so far, the JV lost to Tullahoma 61-20. In this contest, the JV reversed course and got a win against the Clarkrange Buffalos by a score of 49-40. I'm told that both Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney and Daniel "Rambo" Bunch had strong defensive efforts with several blocks. With guys named Man Hands and Rambo - I'll say it to opposing teams... YOU...DON"T... WANT.... NONE... SON!!! Clarkrange may have had range in their name - but Parker "Phone Booth" Rogers showed his range by hitting multiple three-pointers. To add to the offensive prowess of the Bulldogs, Avery "Birdman" Stafford and "Hot Streak" Cole Wilson seemed to play well and be in the right place at the right time. According to Coach Nelson - the JV could've won by even more than their 9 points - and they showed hustle an grit as the "got better at a lot of things."
With the official stuff out of the way... let's get to the shenanigans!
The second game pitted the varsity Bulldogs against the Seymour Eagles. This was a game where there are two ways to look at it... The Bulldogs lost a very physical game by a score of 76-53. The physicality of the game weighed on the Bulldogs patience as a little frustration showed through. According to Coach Nelson, it was, "the worst loss so far... BUT there were more positive plays in that game than any of the others we have played so far." Now that's what I like to hear! You don't go to team camps to win easy games... you go to team camps to play hard games and learn how to make positive plays regardless. This is a loss that will stand to make us better!
The third and final game of the day was the lone Junior Varsity game. In their only action so far, the JV lost to Tullahoma 61-20. In this contest, the JV reversed course and got a win against the Clarkrange Buffalos by a score of 49-40. I'm told that both Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney and Daniel "Rambo" Bunch had strong defensive efforts with several blocks. With guys named Man Hands and Rambo - I'll say it to opposing teams... YOU...DON"T... WANT.... NONE... SON!!! Clarkrange may have had range in their name - but Parker "Phone Booth" Rogers showed his range by hitting multiple three-pointers. To add to the offensive prowess of the Bulldogs, Avery "Birdman" Stafford and "Hot Streak" Cole Wilson seemed to play well and be in the right place at the right time. According to Coach Nelson - the JV could've won by even more than their 9 points - and they showed hustle an grit as the "got better at a lot of things."
With the official stuff out of the way... let's get to the shenanigans!
What is Lawson's nickname... and who is Dawson Swinney?
Last week in the write up - I likened Lawson Swint to NFL quarterback Derek Carr because of his evil eye expression. The poll was simple... do we call Swint the Saint (Carr's new team) or the Raider (Carr's original team). The Raider received 16 votes to 1 for the Saint... so it's pretty clear - The Raider is his nickname... but there were 4 write-in votes for "Dawson Swinney". I put my investigator's cap on and looked into the matter. As it turns out - there is some conspiracy surrounding Swint... apparently dating all the way back to football season - there is a doppelganger walking around confusing everyone as to the real identity of Swint... The announcers got tongue-tied and called Swint a combination of Landon/Lawson... and then Swint/Quinney has also been combined... and now we have two people...
Whether it's Lawson or Dawson out there... I'm told during practice this week - young gun Noah Ward was matched up against the Raider... after doing something good - Team Captain Landon Quinney ran over and said, "Who's got the better mustache now?" Trash talk has changed... but that takes us to our next poll... Who's got the best mustache???
Whether it's Lawson or Dawson out there... I'm told during practice this week - young gun Noah Ward was matched up against the Raider... after doing something good - Team Captain Landon Quinney ran over and said, "Who's got the better mustache now?" Trash talk has changed... but that takes us to our next poll... Who's got the best mustache???
Get some extra chairs!
As I said earlier, you get to learn who you are at a team camp. That is complete with things you do well - and things you need to fix. Last week at Maryville, the varsity bench ran out of room to the point that some players sat in the stands - while others doubled up on chairs. I think I saw Parker Rogers sitting on the crack between two seats before going into the game at one point. Some might look at that and assume we need to cut down on the amount of players on the bench so that there's room. Coach Nelson is reported as saying to the team, "JV is for 9th and 10th graders only... but for Varsity, I want every player dressed and ready on the bench." That is a powerful comment for a team that is roughly 50% freshmen! Coach Nelson is saying, "I want you here! Be ready!" Team Mom, Tara "Mombo" Bunch, is quoted as saying, "I LOVE that we have a full bench. We have been so thin before." Lace 'em up boys - we need you!
White Chocolate anyone?
The plan was simple... I'm away at Army duty for 2 weeks - so my wife was going to take some notes for the write up. Then Noah got a migraine and she missed as well. I reached out to a few team sources to get some highlights - and 2 of the 3 mentioned Gavin "White Chocolate" Keathley by name... well... not the White Chocolate part... but they mentioned Gavin by name as playing really well. White Chocolate is a 2nd-year player that likes to bring a lot of flash to his game. Gavin brought plenty to the table on both sides of the ball - and we're gonna need that solid, consistent effort from him even more moving forward. Great work White Chocolate! LET IT RAIN!
Hustle... Get Back!
Another thought from a team parent... the amount of hustle required for this team is going to take conditioning and situational awareness. The boys are going to have to know when to pull the trigger to beat their opponent down the court - and then get back on defense. This will be crucial to Coach Nelson's game plan to keep control of the tempo. I noticed last Friday one play in particular where Noah Ward and Man Hands Quinney were on the blocks opposite one another during a free throw. Nelson slipped out of his chair and called out to the two Bulldogs, "Noah, you block, Paxton you grab the rebound and score." (OK - the coaching was more in depth than that - but that was the gist of it)... what followed was two players that understood their assignment, and it was an easy bucket just as they were coached. Another parent noticed a similar easy coaching moment in today's games... My point is this - they have a coach that is going to work them... but also a coach that is going to guide and instruct them. It could shape up to be a very good season for the Bulldogs!
Sneakers Everywhere! Poll Results
Last week - I posted a poll about sneakers... the results of the poll were 6 votes for "Let them wear whatever they want"... and 1 single vote for "they need to match"... subsequently, there were zero votes for "They should all wear Converse All Stars".
Team Communication
With the late addition of Coach Nelson - we are still playing catch up on a few things. Team communication is vital - so I've posted the practice times and important events on a calendar on this site (you may have to turn your phone sideways to see it all). You can view it here or you can click "Calendar" at the top of your screen. I'll add things as I know about them for an easy place to find it. Also - if you would like to be added to a WCHS Basketball GroupMe group - please fill out the form below. (You will need to download the GroupMe app on your cell phone).