Total Meltdown at the Burg as Coalfield Dominates
On December 12, 2025, the bitter rivals Wartburg and Coalfield were set to meet for the first time of the 2025-26 high school basketball season. It would be a 3-game night with Boys JV, Girls Varsity and Boys Varsity. With this being their first meeting of the season, it was set to take place at Wartburg. How would this one shake out?
First up was the Boys JV. As they took the floor, the Wartburg Boys JV appeared to be short a few players, but the main cast of characters remained. Behind strong play from Reid Quinney, Noah Ward, Jackson Seay, and Caleb Armes, the JV Bulldogs jump out to a lead and held a comfortable lead in the majority of this game. In the 4th quarter, however, the Yellow Jackets dialed up the pressure and some of the Bulldogs' inexperience shown through. Coalfield started slowly reeling them in - and in the last few minutes of the 4th quarter - they actually took the lead. The score went back and forth a bit - but ultimately some rookie mistakes would cost Wartburg the W in this one... Yellow Jackets on top 41-39.
The next game was the girls varsity. I think everyone in the gym knew what was coming in the girls game. The Coalfield girls team, filled with players from far and wide, is a legitimate threat for State. They have elite-level talent, and lots of it. They are an absolute buzz saw. While new coach Jen Hendricks has righted the ship on the Wartburg program - they are in the early stages. Her six healthy players are coming off a big upset win over Midway - but Coalfield is just a different animal. Now, I will say this year's team seems to have positivity, hustle, good attitudes, but they were no match for the Lady Yellow Jackets. Coalfield wins again - 70-32.
The last game of the night was the shocker. The Wartburg boys came into this one on a 5-game win streak with some impressive wins and an overall record of 5-1. Coalfield, who due to their deep playoff run in football got a late start to their season, came into this one winless at 0-2. Nonetheless, I expected a game that would be close - probably within 5 points either way. They came out of the gate screaming - pedal to the metal - and never looked back. Wartburg played flat, had shots that weren't falling, and looked out of sorts. Some losses you walk away kinda saying "Oh, but the refs..." - or "Oh - but they played dirty..." - but in this one, we just lost - plain and simple. We'll get another crack at them later this season, but this was a tough one for Coach Travis Nelson and his boys - as they fall to 5-2 in this 68-41 shellacking.
Below are a few thoughts on this Coalfield Debacle. :
First up was the Boys JV. As they took the floor, the Wartburg Boys JV appeared to be short a few players, but the main cast of characters remained. Behind strong play from Reid Quinney, Noah Ward, Jackson Seay, and Caleb Armes, the JV Bulldogs jump out to a lead and held a comfortable lead in the majority of this game. In the 4th quarter, however, the Yellow Jackets dialed up the pressure and some of the Bulldogs' inexperience shown through. Coalfield started slowly reeling them in - and in the last few minutes of the 4th quarter - they actually took the lead. The score went back and forth a bit - but ultimately some rookie mistakes would cost Wartburg the W in this one... Yellow Jackets on top 41-39.
The next game was the girls varsity. I think everyone in the gym knew what was coming in the girls game. The Coalfield girls team, filled with players from far and wide, is a legitimate threat for State. They have elite-level talent, and lots of it. They are an absolute buzz saw. While new coach Jen Hendricks has righted the ship on the Wartburg program - they are in the early stages. Her six healthy players are coming off a big upset win over Midway - but Coalfield is just a different animal. Now, I will say this year's team seems to have positivity, hustle, good attitudes, but they were no match for the Lady Yellow Jackets. Coalfield wins again - 70-32.
The last game of the night was the shocker. The Wartburg boys came into this one on a 5-game win streak with some impressive wins and an overall record of 5-1. Coalfield, who due to their deep playoff run in football got a late start to their season, came into this one winless at 0-2. Nonetheless, I expected a game that would be close - probably within 5 points either way. They came out of the gate screaming - pedal to the metal - and never looked back. Wartburg played flat, had shots that weren't falling, and looked out of sorts. Some losses you walk away kinda saying "Oh, but the refs..." - or "Oh - but they played dirty..." - but in this one, we just lost - plain and simple. We'll get another crack at them later this season, but this was a tough one for Coach Travis Nelson and his boys - as they fall to 5-2 in this 68-41 shellacking.
Below are a few thoughts on this Coalfield Debacle. :
Fear the... Water Fountain?
