Aud Night

So, I just got done watching myself on TV. Why was I on TV? I was on TV because I was at the Barre Auditorium last night for some semi-final basketball. It was a pretty solid night. The first game was relatively predictable given that Proctor has been losing more and more players every year from what was once their dynasty. When you combine that with the fact Twinfield was led by 6'6" junior Chad Copeland. Proctor simply did not have anyone with enough size to match up with him. The loss by Proctor was only the second one that I have seen in my life. Then, in the second game, I really did not know anything about Fair Haven before this game, but they gave U-32 the type of run few others have. Fair Haven was zoned in from three-point land, and that was ultimately what put them ahead. They also played a solid all around game, but the long-range shooting was definitely the difference. It was kind of hard to watch a team that you have watched so closely to get knocked out in a game they were supposed to win, but it was definitely a great match. It is always good to go to the Aud!

Photo by Murray State on Flickr

Playoff Fever

It is playoff basketball time for the boys now in Vermont. Two games in the past two nights. Last night's game was particularly exciting given that it was actually a decent matchup between Spaulding and Essex. Spaulding was in control most of the game largely because of solid play on their part, but it cannot be discounted that Essex had major problems finding the net. When you combine that with the return of Evan Tullar and a huge effort from Lucas Dutil and it was a recipe for success. I know that I just highlighted a few names, but I seriously think that the entire team played well and outmatched Essex.

Tonight, the game wasn't quite so close. I was taking in U-32 versus Lyndon. Whenever there is a matchup between the 15 seed and the 2 seed, there are bound to be mismatches. However, it is rare to see a team pretty much play the bench for the entire fourth quarter with one exception that I can remember for about one minute. Nevertheless, it was a fun game, and it was good to see U-32 move on to the next round where they are only one step away from the fabled Barre Auditorium.

Photo by  ktylerconk on Flickr

Rivalry Renewed

So, the rivalry between Montpelier and U-32 is revived tonight when the girls square off at Montpelier. As you might imagine, there is a pretty healthy rivalry between these two schools which are situated probably about 5 miles apart. It will be fun though as it always is when rivals meet, but I wish that the girls' crowd was as energetic as the boys'. I don't know why, but it always seems like there are more people there for boys' games than girls'. This style of play is normally different, but I think that both can be a lot of fun assuming that good teams are playing. It makes the game kind of boring when it is just turnover after turnover with sloppy play no matter if boys or girls are playing. I think that boys play at a faster tempo, but I feel that girls tend to plan more as a team although that is a sweeping generalization on both counts. Nevertheless, they are slightly different games, but they can be appreciated for what they are. Tonight, hopefully the third quarter will go better for U-32 than it did last time, then maybe they will be able to come away with the victory this time.

Photo by Håkan Dahlström on Flickr

Gym Time

Well, another day down, another day in the gym. Seriously though, I do enjoy any basketball games, but I particularly enjoy high school games. The way I figure it, there is a varsity and junior varsity game every night. The same price applies whether you go to one game or both. Therefore, it would be irrational to not get more enjoyment for the same price. That is my theory, and even though sometimes JV games aren't necessarily great (although tonight's was pretty close and competitive), it is worthwhile to be there because it is definitely basketball, and that is a good thing. Also, if you're traveling to a faraway game, it is hard to drive there for over an hour, sit for less than two hours, and then be back in the vehicle driving over an hour again. That means that there's less basketball than driving, so that isn't good. It is much more worthwhile to sit longer than you have to drive. Of course, this isn't always true if you have to drive for two hours to get a game, but the point is that you get the most enjoyment for your time. Therefore, two games tonight went over pretty well.

Photo by Collin Anderson on Flickr

Know Everyone

I definitely think that it is definitely nice that the weather getting warmer today. Notice the emphasis of definitely; there is no room for error in that statement. As I am watching the news on TV, it is interesting to see all of the high school teams. A cool part about Vermont is that it is so small that I can actually remember every single high school. Don't ask me to name them all to the top of my head, but I mean that when I see any of them on the bottom line, I don't think to myself about where a school might be. You also end up having a story about almost every single team. You probably have seen them play at least once, especially when you are like me and have been relatively involved with teams in Division One, Division Two, and Division Four. I have not been actively with Division Three, but many Division Four and Division Two play against Division Three, so I have seen many of them play as well. Sometimes, it is definitely not good to live in a place with so few teams, but it is fun to know everyone in the game at some level.

Photo by kongsvinger on Flickr

Turning Over

So, for any of you who were wondering, my group did very well presenting yesterday. In fact, I think that everyone did a great job. People tend to rise to the occasion when presenting, so that was very cool. I just heard on the news that pitchers and catchers report on Sunday for the Red Sox, so the Phillies must be around that time as well. That is very exciting but at the same time it is sad to see basketball season ending. I spend so much time watching various games throughout the winter that I don't necessarily do for baseball. I think that the main reason for this is that it is a lot more fun to sit in a gymnasium in the winter than sit at high school baseball game in Vermont. Not that I don't love baseball, but Vermont has about the worst baseball weather, and it almost always rains multiple times throughout the season. Again, I still love this sport so I of course have been outside in those rainstorms, but there is something much more pleasant about sitting inside a warm building while still having a great sport being played. The season is winding down, but it is not over yet so enjoy!

Photo by akeg on Flickr