 |
| Rock Island Fieldhouse |
Galesburg (3A #7) @ Rock Island (3A #2)
(2/4/11)
Before this big game at the Rock Island Fieldhouse, I talked with both head coaches (Mike Reynolds & Thom Sigel) on my Sportsline (click to listen to full show) program. Coach Reynolds and I talked at 10:45, as Ryan Ricketts was getting set to publicly sign his letter-of-intent to play football at Western Illinois University.
Ricketts was with Reynolds before we started the interview, and apparently Ryan needed some advice on his wardrobe. He helps the basketball team with scouting, since he decided not to play after dealing with a slight knee injury, and decided to focus on football and track & field. Reynolds said, "Unbutton that first button, you look stupid." The two kidded back and forth.
 |
| Because walking 10 steps for smokes is so overrated! |
However, the funniest business along this stretch of highway has to be the "smoke shop." The small store sells cigarettes, but is marketed differently than your average store.
The biggest question of the night was going to be whether or not I ate before or after the game. Sometimes I am not that hungry when getting to the gym, but by the time the varsity game tips off I am starving. Tonight, a rarity, I decided to eat right before going to the gym, so I decided on McDonalds. It was either before the game McDonalds, or after the game Dr. Gyro's. A tough decision, and with back-to-back games in Rock Island this week, I didn't make it to my favorite eating joint once.
The doors were still locked in getting to the gym before 5:00, and I even beat the Galesburg team. Rock Island athletic director Bob Swanson got me all set up, and I took in the sights of the fieldhouse for a few minutes, with this being my first trip to the boy's gym at Rocky.
My broadcast position was at the base of the upper level of the fieldhouse, on the far end of the gym from the main entrance. I spoke with Rocky coach Thom Sigel, and he made a comment about the broadcast layout. There is a press box at the very top of the upper level, but Jimmie Carr prefers this spot. I told Sigel it was about the same distance and angle as the booth at Galesburg, however I would learn quickly our home broadcast spot is much cozier.
 |
| Rock Island sophomores warming up |
There were only a half dozen interruptions at our location, the more they happened, the less funny they got. However, the first interruption was a dandy during our pregame show, as Jimmie was giving his pregame analysis. A middle-aged man walks up and asks if he can get through. He then tapped Jimmie on the shoulder and repeated himself, and did so again.
The crowd really piled into the fieldhouse, and Bob Swanson estimated there were around 5,000 fans at the gym. The capacity of the Rock Island Fieldhouse is over 7,000.
Rock Island jumped out to an early advantage, taking an 8-0 lead to start. Galesburg was able to chip back in and made it a 14-12 game in the final seconds of the 1st quarter, but a Denzel McCauley three-point play with 0:00 on the clock lifted the Rocks to a five-point lead heading into the 2nd quarter. A technical foul was assessed on Rock Island's Keith Keesy in the 2nd quarter after pushing Galesburg's Ryan McElmurry.
The Rocks outscored the Silver Streaks 14-11 in the 2nd quarter to take a 31-23 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter, Rock Island began to make another run, jumping out to a nine-point lead after a 5-0 run. That turned into a 5-0 run by the Silver Streaks after Rocky's Darquez Bonner was issued a technical foul. Bonner was trying to engage Chad Thompson and get into his head coming down the floor on a posession. After a foul was whistled, Bonner ramped it up by clapping his hands in an antagonizing fashion, doing so right in front of the officials. He was assessed a "T" after continuing the act in front of a referee.
Galesburg couldn't chip any further, and the Rocks were able to cruise throughout the 4th quarter and win 72-53. The win boosts Rock Island to 20-2 on the season and 8-0 in the Western Big 6. Galesburg's 15-game win streak is snapped, and they drop to 21-4 on the year.
Brandon Thompson scored a game-high 18 points for the Silver Streaks. Chasson Randle led Rock Island with 17 points. Moline's Anthony Lindauer overtakes the Western Big 6 scoring lead with his 27-point effort against Quincy.
Galesburg Register-Mail sportswriter Aaron Frey mentioned a situation that occurred at the scorer's table in the 2nd half, in which apparently Silver Streaks assistant coach Troy Noble asked it be announced for fans to stop walking through the Galesburg timeout huddles. The P.A. Announcer reportedly announced, "Can the Rock Island fans not walk through the Galesburg huddle? It’s bothering them." Frey's Story
 |
| A sign many custodians would love to see! |
Most of my equipment packing had to be done in the dark, as the lights were shut out to get fans to move out of the gym. The lights were restored once the last fans headed out the doors. It reminded me of a few years ago when broadcasting Macomb Bombers games, and my broadcast partner Kelly Sears couldn't believe how many people just hung around the gym for an extended period of time.
 |
| Call Nick! Get me to Galesburg! (no offense to Macomb, but the commute sucks) |
Game 120 Miles: 180
No comments:
Post a Comment