Amazing Basketball (01-11-10)

Recently, I got to watch some fun basketball. I saw full court passes, acrobatic lay-ups, behind the back passes, and a swarming defense that created chaotic turnovers and exciting fast break basketball.

I am not referring to the Kansas Jayhawks nor the Kansas State Wildcats. I’m not even talking about high school. No, this fun time was put on by none other than our new Hill City Junior High 8th Grade Boys’ basketball team.

On Saturday, I traveled to Plainville to watch the MCEL Basketball tournament. For junior high players, winning this league tourney is the ultimate goal of the season.

For the first time in three years, Hill City has a team that will be playing for the championship. I had the pleasure of watching our 8th grade boys fly up and down the court to defeat the Stockton Tigers and the Ellis Railroaders to earn a spot in the Championship game on Thursday. I encourage all of you to travel to Plainville Thursday night to cheer our boys to victory.

I am not advising you to make the trip just to see our Ringnecks win a league championship. If you make this trip, I think you’ll see much more. This boys’ team, led by coach Steve Jones, is something special, and their style of play is incredibly exciting to watch. At Plainville Thursday evening, you will witness a group of very talented athletes who have been given the green light to have a lot of fun.

The season began with a completely different offense but after a loss, coach Jones began to change his approach. After another loss, he went back to the drawing board yet again. The final result, a fast paced full court offensive and defensive attack has led the Ringnecks to a string of commanding victories filled with breathtaking feats of athletic virtuosity.

The last few games has shown me things I never thought I’d see at the junior high level. I’ve seen Shane Jones throw full court passes that could thread a needle. I’ve seen Trevor Desaire catch these passes running full tilt and executing the lay-ups in less time than it takes to write about it. I’ve see Jacob Edgell show incredible touch in making mid-range jumpshots and demonstrate awesome athletic ability as he leaped over opponents to grab rebounds. I’ve seen Ben Weaver cut a slash his way to the basket and then coolly sink free throws with perfect nothing-but-net form. Rounding out the team is Greg Billups, who on Saturday executed a perfect behind-the-back dish to a waiting teammate for an easy two.

Add to the mix the speedy Gaige Foskul, the tenacious Colton Lindenman, and the determined Devin Keener, and this team has tremendous bench support to compliment their starting five.

Perhaps the real star of this team, though, is coach Steve Jones. While some coaches will refuse to change their game plan, insisting that the players learn their system, coach Jones took a different route to success. He evaluated the strengths of his team and instead of making the players adapt to fit his game plan, he adapted his game plan to fit his players.

It has been a real pleasure to watch these kids blossom with the green light they’ve been given to play. While players on other teams seem to try to not to make mistakes, our boys try to make plays. There is no hesitation, there is no uncertainty, and most importantly, there is no second-guessing. With this style of play, there are bound to be plenty of mistakes, and while Coach Jones expresses a lot of frustration, he continues to urge his team to attack and swarm and press and make incredible plays. These kids play their hearts out and play with a confidence that is beyond their years.

So, if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend traveling to Plainville this Thursday, January 14 to see the 7:15 MCEL Boys’ Championship game. Not only will you see our boys fight to be number one, but I guarantee you’ll also see some amazing basketball.