AirForce84

Shelton may have run for 900 yards his junior year, but he only ran for 45 yards on 3 carries his senior year because he broke his collarbone in the first game of the season against West Orange (before Stark merger) with Tony January. Shelton led the East Zone in rushing yds for 2 wks with that effort. Did not return to play that season because of his commitment to SMU. He started at SMU his freshman year but transfered to Lamar the next after he lost his job to Eric Dickerson and Craig James.Arline was a great back as well.

I would definitely have to say Derek Shelton gets honorable mention before Ricky Price in Silsbee. Thats not to say Ricky wasn't good.

Although both Ferrell Artis and David Green were great point gaurds out of Silsbee, neither was "the best" to play there. That distinction belongs to James Simmons who graduated in the early 70's and started 4 seasons at Rice. Also it seems Thad Sanders should have been mentioned before at least one of the Lincoln players on the earlier list...

I was at this game and first of all my hat is off to a very good Mustang team. I feel they will represent the district very well. This game did get very physical and it wasn't just one team. It got that way because the refs allowed the play to escalate unimpeded. But the intentional fouls called were actually an attempt by the officials to make up for a bunch of missed calls at important junctures of the game. (When "3" officials miss a simple thing as not allowing a player on the court to shoot free throws for an injured player in a game of this magnitude) what else needs to be said. By the way,they were from the Austin chapter so I guess the problem IS everywhere. The fact is B. Scott shot the lights out, and B. Fowler couldn't throw it in the ocean last night. 49 out of 79 pts means she is the reason WOS won that game and most of those she got on her own. Basketball has evolved into what it is because of the evolution of athletes and the fans' thirst for more action.

??? I did forget to mention that in the 70's and early 80's, the districts were divided into zones so I counted the game after winning your zone as a playoff game.( they were in those days)

From 1973-2006, the Silsbee boys program has missed the playoffs 1 time. Also made the state tourney in 1976 and 1983. They may not have any state championships but that sounds like one of the most consistent programs around to me.

Most of it has to do with UIL as you can only play on Wed under special circumstances. The rest has to do with: 1. availability of officials to spread out both jr high and varsity games over the remaining days or 2. If you try to have both girls and boys at same site, you are talking the potential for 6 games on a given nite.(fresh - varsity) Some schools don't have the facilities to support that.(2 serviceable gyms at same location).

This game was very close considering EC handled the press so well. Kountze was forced to run a halfcourt offense most of the game, and when their shooting went cold on the perimeter,they resorted to too much one on one play. EC is very well coached and patient. Down the stetch, their post player made the difference for EC. Great game to be at.

The scores themselves are not the issue. I agree that most teams call off a press after a 20 - 25 pt lead is obtained. That is kind of an unspoken rule among jr high coaches. To combat laziness or bad habits, drop into a man to man defense half court since those principles are necessary for any type zone defense to be effective anyway. Thats how laziness and bad habits are combated. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't know everything nor do I claim to, but in the long term the press to the end mentality hurts your program more than it helps at that level.

Jr high scores are not always an indicator of how good a team is, especially when they are run up by continuing to full court press a vastly inferior team late into the fourth quarter already ahead by an insurmountable margin. What that does do at the jr high level is discourage kids from participating in something they like and can provide them with experiences that would serve them well later in life.