winningaintcheap wrote:I'm embarrassed to be a Unioto fan right now. We were all just witness to ...
... seriously ??????? 49-3 in the last 2 years and YOU are embarrassed to be a Unioto fan ???? I'm proud to have been an Unofficial Sherman fan for the last 2 years ...not only for the "product" that was on the court every night BUT as a fan of "quality programs" in Southern/Southeastern Ohio ... Coach Hoops AND his ENTIRE staff are outstanding ! NO ONE has this kind of success (49-3) in a quality league as the SVC vs quality opponents without having coaches/program/ a system that works ... I have been allowed by Coach Hoops to share some of the off court "extracurriculars" that he/his family does with HIS program - the entire program is a "family" - the kids on the TEAM grow as young men because of the wholistic organization of the program ... embarrassed ?!!! ... because the TEAM didn't play as well as they have shown they can in the past ? because the opponent (VC) did exactly what THEY needed to exploit - even before the CC injury - what imo WAS a weakness or an area that was not a strong suit for UHS ... as an opponent when putting together a defensive strategy one tries to limit the strengths/exploit a weak area - I had in the past texted Coach Hoops and said "I would like to see UHS go up against a team which applies on ball pressure - I thought that THAT was an area to attack" prior to last nights game I told daniC that UHS was a team that you could force the ball into other players hands and make others -those not used to making decisions with the ball - make decisions/make the passes ... I thought VC did this as well as anyone this season - with the decided advantage in the paint UHS forced passes into the post trying to take advantage of their BIGS , many of which resulted in turnovers ... bottomline is that MUCH of last nights UHS performance on the courts was due to Vinton County ... the Vikings - when they had ALL 3 BIGS - Wood/McIntire /Caudell paired with Jones/Albright/Yates and Tristan Bartoe directing the "orchestra" the Vikings were the 2nd MOST COMPLETE TEAM right behind Unioto in SEOhio ... this is the "one & done" season ... a team as good as Unioto WILL lose and did IF they have 17 TOs vs a team as good as Vinton County ... Unioto players/coaches/fans have NOTHING to be embarrassed about !
... as I said , I spoke with daniC prior to the game - he told me that Cole Cottrill had been cleared to play ... I got chills thinking that this young man whose senior season was cut short by an injury was getting the chance "to play one more time , one more game" WITH his TEAM ... the players who played "not to lose" in the post season - an added stress - THEY were playing each game to win not just to advance in the tournament - this TEAM played to win so they could get that one more game ... one more week so their "heart & sole" Cole Cottrill could get out on the court with THEM ! with TEAM ... I was smiling from the time daniC told me to the end of the game ... embarrassed as a Unioto fan !!!???? - this scenario of a group of kids, putting it on their shoulders to come together as a group to not only extend the season so CC could get back ... they learned that having played together as a TEAM , winning as a TEAM, meant MORE than just "playing a game" - they were "playing a game(s)" to give a teammate what HE wanted more than anything - to be out on a court again WITH THEM, win or lose it would be WITH THEM ... learning that there is more to life than "a game" ... working so hard for someone else's dream that of being WITH THEM ... embarrassed ???!!! every Unioto fan , EVERY fan of high school basketball should WISH that their own kids could play for a program for a group of coaches who instill such traits in their kids ...