Monday, May 23, 2005

Oregon State Games

The Season is over, the dust has settled, and Summit emerges 3-4 as a #6 team. Decent improvement from last years 0-6 finish. Friday, left from school in loaned Suburban w/ about 1/3 of team. Stopped off for Ben's stuff. Grabbed travel scrabble (the plastic entertainer). Rolled out. Made it to Eugene, fandangoed some StarWars tickets, went to get in line. completely unecessary, as it turned out.

Note: StarWars was awesome.

Day 1, 11-9 hard cap loss to Vacaville. Team had disk, on goal line, to tie and force golden goal. Vacaville went on to Finals. Saturday loss to other Finalist, churchill, like 15-7, but rested the starters for the 'must win' pool play game. Which we won, 12 - 8.

Sunday: Quarterfinals. 4 point loss. Slow start, but the first 'big game' experience for any of team... Down by a few, made a late rally. had disk to score down 2. Would have been nice. Got some good plays out of a kid (nate crabtree) who had anchored the 4x400 (#1 in state), and also medaled in 200m and 400m.

Originally bracketed to go straight to the 5/6 game, they had added some 'play in' game to make it to the 5/6 game, which the team won. I then benched my best player, and just let the kids sub themselves (out of set groups, so that there would always be some 'balance'). Basically, just get some playing time for the guys who 'took one for the team.' As in playing time.

Thoughts. I still think Consolation games are stupid.

They had this rule, you had to alternate 'guy pull'/'girl pull.' I think this is stupid. I also thought it was pretty cheap to spring this new rule at the captains meeting. I basically was not even working on hucking until late in the season, so the only people who had much pulling practice were the guys who played last year. Several exciting moments occurred, and it really served to skew the game, make it difficult to go on runs, etc.

With the hard cap already on in the quarters, and summit down 3, the opposing coach said (in a not unfriendly tone), "you know the game is over." and offered his hand.

I did not punch him. Should I have? I just said, 'i'll shake your hand later' (did). He had already pulled the classic 'are you taking a time out' when I was setting the team up. I initially responded w/ a 'no, are you?' but had to continue w/ the 'we get 20 seconds after your 70 seconds. If you're gonna take 2 minutes, then you're gonna wait longer'. I suspect, based on the behavior of his team (pretty good) that he's basically a good guy, just w/ some kind of misguided desire to establish some friendly ribbing.

jackass.

Next year, should have enough personnel for a 'guys team' and 'girls team', with separate state tournaments for both, and combine for a 'mixed states.'

Drive home. Told the story of the wallet to the kids in the Suburban on the drive back. I gave Kody money to top off the tank shortly there after. We had just dropped off the rest of the team, and were leaving the HS to the last stop when he realizes that he had lost the money. Stopped truck, searched, nothing. I suggested that he had dropped $ in trash. Returned to school, where money was in trash.

Is this Jungian Synchronicity? Power of Persuasion? Coincidence? Or just funny, ha ha.

Now, off to see sin city at the McMenamins pub/theater. $3. Sweet.

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