Game 73: Taylorville vs. Rantoul (Boy's Basketball)

Game 73
Taylorville vs. Rantoul (Boy's Basketball)
Charleston Holiday Tournament (5th place game)
(12/29/10)

There was really no plan for today's schedule of broadcasts. It was going to be a "practice round." Honestly, these games with very little planning really help my normal broadcasts. Sure that sounds funny, but these are the games that keep me on my feet and are a huge challenge. I must memorize two entirely foreign rosters in a matter of minutes before tip off. Despite being poor form in a broadcast, it is great practice, almost like a mind exercise. It makes remembering names that much easier.



Who needs an alarm clock, when you have the roaring hum of a diesel school bus right outside your hotel room window? It was 6:27 when the Rantoul school bus began its rumbling in the Days Inn parking lot. The Rantoul girl's basketball team was staying in our hotel, and they played in the 8:30 a.m. game for 7th place.

After finishing up some work on the website, and the previous day's blog entries, I readied for the day. With both Galesburg teams not playing until 7:00, it was tricky as far as hotel rooms go. Checkout is 10:00, or 11:00, I don't pay much attention. Instead of checking out in the morning, Jimmie and I decided to keep the rooms until checking out in the afternoon. He took advantage of the extended stay by napping and watching TV. Not me, I opted for being a gym rat.

I headed over to Lantz Arena shortly after 9:00 a.m. The original plan was to broadcast the two 5th place games, and then the two championship games. The girl's 7th place game was in the 3rd quarter when I walked into the gym, so I set everything up to broadcast a tripleheader, throwing in the boy's 7th place game as well.

It was a time crunch, getting equipment set up, scorebook filled out, and the website ready for the broadcasts, but I was able to get it all done, with one exception.

In the Charleston Holiday Tournament program, the Taylorville boy's roster actually listed the Teutopolis boy's roster. In my hurried chicken scratchings, it did not dawn on me until finalization of filling out the book. Note: My Teutopolis prep was planned for the break in the mid-day break.

The actual Taylorville boy's roster was placed inside the program as an insert, and I hadn't realized that. A moment before tipoff, I found the Taylorville roster on their school's website...which is actually pretty rare to find updated rosters on school websites. I made it work during the first quarter, and made the corrections in the book at the end of the quarter.

Rantoul jumped out to a 17-9 lead after the first quarter, and led big at halftime 42-13. The Eagles would cruise for the victory, 66-29. Travis Britt played his best game of the tournament that I saw, scoring 20 points. He came up big on defense as well with several steals. Seth Wilson added 12 points. No one scored more than 5 points for Taylorville.

Kord and Cord
This game featured a pair of Cord's, or Kord's. Rantoul is home of Cord Church (6'2" So.), while Taylorville features Kord Champley.

Game 73 Miles: 2