In just the second game of the season, Midway basketball has started a buzz in the community. Going into Friday nights game against Coalfield, I was expecting to see a little progress in the Lady Waves team due to the leadership in the seniors and the growth of Haley Parks. And without a single senior on the team, I was not sure what to expect from the guys.
To be honest, I was expecting nothing more than to pop in, take some photos, make fun of Coach Hayes, and enjoy that sweet sound of a basketball meeting the hardwood.
But after three hours of basketball, what I saw was two programs that are going to do well this season. The Lady Waves can do something that they haven’t been able to do in recent years and that is score points. Though they would lose, 45-57, to the Lady Jackets; the game was much closer than what the score reflects.
The boys are nothing but none-stop-action, just ask Coalfield. Though they struggled with their shooting, the Waves out hustled, out rebounded, out classed (thanks to #3), and simply out played the Jackets to win the home opener, 66-42.
Girls Game
Throw out your preconceived notions as you enter the gym, because this Lady Waves basketball program has made a giant leap forward. Seniors Lacey “Home Wrecker” Davidson (quit calling me) and Amanda Soard led the Lady Waves into the 2007 season opener against Coalfield behind a talented group of underclassmen.
There were a lot of lead changes in the first half. The Lady Waves played an up and down game, led by outstanding guard play from the sophomore, Haley Parks, and the speedster, Kat Beard. Nearing the half, the Lady Jackets managed to take a 27-24 lead into the break.
Missed free-throws killed the Lady Waves in the third period, and Coalfield would extend their lead to 6 entering the fourth period.
Foul trouble would soon follow, as the Lady Waves began to see the game slip away in the fourth period.
Take Aways
Missed free-throws aided in the loss. The girls are well conditioned but simply failed to convert at the line.
Sophomore Haley Parks is an excellent guard and protects the ball like a veteran. She’s smart and knows the game. However, she was not aggressive on the offensive end. I would like to see her take on the defense and attack the goal. She has the capabilities to finish around the basket or knock down the short jumper.
Angel Edgemon and Chelsea Phillips gave the Lady Waves some quality minutes off the bench. Expect these two to contribute more as the season progresses.
Boys Game
Wow. Think your 3 year old has energy? Come watch these boys play defense. Coach Ruffner’s squad plays aggressive defense from baseline to baseline for 32 minutes. Wakon “Spiderman” Roberson is all over the place as is his twin brother, Zack Hall. They turned the full court press into Dante’s Inferno for the Coalfield guards.
Based on what I saw in the first 90 seconds of the game, I was concerned that we may not score double-digits for the entire game. Our half-court offense was timid and was not willing to attack. But after a timeout by Coach Ruffner and a few words of inspiration (or something like that), the boys turned on the heat.
Outstanding defense led to turnovers which led to, what should have been, easy points for the Waves. But despite their best efforts, the Waves were struggling to score, managing only 20 points in the first half. But that would be enough to lead at the half as Coalfield was only able to connect for 14.
The Waves got hot in the third to extend their lead, scoring 17 points, led by Roberson, Hall, Wiley, and Childers.
The Jackets would not go away however. Several big 3-point shots kept Coalfield in the game early in the fourth. But Paul Hester matched each big shot with a 3-pointer of his own and the Waves would pull away to a 66-42 win.
Take Aways
There have been some talented teams in the past. To speak from my own experience, the 1995 team was talented, with a pair of 6’4 posts, but this team has something we didn’t….hunger. These guys are hungry, not for leftover turkey, but for the ball. If you have the ball, they are coming to get it. They crash the boards better than any Green Wave team that I’ve seen. If the ball is in the air, they are coming from every direction to get the rebound.
Obviously several of the players are still trying to transition out of football and they are missing that “shooters touch”. I would hope they begin to improve their shooting percentage over the next few games, as they will not be able to depend solely on their defense to win games if they hope to win the Region.
They are missing a couple of great athletes that, if they are able to return, will add some depth to the team. Quinton Pressley will miss much of the season with surgery on his wrist and the Raven, Will Poe is scheduled to have shoulder surgery and miss at least the entire regular season. Poe suffered a separated shoulder in the 2nd round playoff game against Harriman. The injury worsened and surgery is now required to repair the damage.
Noticeably absent during both games were the Midway Maniacs. Perhaps a visit from Steve Stansbury and Alex Norman is needed to demonstrate what is required from the student section. C’mon guys…bring the noise! This was Coalfield in your gym! The Lady Waves were in a shoot out for 4 periods, and when they weren’t taking cheap shots at our boys, the Yellow Jackets were attempting a 4th period comeback.