Game 1: Rockridge vs. Pleasant Plains (Girl's)

Game 1
Rockridge vs. Pleasant Plains (Girl's)
Macomb Lady Bomber Classic
(11/15/10)

Anxious, nervousness, excitement. These were feelings going through my head in the hours leading up to the first broadcast. I always get anxious leading up to a game, wondering if I have the lineups, the right equipment, etc. Of course, I am excited. I have been waiting for the 2010-11 basketball season since April!



But fear struck as I made the drive from work in Monmouth, down to Macomb. Nerves set in. What am I doing?! 150 games?!?! In one season?!?! I really am crazy! Last year, when I set out to broadcast 100 games, different people along the way would ask me if I would make it to my goal. I would answer, "oh yeah," with an air of arrogance, knowing that I could cruise to 100 broadcasts in a season.

150 broadcasts...now that's a different story. I make 100, or 112 as it were, sound like a small amount. It's not, but there were several days I took off, especially important dates that I could have crammed six broadcasts in one day. I missed out on an entire day of Christmas Tournaments, and I set the cruise control down the stretch run, broadcasting hardly any deep postseason games (outside of the girl's Class 1A and 2A state finals). The trouble with a 150-game schedule, is that anything can happen. This is a four-month long odyssey. I need to be healthy and accident-free, or else the entire journey will be for naught. There will be no room for errors with this lofty broadcast goal.

Game one would be the early game between Rockridge and Pleasant Plains in the Lady Bomber Classic at the Washington Street Gym. Of course, of the six teams in the tournament these are the only two squads I didn't get a roster beforehand.

Murphy and his law were about to strike! Arriving at the Washington Street Gym just after 4:00, new Macomb freshman girl's basketball coach Kelly Sears (MHS football coach) was running practice. I was able to take in a freshman vs. sophomore scrimmage. I sat in the bleachers and watched the two underclass squads battle, and talked with MHS athletic director Dave Bartlett.

The first team to arrive were the Rockridge Rockets. I headed over to talk with coach Shawn Strachan and get his starters for the game. He returns three starters from last year's team, and his roster includes a German foreign exchange student, Natascha Nehk.

As I was talking with Strachan, the Pleasant Plains Cardinals arrived. I caught coach Paul Kastner and got his starting lineup. I knew that he had graduated all five starters, but didn't realize how much the Cardinals lost. When I asked about losing all five starters, Kastner replied; "I didn't just lose my starters, I lost my whole team...we're starting from scratch."

Bartlett brought out the tournament programs, and I headed back to the stands to fill out my scorebook for game one. I had filled out the later games during my lunch break earlier in the day.

Just after 4:30, the Lady Bombers fresh/soph practice ended, and I began unpacking and getting set up for the night's triumvirate of broadcasts. At first, I had trouble connecting to the Internet with my air card, but after a few minutes I was able to gain a connection. Phew! So far, I am skating by avoiding Murphy and his Law. Not out of the woods just yet, though!

As the clock neared zeros to start the game, I had trouble connecting to my Encoder, that sends my broadcast through cyberspace. I tried, tried, and tried again. Starting lineups were being announced. Nothing. I called Gregg Hitchcock at Network1Sports, straight to voice mail. Next, I tried the tech guy at Network1, Peter Tan. Voice mail. Next...I tried logging on to the Network1 website, and I could not connect. Apparently, it was on their end and not mine after all.

Midway through the first quarter, and a panic begins to set in. Alas....I have a backup plan!!! IHIGH! I have been set up to broadcast, and did a video test on Saturday in Galesburg. But...can it work the same way for an audio broadcast? I called Kevin Sander at iHigh, and sure enough...I'm in!

As the 2nd quarter began, I was rockin and rollin and broadcasting game one...a little late, but 3/4 of the game got on the air, so I will count it as a full game. I began to keep the book, but after making a few phone calls, I had lost track.

It was a tight game at halftime, with Rockridge leading Pleasant Plains 21-19, and that lead expanded to five points after three quarters, and the final was 46-38 in favor of the Rockets. I had Emily Watkins with 9 points in three quarters of basketball for the victorious Rockets. Bre Lawless had at least 12 points in the game, scoring the first two buckets for Rockridge. For Pleasant Plains, I had Tiffani Johnson down for at least 10 points, and Kelsey Forsythe with at least 8 points.

Dave Hasley sat in the first row next to the broadcst, as he was scheduled to referee game two of the night. I texted Kevin Sander to make sure I was up and going, since this was the first iHigh audio broadcast I had conducted. During halftime, I had to get the links changed on the home page at www.ihssn.net

Game 1 miles driven: 1.5