On to State

My household has had a great week.  Jayson is running cross country and his team ran in districts this past week.  The top 3 teams make the State Meet.  The coaching staff was thinking we could be between 3 and 7.  Hopefully just good enough to make it.  To make a long story short.  We beat 3 teams we have never beaten before and ended up winning the meet.  Our team had never won a cross country meet, and we win the district meet against 20 teams.  What makes is fun for the team, was that the top 10 kids medal.  We did not have a medalist.  We had 5 guys between 12 and 27 ( 5 runners count) and the guys all had good times.  Cross country is mental warfare, I used to think it was a sport for the guys who weren’t big enough to play football.  Now that may be true to a certain point, but it is tough to run 3.1 miles on a golf course with 120 other runners at the same time.  And then you are trying for the best time and pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion.  I have the utmost respect for those runners.  Anyway, we are running at state in Fort Dodge on Saturday afternoon at 2:30.  It is supposed to be very cold, so Barb and I are going to find some way to stay warm and run along with Jay and the rest of his teammates.  (We are a couple that does not enjoy cold weather)

Our team is about to embark on the stretch of the season where we play a couple of scrimmages and find out a lot about our team.  What makes this difficult, is that you decide to play a certain way and then you guard yourself that way in practice.  Then in a scrimmage, the philosophy of the other team may be different.  They may double in the post, they may deny wings and put a lot of pressure on you, they may play zone or press.   These scrimmages help you to find your way against different types of teams.  Every once in awhile during non conference games you will find some real funny scores, because a team does things against you that you did not expect or don’t see very often.  The conference games usually will have less surprises, and comes down to execution and taking away certain things of the other teams.  It is a fun process and one that takes time to find your team and what defines us.

We have 12 newcomers, and I will talk about 4 of them today.

Jarod Juhl – Harlan, Iowa.  He is a 6’5” wing player.  I choose him first because he is on my mind the most right now.  Last year, he broke his leg and ankle in his last football game.  He did not play a basketball game until February.  I have known his dad for many years, and as most of you know we have had a nice connection in Harlan.  Jarod has potential.  But Jarod is injured again.  He had stitches put in his shin from some box jumps a month ago.  He practiced the first day, and woke up the next morning unable to move his leg.  As we have found out, he got skin infection from the stitches, and it went down to the plate and screws in his ankle and leg from surgery last year, therefore, had to have surgery again.  He will be out another 6 weeks.  I feel bad for him, as this has taken probably 2 years of his life.  But he is a tough kid and I am hopeful that he will find a way to get back on the court as soon as he can. 

Sam Lipps – Algona, Iowa  Sam is a 4 man that stands 6’5” tall.  He really shoots the ball well from the perimeter and is crafty around the basket.  He is left handed and as he gets bigger and stronger we are hoping for good things from him.  Even though he is quiet by nature, he secretly is the guy that gets all the laughs.  He is a fun guy to be around.

Bobby Ivey – Storm Lake St. Mary’s – 6’3” wing player.  Bobby has won a state title and is a guy you can count on to do the little things for you.  He is also left handed and is a winner.  As Bobby gets stronger he will improve, and his confidence will also get better.  I have known Bobby since he was a little guy, as his father and I have been friends for many years, and now his mom, Grace, who is the athletic secretary, has worked here for 3 years.

Joe Frost – Denver, Iowa.  Joe is a 6’4” wing also.  Joe can really shoot the ball.  His shot is smooth and easy, and I think of sweet music when I see him shoot.  As he gets stronger and learns the program, he will become a real nice player.  He is one of 2 freshmen to make the varsity as of right now, and has proven he can stand up to the older guys and play right with them.  He has surprised me with his rebounding, which is one of his strengths.  He has a bright future.

Go Beavers!!

Coach VH