bobcat4life

Oh my, I never said Sutherland wasn't a good coach, in fact I am pretty sure I said he was a great coach. What I am saying is that Wrinkle has a lot more hills to climb at OF than Sutherland does at H-J. You can go back and look at my past posts, I have had nothing but good things to say about H-J, and their program. But, just because you win district doesn't mean you should be coach of the year. I have thought for years your girls coach is the best in the district, but didn't win coach of the year the last few years because someone else won district. And last I checked Barry Switzer won a Super Bowl and was no where near a good NFL coach. Was he coach of the year too? I admire the coach at OF for lots of reasons. I watched him last year travel lots of miles when the boys played summer league. I am talking several trips to Houston. I also think he listens to the guys that help him on the bench that coach with him. Don't get all bent out of shape cuz someone makes a statement for their coach.

Coach of the year is always a BS award anyway. Whoever wins district they get it pretty much. Do I think Sutherland is a great coach? You bet I do. Do I think H-J athletes are better? Not really, I think H-J has tradition in basketball and that is huge to success. If their athletes were better at H-J they would dominate the district in football. At OF Wrinkle has finally gotten a few kids who are putting basketball as their number one sport, but they do so in the face of a coaching staff and community that puts football number one. I bet Coach Sutherland isn't standing on a football field from 6am to 10pm every day for 4 months. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Coach Wrinkle HAS to do that because it is a prerequisite for coaching basketball at OF. Meanwhile his "basketball" players who don't play football are walking around chilling on their own. That and the fact that OF was expected to do nothing, (even though lots of us knew this group was gonna be pretty good) makes Wrinkle coach of the year in my opinion. If you go on strictly records you would say Barry Switzer was a good NFL football coach...

Hey CATMAN, didn't you pick Coldspring by 8?? Cough cough, don't know what you do but hope predicting games isn't your strong point :)

I will say this, I totally understand what people mean when they say officials don't determine the outcome of a game. I have coached at all different levels in several different sports for 24 years. That being said this has to be the worst call by an official I have ever seen. I have heard people allude to last year and the regional tournament. My daughter was on that team, and I felt then as I do now. Coaches and players decisions made the difference in that game, not the refs. This is an entirely different situation. This guy made a conscious decision to screw OF. He shouldn't be allowed to step on another floor as a ref. I am disgusted with him and anyone who would cheat kids to further their own selfish interests.

We love playing the underdog role. What is it? OF isn't athletic, OF doesn't have tradition, blah blah blah. Basketball is basketball and OF is playing about 10 times better than when H-J beat us by 2 late in the season. (before anyone has a heart attack I know H-J's key player wasn't playing) The game against Coldspring wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated. Coldspring beat Navasota in the regular season by 2. What does all that mean? Not a dang thing, but that the game starts 0-0 and it is 5 players on 5. Don't count the Cats out, they are tough. Bobcats by 5

Not only that, the ref told Coach J that it was a makeup call because he disagreed with the call that put KK at the line to win the game. Are you kidding me? I would put what I really feel but it wouldn't be pretty.

I just got off the phone with Bleed and it is even worse than I thought. If in fact they determine the actions of the ref were as bad as I hear, is it possible to do something about it? I have never heard of protesting a game, but then again, it is difficult to believe this guy did this to the kids. Bleed says the ref walked out in front of the OF girls laughing about it. Wow, unreal.

As long as I have been around basketball, (and that is a long time for those of you who don't know me) I have NEVER heard of anything like this happening. It is impossible for me to believe that a man whose role is to be impartial made this call? UNBELIEVABLE

Wow, OF wins this one with great shooting and discipline. Coldspring definitely had some athletes, no question, but they couldn't shoot to save their lives. Being able to put the ball in the hoop consistently, and playing solid defense is the key to basketball. You can be fantastic athletes but bad shooters and lose. I mean, look at our NBA players when the play the foreign countries. Greatest athletes in the world but don't play as a team and can't shoot with the foreigners. Great job guys, now lets keep building on this success and hopefully we won't have the idiot that the girls had reffing the game.

One more thing. I read the majority of this thread and I see very little credit going to Coach Sutherland. Sure, he has some talent, but there is a lot to be said for the adjustments he makes in each game. Not only that, H-J has one of the top little dribbler programs around. Don't ever think that doesn't make a difference. The parents involved there have done a heck of a job with giving him a pool of talent year in and year out. Then, you look around and see Coach S coaching in the groups he is legally able to coach in. He obviously understands that if you get the kids playing at an early age, they will excell in High School. At OF our basketball kids fight the misplaced idea that we are a football school. All that being said, there is a lot of credit to go around at H-J!

Good luck to both Silsbee and H-J! Gotta be proud of this district!

I have been to the State tournament for the last several years. At least 50% of the time, the state championship is won by what most around here would consider to be non athletic teams. They have decent athleticism with lots of discipline and basketball skills. Also, without exception they can shoot the ball. If you want to compare athleticism look at Silsbee and H-J. I take Silsbee's athletes over H-J's every time. But I take H-J's basketball players over Silsbee's every time. Its all about controlling the ballgame. Be smart, take good shots. OF has matured a lot in the last few weeks. Don't count them out!!

