Game 98
(2/18/10)
Annawan vs. Ridgewood (Girl's Basketball)
Class 1A (Abingdon) Sectional Championship
Either way, a Lincoln Trail Conference team would be represented in the Elite Eight. I pondered over my decision on what game to broadcast. The reason I started the Illinois High School Sports Network was to go out and cover games that were not already being broadcasted on the Internet, giving fans an option they wouldn't already have to hear a game.
Both WRMJ (Aledo) and Regional Radio (Kewanee) would be broadcasting this game, and both are also on Network1Sports, where IHSSN streams. Knowing this, I checked out other Sectional championship games, in Class 2A at Monmouth College, Quincy Notre Dame faced West Hancock. I figured at least one Quincy station and WCAZ in Carthage would be covering this game. At Havana, the host Ducks were in action against South Fulton. No radio station covers these teams regularly, although WDUK in Havana does, however not online. I emailed Havana A.D. Butch Howarth to check in if the Beardstown or Jacksonville stations would be there, and said that 101.3 (Jacksonville sports station) would probably be there. Since the other sectionals would be covered, I elected to broadcast the Annawan/Ridgewood game since I was familiar with both teams, and had a very large listening base from Annawan, my hometown growing up.
I had 189 listners to the broadcast on Monday in the semifinals, and was hoping to beat that number tonight. In high school, I worked at the Annawan Hometown Market, and my old boss Lynn Williams put a sign in the grocery store advertising the broadcast, and of course utlized facebook to my Annawan alumni friends. At the end of the night, Network1Sports President Gregg Hitchcock phoned me with the good news, with a total of 212 listeners for the game, which was also more than either of the other station's broadcast.
Before heading over to Abingdon, Marty Touchette from the Monmouth Review-Atlas dropped by to talk with me about the quest for 100 games. We chatted for nearly 45 minutes about the idea, the website, the 100 games and the stories that have come with it. You can read his story on my quest at http://www.reviewatlas.com/highlight/x1650244962/Quest-for-100-almost-complete.
At 5:00, I locked up and made the quick drive over to Abingdon, which is mostly backroads from Monmouth. I drive through Cameron and cut across to Route 41. It was about 5:30 when I pulled into an already filling parking lot. I thought I may be the only other soul, outside of the tournament workers that would be arriving, but not so. Jim Taylor of WRMJ was just heading into the gym and a few vehicles filled with Annawan fans were also pulling up.
I did a once-over on my equipment bag, ensuring everything was inside, and it was. A long line greeted me at the entrance. Thank goodness for pass gates! The doors opened at 5:45, so the fans didn't have to wait to long to get in.
Jim Taylor and I talked for quite a while as we unpacked our equipment. Mostly nothing, as usual! Once unpacked, I filled out my scorebook and looked over the Annawan stats. Shortly thereafter, Ridgewood coach Bryan Brooks came up and dropped off his stats and we talked at length, and also did a pregame interview. Brooks is a Sherrard alum and played alongside former Annawan boy's basketball coach Eric Lawson. He shared some 3-on-3 stories following their playing days as Tigers in the early 1990's. Lawson is now the athletic director at Bureau Valley.
Afterwards, I made my way down to the hospitality room to get a quick bite. Taylor informed me of LaRoma's pizza, surely I could not miss out. In the hallway, I ran into Annawan superintendent Joe Buresh (father of all-stater Kelly), and had a short chat. Upon arrival at the hospitality room, I found Avon athletic director Dick Brown again, and joked it was the last place I saw him (on Monday). The officiating crew for the game was also inside (Tom Ernst, Tim Belford, Mark DiMarzio). I grabbed a slice of pizza and a water and talked with Brown. An old face from Annawan walked in, Pat Green. She lived across the street from my grandma and was also a school bus driver growing up.
The Annawan coaching contingent of Matt Huber and his assistant Jason Burkiewicz entered the hospitality room. Huber and I conducted the pregame interview over in the classroom area of the hospitality/home ec room. After our talk we discussed Annawan girl's basketball and the future being bright. The team will have a big loss with the graduation of Kelly Buresh, but do not lose any other players that see significant minutes. We also talked about the junior high program, where the 8th grade class has a record of (54-0) in the last two years.
Another talking point was the 21-point loss at Ridgewood in their only previous meeting. IHSSN was there to broadcast that night, and nothing went right for Annawan. I expected this game to be much different than that night...but didn't expect what was yet to come.
Back at the press table, Terry Duckett of the Moline Dispatch had arrived, and the Kewanee broadcast crew for Regional Radio was in attendance. Bob McKee was here on this night with his broadcast partner Steve Peart. Zach Creglow of the Galesburg Register-Mail also pulled in to press row.
Following the three-point shootout, the crowd quickly filled in. In fact, it was a standing-room only crowd, spilling over next to press row, and down along the doorway of the gym. Among those standing next to the media was Carl Sandburg College women's basketball coach Mike Bailey. He does a great job bringing in local talent to the Galesburg community college. I see Mike at many area games. He was checking in on some scores throughout the game, as he was closely following the Piasa Southwestern game, with a recruit for next year's team on their roster.
One thing coach Huber talked about before the game was hitting Ridgewood early, much like in the win over Brimfield on Monday. This didn't happen, as the Spartans jumped out to a 13-5 lead after the first quarter. Ella Teel was the spark for Ridgewood in that opening quarter, hitting a pair of three-pointers.
Ridgewood continued a run into the second quarter, taking as much as an 11-point lead late in the second quarter, and had a 9-point halftime lead (24-15). Teel had 11 points at the break to lead Ridgewood, while Annawan's Kelly Buresh had 10 at the break. The first half was pretty sloppy, with Ridgewood turning the ball over 15 times, and Annawan with 12.
The Bravettes made a run in the third quarter, taking their first lead of the game with 4:19 left in the quarter on a Chloe VanOpdorp three-pointer, her second in the Annawan run. Ridgewood was outscored 19-8 in the third quarter, and went just (0-4) from the free throw line. Annawan finished the quarter leading 34-32.
It was back-and-forth in the 4th quarter, and in the final minute Ridgewood held onto the basketball for one last shot in a 40-40 game. The Spartans did not get off a shot, and the game headed to overtime. Annawan went (5-10) from the line in the fourth quarter, including missing a pair of one-and-bonus shots.
In overtime, the teams scored just three points each. Again, at the end of overtime, Ridgewood had posession following an Annawan turnover with 0:18 left. And again, the Spartans did not get a good shot off, sending the game into double overtime.
Ridgewood was able to pull it off in the second overtime, with a 52-50 victory, setting up a Supersectional matchup against Colfax Ridgeview on Monday. The Spartans were led by Stephanie Williams' 19 points, and was joined in double-digits by Ella Teel (15), and Annie Gelaude (12). Annawan was paced by a game-high 21 points from Kelly Buresh. Chloe VanOpdorp pitched in 16 points.
The teams combined for 59 turnovers. Ridgewood committed 33 to Annawan's 26. Each team turned the ball over four times in the first overtime. Annawan had 2 turnovers in the second overtime, to Ridgewood's zero. The Spartans went (8-15) from the free throw line, while Annawan went (10-19).
The Quest File Notes
Game 98
Date: 2/18/10
Result: Ridgewood beats Annawan 52-50 in thrilling double overtime Sectional title game
Miles: 107
No comments:
Post a Comment