Game 100!!!
(2/24/10)
Monmouth-Roseville vs. Rock Island Alleman (Boy's Basketball)
Class 2A Sherrard Regional Semifinal
It was a hectic Wednesday, but could I accept anything else for the day of the 100th broadcast?!?! As the afternoon wore on, I was making out the local sports schedule for Thursday. I noticed that the Moline girl's basketball team was playing for a Sectional championship Thursday night, and it was at Normal West.
Throughout the week, I have contemplated on whether or not to head over to Bloomington-Normal a night early, take in the 3-point preliminaries, and be well-rested for the first games at the State Finals on Friday, already being in town. When booking my hotel this week, I decided against it. I have been a road warrior all season long, I would just hike over Friday morning and stay one night only.
As I sat there staring at the IHSA Scorezone screaming back at me that a Class 4A Sectional championship is right there in the twin cities, probably not even being broadcast. One of the main focuses for IHSSN is to broadcast games that are not already being covered by radio stations (at least on the web). Already knowing I have a nice listening audience following Moline, I shot over a quick email to Normal West (site host) Athletic Director Stan Lewis. I worked with Stan earlier this season when Galesburg took on their girl's basketball team. Stan even had a cooler packed with water, Gatorade, and Snickers for us at the press table that day.
Stan shot back a quick reply that the only coverage was going to be a couple cable access channels. I was set to add a broadcast to the schedule, and quickly sent out emails to my contacts at Moline and Edwardsville announcing my broadcast. I also had to amend my hotel reservations in Bloomington, to check in a night early. By the way, www.hotels.com is amazing and really easy to use.
Back to the task at hand, the 100th broadcast! Throughout the day, with the many mentions around the office of the 100th game, it brought me back to 2nd or 3rd grade, when we had 100's day. It was always on the 100th day of school, and each student had to bring in 100 of some item. Of course, I brought in 100 baseball cards, and I really can't think of what other classmates brought in, though I do remember 100 of those colored noodles.
My broadcast partner Jeff Thompson was accompanying me to the broadcast, and we discussed tonight's game on the way up to Sherrard High School. Despite being a (#4) seed, Alleman scared me the most. They came into this game at (5-20), but only played one Class 2A team (Quincy Notre Dame) all season.
We arrived at the school just a minute after 5:00. Our broadcast was to begin at 5:45 with the pregame show, with a 6:00 tipoff. I prefer the early tipoff as opposed to the 8:00 game in these Regional doubleheaders. The 3-point showdown and time in between games can sometimes force an 8:30 tipoff for the second game.
Walking into the school, I ran into IHSA official Duane Rakestraw. I asked him if he was working the game, and he said he has been out of officiating since the first part of January with a broken leg. He had just shed the crutches, and said he doesn't even know how he did it. Apparently, while working a game in Sterling, his leg just gave out on him, and was full of pain. The crew he worked with all season was officiating the game.
Once we sat at the small press table set up behind the scorer's table at Sherrard, WRMJ's Jim Taylor saddled in as well. He would be broadcasting the doubleheader, with color commentary provided by former Sherrard and current Mercer County basketball coach Brian Hutton.
Unpacked and ready for a pregame chat, I walked down to talk with Monmouth-Roseville coach Chuck Grant. He was unsure how his team would match up, and how Alleman would use their (6'6") swingman Keelan Prince. Grant was pretty confident with the Titans coming in, and said they had a much needed couple days off after the regular season.
During our talk, the three-point shootout began. Monmouth-Roseville's Alex Temple moved on knocking down a round-high nine three-pointers. His teammate Markus Hunter would also advance, hitting seven.
One of my major concerns when broadcasting at Sherrard is the cell phone reception. More often than not, our calls drop out, at least once, and many times more during a game here. Last week, I got a new phone (LG Banter), but alas, I have the same problems with this phone. Actually, it's more of an operator's issue as I never have a charged battery, and also always leave my battery charger at home (the place I am NEVER at!). When calling in to test the levels and line, it cut out...and cut out....and cut out....and cut out....well you get the drift.
The Titans bench was right in front of us, one or two rows. Jeff yelled down to Monmouth-Roseville freshman coach Jimmy Jordan to see if we could use his cell phone. He obliged, but the station cell phone was cooperating at this point, so we used Jimmy's as backup just in case the calls began to drop again. The signal lasted the entire game and through the postgame. For some reason, the phones from the radio station continuously drop cell calls at certain places, while other phones will not. We use U.S. Cellular at the station, which is the same carrier I have, and my phone has always worked, when the station phones have not. A bizarre head scratcher that has now haunted me for two whole years!