Walking through the gym since last season - you still see some of the "Fear the Brow" shirts that came out last year - highlighting Travis Nelson's patented two-toned eyebrow. Last night, I saw a new one... It was a Wartburg blue shirt - with a water fountain on it. I've thought about it... I've asked around about it... but I'm really not sure what it means. I've run the mysterious shirt design through ChatGPT - and this is what it's telling me: a water fountain on a shirt sends this message: We're not quenched. We want more. We are:
1. Hungry to improve
2. Never satisfied
3. Always wanting more
4. Ready to keep working/grinding
It even offered to make a simple logo for this... wild! I like the blue collar, get to work approach that seems to be the calling card for this new version of Lady Bulldogs!
1. Hungry to improve
2. Never satisfied
3. Always wanting more
4. Ready to keep working/grinding
It even offered to make a simple logo for this... wild! I like the blue collar, get to work approach that seems to be the calling card for this new version of Lady Bulldogs!
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Pit Bull Pemberton
While the girls expectedly took their lumps in this one, a player that has had a consistent impact on the team is Jordyn "Pit Bull" Pemberton. I called her "The Joker" last year because she is quite the prankster... but this year, I'm changing it up and going with Pit Bull. The tough sophomore ranks 3rd on the team in scoring (only behind senior standouts Braylen Melton and Kaylee Ledford) - averaging almost 5 points per game with 33 on the season. She had a propensity for foul trouble last year, but she has largely cleaned that up this season (which is a necessity with only 6 players on the team). After fouling out of the Midway game earlier in the week - the Pit Bull cleaned her act up and only got 1 foul in this game. She also added 4 points, tied for the team lead with 4 rebounds, and also led the team with 2 steals. Her consistent performance is exactly what embodies the workman-like work ethic that Coach Jen Hendricks is pushing. Somewhere, Bill Wayne is smiling... Great job Jordyn!
Mindset: Battle to WIN
Turning to the boys game... let's not overstate what happened. They got beat... and it was bad... and it was from a rival... That being said, it was not a playoff game - it was an early season reminder of something. It's about mindset. Starting at the youngest ages of the local Boys and Girls Club, Wartburg lets the idea of Coalfield get in their heads. They get emotional when it's time to play Coalfield. They allow themselves to get tense. They start to play... safe. But Coalfield doesn't play safe... they play dangerous and violent stylistically... They hustle and grind. When you make the mental shift from trying to win to trying to avoid loss - you give them the edge, and they took full advantage of it in this one. Coalfield is simply another team. They are not anything unique or special at basketball - even they would tell you they are a football school ... So go to battle! Bring your A-game. If you want to beat a dangerous team - you have to play dangerous basketball. Wartburg played like they were trying very hard not to lose this one... but Coalfield charged in like they wanted to win. And you see how it came out. This is a "get-your-mind-right" game... Next time, bring the heat!
Put it on the Mirror
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Lessons from Rocky Balboa... Yes - he is a fictional character - but he embodies the American spirit of rising up and forcing yourself to keep going in the midst of uncertainty. In Rocky IV , Rocky's best friend Apollo dies in the ring at the hands of the Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago. Although Rocky was retired, he came out of retirement to avenge his friend's untimely death. The first thing he did in his training, was put a simple picture of Ivan Drago on his mirror. He looked at him and remembered what the mission was on a regular basis.
If I'm the boys team... I'd tap into this upset, lopsided victory. I'd stew on the emotions of this loss - and I'd determine to never let it happen again. I'd print out a simple paper with Coalfield's orange C logo - and the numbers 68-41 - and I'd hang it on my mirror. No explanation needed. Every time I ask whether I feel like another practice or another workout... I'd look at the paper, and I'd remember what it felt like to get beat. Every time I feel like goofing off and not taking this seriously - I'd visualize that scoreboard... It's fuel. It's fuel to drive you to be the best version of your basketball self... Again from Rocky, "It ain't about how hard you hit... It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward..." Heads up, chins up... get back to work!
If I'm the boys team... I'd tap into this upset, lopsided victory. I'd stew on the emotions of this loss - and I'd determine to never let it happen again. I'd print out a simple paper with Coalfield's orange C logo - and the numbers 68-41 - and I'd hang it on my mirror. No explanation needed. Every time I ask whether I feel like another practice or another workout... I'd look at the paper, and I'd remember what it felt like to get beat. Every time I feel like goofing off and not taking this seriously - I'd visualize that scoreboard... It's fuel. It's fuel to drive you to be the best version of your basketball self... Again from Rocky, "It ain't about how hard you hit... It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward..." Heads up, chins up... get back to work!
Let's get back to the basics and do what we do best... Rockwood on Tuesday - no excuses!
Go Dogs!
