Game 80
(2/2/10)
United @ Stark County (Boy's Basketball)
Lincoln Trail Conference Tournament
This was a late add on the broadcast schedule from the conference tournament. Monmouth-Roseville (my normal boy's basketball broadcast duties) did not have a game, so I picked this game up, and we carried it on Sunny 97.7 WMOI.
My broadcast partner, Pat Repp, met me at the radio station shortly after 4:00. From Monmouth and Toulon, we reminisced on past games, and did not even realize that I had broadcasted some of his son's games a few years ago. His son (Matt) played for Roseville/Yorkwood, and I broadcasted their first round playoff game (2003) against Flanagan at Yorkwood High School. Funny how this came up in our conversation, as you may remember my blog from yesterday talking about my trip to Flanagan. The Falcons (5-4) upset the Bearcats (8-1) to advance to the second round and host Annawan in that game that I arrived late (halftime) for. My college roommate, Joe Stevens, did color commentary for me that game. He had been a volunteer assistant for the Bearcats the season prior.
The Stark County Rebels play their boy's basketball games at the high school in Toulon. The girl's play in Wyoming, home of Stark County Junior High (the former Wyoming High School), and the football team also plays in Wyoming. This always confuses me, especially since I don't get over to broadcast many games at Stark County.
In fact, the last broadcast in Toulon was during my days at the now-defunct WHHK-FM in Galva. We would carry several Lincoln Trail Conference games throughout the week. One memorable broadcast came during the 2001-02 season, in a game between Princeton and Stark County. I will never forget using the telephone line in the gym...because the phone jack was in the athletic director's office (I think it was the A.D. office). We strung phone line across the stage in the gym, down a hallway, through a set of doors, and down another hallway, then through the auxilary gym, out into a third hallway, and up the stairs to the second floor, around the corner through the office, and into the Athletic Director's office. We must have had to use 500 to 1,000 feet of phone line. It may have also been that game that I had to drive back in blizzard conditions. I do remember the worst winter driving conditions came during that season, and I had broadcasted a game in Toulon. It took me over an hour to drive from Toulon to Galva, which is normally a fairly quick trip.
The trip to Toulon is pretty easy from Monmouth. We just took Route 34 through Galesburg and Oneida, and took a right onto a Knox County road in Altona. Then there were a couple other highways and roads to cut across, but I digress.
For some reason, Garmin, didn't have Stark County High School listed under the school's feature. I have noticed this with many other schools. The closest school listed was Stark County Junior High, located in Wyoming. So, being a small town, and both played and broadcasted in the gym, I pushed in directions to the bank. That would at least get me to Toulon without getting lost.
We arrived at the gym, with about 50:00 on the clock before tipoff. The previous broadcasts I had sat on the stage, which I absolutely hate broadcasting from stages. Stark County basketball coach Jarrod Hippen directed us to the top of the bleachers to a press table, where the game filmers were also located. This was a much better vantage point, however a little cramped.
Time was running short, and I had not yet filled out my scorebook. I had a pregame talk with United head coach Jim Noonan. His team was experiencing some lack of depth. Two players were sick (Scott Duncan and Christian Schrader), Nick Hull is out for the season with a stress fracture, and Nick Cavanaugh injured his left knee the night before.
After our talk, I went to fill out my scorebook and get everything in line for the broadcast. Our pregame show began a few minutes late, but everything was just fine....until the typical cell phone problems occurred.
A major problem with our cell phone broadcasts occurred frequently last season, but there has not been too many instances of the dropped calls this year. Our phones will cut out, and it seems once it does it once, it will do it more frequently, thereafter. Tonight was one of those nights. At the end of the pregame show it started doing it. I unplugged the station phone (U.S. Cellular), and then plugged in my phone (U.S. Cellular), and it was a night-and-day difference. Not a single dropped call from my phone, but at least five dropped calls on the station phone. The cell phone carrier issue debate has been settled, it is the phone.
The two teams scored frequently in the first quarter. United dared Stark County to shoot, and they did....to the tune of five three pointers in the first eight minutes. The Rebels would take a 28-18 lead heading into the second quarter. Calvin Lewis (6'6" Jr.) scored 12 points in the opening quarter.
Stark County is a big...no, very big team. The Rebels have Dillon Kelly (6'7"), Lewis (6'6"), and Ethan Ely (6'6"), not to mention tall guards in Tanner Ewing (6'2") and Bryce Paxson (6'3"). The Red Storm have a bulky team also, but nothing like the Rebels.
After hitting those five three-pointers, Stark County did not make another three all night, however they would pile on some points. United had trouble finding much of an offense in the middle two quarters, being held to single digits in the second (6) and third (8) quarters. Stark County jumped out to a 40-24 lead at the break.
After halftime, Stark County would continue to roll, outscoring visiting United 14-8 in the third quarter, taking a healthy 22-point lead into the fourth quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter, the big man Calvin Lewis lay grimacing in pain on the floor, clutching his left ankle. He had to be helped off the floor by head coach Jarrod Hippen and assistant coach Kyle Cantwell. Lewis could put no weight on the foot. After the game, Lewis left the locker room with a heavily iced ankle, and was lightly walking on it.
Stark County was led by four players in double figures in their 63-45 win. Ethan Ely scored a game-high 15 points, while Calvin Lewis added 14 points, Tanner Ewing with 13 points, and Dillon Kelly with 10 points. United placed Alex Gavin in double figures, scoring 13 points.
Spoke briefly with the Stark County cameraman, who looked familiar from broadcasting Monmouth College football games. It was Fighting Scots football player David Milroy's dad. His other son, Kyle (6'2" So.), saw some minutes in the game. David Milroy is a Linebacker for the Fighting Scots alongside former B-PC/A Spartan standout Marcus Ruff, who happens to be the nephew of my broadcast partner, Pat Repp.
Silas Pogue was also in the house. Silas was a former baseball and basketball player at Stronghurst Southern, which consolidated with Biggsville Union to create West Central. Pogue is the JV basketball coach at West Central. He also spent a few seasons as an assistant baseball coach at B-PC/A under Dave Arnold. He was there scouting, as West Central now plays host to United on Thursday night in the consolation bracket of the Lincoln Trail Conference tournament. In another twist, Stark County head coach Jarrod Hippen was Pogue's junior high basketball coach at Southern.
As we pulled back to the WMOI/WRAM studios in Monmouth, our faithful news team (Mike Weaver and Greg Ford) were hard at work for Election Night coverage. I went inside, dropped off the equipment, and stole a piece of their pizza from Breadeaux Pizza. The perfect snack to tide me over.
The Quest File Notes
Game 80
Date: 2/2/10
Result: Stark County prevails on their home floor, beating United 63-45
Miles: 166
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