Alleman jumped out to a 8-0 lead early on, and extended that to a 10-3 lead. After one quarter, the Pioneers led 21-12, behind Keelan Prince's 11 points. Those 11 points were pretty quiet, compared to Matt Correthers (6'3" Jr.), who scored six points. Correthers was a strong presence in the post all night long.
The Titans turned things around in the second quarter, and outscored Alleman (18-14). Alex Temple continued where he left off, hitting three, three-pointers in the first half and had 11 points at halftime. Alex Bresnahan also hit three, three's in the first two quarters. Alleman held a 35-30 halftime edge.
With momentum in Monmouth-Roseville's favor, it quickly faded starting the second half. Alleman took advantage of a pair of Titan miscues and went on a 7-0 run to start the second quarter, extending their lead to, 42-30.
Following that run, Tim Chick, a Monmouth-Roseville junior went on a 6-0 run himself, getting the Titans back to within six points, and an Alex Bresnahan basket pulled M-R to within four points. However, that was all that would be scored in the third quarter by the Titans, with Alleman going on a 4-0 run to end the quarter.
The fourth quarter was all Alleman, and mostly at the free throw line, or with Tyler Yeocum slashing the hoop. Yeocum drove to the basket and hit four layups in traffic. He also went (8-11) on the night from the free throw line and finished with 19 points. Alleman started the game (5-13) from the line, before turning it on from the charity stripe in the second half, and ended the night (18-27) from the line. Monmouth-Roseville shot just four free throws (2-4), but also did a majority of their work offensively on the perimeter.
Keelan Prince scored a game-high 24 points, while Yeocum added 19 points, and Matt Correthers pitched in 13 points. Monmouth-Roseville was led by Alex Bresnahan's 13 points, and Alex Temple added 11 points. Alleman claimed the 69-52 victory, and will move on to face host Sherrard on Friday night for a Regional Championship with a trip to the Farmington Sectional on the line.
After the game we tracked down Jimmy Jordan to return his cell phone. Of course, we found the Titans coaches (Jordan, Jim Simpson, and Doug Dennison) with full plates in the hospitality room. Chuck Grant dropped in, and was still in a bit of shock over the season coming to an end. He will take the reigns in a few weeks of the Titans baseball team, as head coach for one more season.
Walking out with the Titans team, I asked Drew Cole if the players had figured out what year Michael Jordan was cut from his JV team. Apparently their was a friendly discussion in the locker room before the game on this very question. Titans filmer Max Richardson had informed us prior to the game and was asking the question to try and settle a dispute on whether or not it was his freshman or sophomore year. Drew was adamant that it was his sophomore season. Doing a quick Google search, and Drew is correct. Jordan was cut from the JV squad as a sophomore at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.
What better way to end the night of 100 broadcasts? A friendly stop by the police! With patches of ice on the roadway on Route 67, I decided not to set my cruise control. In not setting the cruise, I wasn't paying attention to my speed during Jeff and I's lively discussions cruising back. I believe it was a Warren County Sherrif's deputy vehicle that I passed, and I looked down and noticed I was creeping around 65 mph. He didn't break....at first. After holding my breath, the brake lights came on, and then I saw headlights approaching from behind. You may recall from a previous entry, that my front license plate was knocked off at New Trier High School, and I have not put it back on. Needless to say, it was not long for blue berries and cherries to shine in my rearview mirror.
The officer (Switzer maybe) seemed friendly enough. Asked for my ID and insurance. My insurance card expires in a week, yikes, didn't see that coming. Jeff made a comment that he thought I was going to get off by the friendly demeanor the officer showed. Then we waited...and it seemed as though it was just a long enough wait for a ticket to be written. The officer returned, handed me my ID, and said have a great night. Wow! A verbal warning! The hat trick of being pulled over. In the past three months, I have now been pulled over for speeding three times, and have come away with three warnings! I surely thought my luck ran out the second time. Either I should slow down....or buy a lottery ticket. I think I'll slow down!
After the game, I tuned in to WQAD (Quad Cities ABC-TV affiliate), to take in the highlights. Before showing the clips from this game, they congratulated me on my 100th broadcast....while showing my broadcast partner Jeff Thompson taking off his headset and talking to WRMJ's Jim Taylor. I had to laugh!!!
The Quest File Notes
QUEST....MET
Game 100
Date: 2/24/10
Result: Alleman takes care of Monmouth-Roseville to advance to Class 2A Regional Championship (69-52).
Miles: 136
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