Basketball is not a game won by pure athleticism, especially at the high school level. If OF controls the game, they win, and they are getting better and better at that. If you have decent athletes with basketball skills you can win. Granger is good, but the way OF will win is by having several kids in double figures, just like they did Friday night. Someone put a comment on the OF website that said that OF girls have always been good, but the boys were coming on. Actually, the girls couldn't even smell the playoffs until the group of kids that came along and graduated last year. Teams are commonly built around a good group of basketball kids that come along. The OF boys team has a very strong group of sophomores. I would say as a group stronger than the group of girls that are just now finishing up at OF. So everyone go ahead and get used to OF being around. I will say this as well, do you think it is a coincidence that all 3 teams in the playoffs for this district have strong Little Dribbler programs? OF kids are now playing year around. It matters, players are made in the off season.

Where do you get that Coldspring has better athletes? In some years I might agree with you, but I haven't seen anyone shut down Jeremy Granger all year long except when his teamates decide they are gonna go 3 happy. They haven't done that in the last few games and it has showed. When OF takes what the other team allows they are pretty dang good. They have come a long way in the last few weeks I think dating back to the OT game against WOS, (other than the fiasco against Silsbee.) Based on head to head competition, I say OF by 6

Hate to say it, I called it with a double digit win. Jasper has some great guards, but I don't care what team it is, if you live by the 3 you can die by it. Jasper wasn't quite as hot as in the two previous meetings and once again had no answer for Jeremy. Several other players stepped up as well and played their game. Have to be proud of the OF kids who continue to mature. Much of the time they were playing with 2 sophomores as significant contributors. That being said, the OF fans are unbelievable. On a night when the girls started their playoff run in Houston the Bobcat fans outnumbered Jasper's fans at least 5-1. Bleed Orange tells me that the girls game was the same, about 3-1. Throw in a softball game tonight, and I challenge anyone who can point to another school that supports all of their sports like OF does. Gotta be proud!!!

Heck, I love all that. The kids at OF are trying to create their own version of it and the dang parents are whiney and make them move so they don't actually have to stand up and cheer. Isn't that what being a fan is about? If you wanna sit there and not cheer for your team stay home and catch it on the news. When H-J came to our place the 25 Hawk Hecklers were much louder than the 150 kids from OF. Last night our kids got the message and got after it in Jasper and I think really gave our boys some energy. What is UT's deal? COME EARLY, BE LOUD!! I think there is something else but I can't remember it...

First of all, no way Bailey is 100% by Friday, Saturday or a week from then. I have to give him a lot of credit for heart because he definitely showed it last night, but I imagine that ankle is hurting pretty badly this morning. Spikes is definitely a player, but OF won both the third and fourth quarters last night because Coach Wrinkle went to a trapping zone defense that slowed down the dogs just enough to put the Cats over the top. This game gave OF some confidence that they will bring into the game on Friday. Unless OF goes braindead and doesn't run their offense through Granger, (which I don't see happening) OF wins by ten. I will say this, I am glad Jasper isn't in our district next year. Bailey and Spikes are one of the best backcourts I have witnessed in a lot of years of basketball in this area.

OF decided late in the second quarter that they weren't ready to end their season. They began to mix defenses up and Jasper never really figured out which one was coming at them. Jasper never had an answer for Jeremy Granger who ended up with 27. I have to give it to Bailey and Spikes. The heart that Bailey showed was phenomenal. He was obviously slowed by the ankle injury but hit several huge threes from NBA range with hands in his face. Spikes is all that and a bag of chips too. Not sure how many he ended up with, but the young man can shoot. Overall, I was very impressed with OF tonight. The boys showed heart that they have lacked in some games this year. Every time they made a run, Jasper would nail a huge 3. OF kept battling back. Zack Hayes hit the two biggest shots of his life in the last minute after biding his time for the rest of the game. It should be an awesome game to watch on Friday.

Bobcats by 7

There is no question that without Bailey Jasper can be beat if OF plays their game. All OF is lacking is confidence so they can be a little more aggressive, other than whatever that mess was that I watched against Silsbee. Throw that tape away and lets go get after Jasper on Tuesday. One thing OF needs to remember, they are not now, and will never be good enough to go through the motions to beat anyone. They have to come out and get after people as a team to win. By the way, senior Ryan Granger was fully released from his knee injury and showed some spunk in his first game of the year against Silsbee. Gives OF some much needed depth and toughness that they sometimes lack. I think he is going to make a big difference to the Bobcats in the next week.

Bobcats 52 Jasper 45

Congratulations to Silsbee, they played like they wanted it. They got every loose ball, lots of second shots. Best effort I saw from our group is our coach on the sideline. I hope our boys were looking ahead to Jasper, not sure why but I can't think of another excuse for what I saw as lack of effort on the Bobcats side tonight. Don't want to take anything away from the tigers, great effort on their part, hope the bobcats show up in Jasper on Tuesday. OF fans and drumline stepped up tonight! Thanks for the effort guys

Actually Poppa, unlike most people who gripe about the refs I have done my fair share of it. I know how hard it is, especially HS boys games. I still say that particular game was poorly officiated. Once again I never said I thought the refs cost us the game. I have known Bleed a long time and consider him to be a good friend, however it is no secret that he is much more politically correct than I am. Sometimes I think he is running for mayor of OF.

Poppabigstar or whatever your name is, can you read?? I never once said the officials cost us the game. If your gonna call somebody out on a comment then make sure you know who said it. In fact, I am a firm believer that refs almost never cost a team a game. In fact I placed most of the blame on the fact that we weren't as aggressive as we should have been. You might wanna go back to making dinner bets with bleed.

I agree bleed. If HJ would have lost the game they would have set up a howl about how poorly the officiating was.