This time last week the Shenandoah District basketball standings seemed to be soooooo structured. Going into last Tuesday's games, it seemed like a no-brainer that Stuarts Draft would remain as the only unbeaten team and that the others would wrap up the first cycle through the district schedule in a nice logical order.........Buffalo Gap with one loss, Staunton with two, and so on down the line. Then on Friday we would start the second round to see who was going to climb the ladder and who was going to fall.
Well that was apparently not the game plan of choice for the Fort Defiance Indians as they first upset Buffalo Gap on Tuesday and then ventured into Staunton Friday night and took care of the Storm in an overtime thriller. Everything else went pretty much as scheduled both nights but those two wins now leave the unbeaten Cougars on top at 6-0 looking wayyyy down at everybody else, as Staunton and Buffalo Gap are each 3-3 and the other three teams (Fort, Riverheads and Wilson) are all 2-4 in district play. If we had a district tournament, which we don't, we would be looking forward to a very spirited battle for positioning behind the Draft.
But it will still be interesting as mathematically everyone in the district is still in the running for regional action. There are four sessions of games left, starting with a triple header Tuesday night that now appears to consist of one foregone conclusion and two absolute toss-ups. I really think it is all just a conspiracy to keep me from having a perfect 3-0 night. But let's see if I can swing it this time.......
Wilson at Stuarts Draft: The Cougars do not have that flashy an overall record but within the 'Doah, they are the pick of the litter this season. They just needed time to get their minds off the football field and into the gym. Oh someone might finally get them before the season is over but with a three-game cushion, we may as well hand them the honorary regular season title. When they played Wilson the first time, they only won by four and I probably even commented at the time that I would not be surprised if Wilson won the second time around. But things change and these are now two teams headed in opposite directions. Unless all 16 of their outside shooters turn cold on the same night, the home team will win this one by at least 25.
Buffalo Gap at Staunton: One of these will leave the Paul Hatcher Gym in sole possession of second place, whereas the other will be tied with the Riverheads/Fort winner for third place (and of course Wilson if I am wrong about the Hornets' trip to SD). BG knocked off the Storm 61-57 in their first meeting at the Gap, which would ordinarily make you think that Staunton might be expected to win this one to even the score. But I am not so sure, considering that BG only lost by two at the Fort, whereas the Storm allowed those same Indians to come into their place and knock them off. Not only that but the Bison gave Stuarts Draft a good game on the road. I am very much inclined to go with the Bison in this one, but I just can't see the Storm losing back to back home district games. So just on a hunch, the home team wins by 3.
Riverheads at Fort Defiance: Wow is this one ever going to be tough to call, especially when you consider that I have to factor in my school pride. To look at the facts, the Indians have won three in a row and may make that four on Monday night when they host Turner Ashby. If so, that would give them the chance to make the Gladiators their fifth straight victim, which would be an amazing accomplishment for a team that started the season 1-12. So an objective observer would say, "yep they are on a roll and the Big Red is going down." However, we cannot overlook the fact that Riverheads is coming off its own impressive victory, a 22-point thumping of Wilson. Not only that but the Gladiators have now been forewarned that the Fort is on a rampage, whereas BG and Staunton were caught somewhat off guard. You could also argue that the Big Red will be better-rested as they will not have played since Friday, whereas the Indians do have the TA game the night before. Adding all of that together, I see an ugly "first one to 50" slugfest and either could come out on top, but I will have the confidence in my Gladiators to snap the win streak and pull it out by 4 points or less. RHS won the first time by 16.
I guess with all the flu bugs going around, any one of these games could be impacted by that. But let's wish everyone good health so that all games will have even playing fields.
Well that was apparently not the game plan of choice for the Fort Defiance Indians as they first upset Buffalo Gap on Tuesday and then ventured into Staunton Friday night and took care of the Storm in an overtime thriller. Everything else went pretty much as scheduled both nights but those two wins now leave the unbeaten Cougars on top at 6-0 looking wayyyy down at everybody else, as Staunton and Buffalo Gap are each 3-3 and the other three teams (Fort, Riverheads and Wilson) are all 2-4 in district play. If we had a district tournament, which we don't, we would be looking forward to a very spirited battle for positioning behind the Draft.
But it will still be interesting as mathematically everyone in the district is still in the running for regional action. There are four sessions of games left, starting with a triple header Tuesday night that now appears to consist of one foregone conclusion and two absolute toss-ups. I really think it is all just a conspiracy to keep me from having a perfect 3-0 night. But let's see if I can swing it this time.......
Wilson at Stuarts Draft: The Cougars do not have that flashy an overall record but within the 'Doah, they are the pick of the litter this season. They just needed time to get their minds off the football field and into the gym. Oh someone might finally get them before the season is over but with a three-game cushion, we may as well hand them the honorary regular season title. When they played Wilson the first time, they only won by four and I probably even commented at the time that I would not be surprised if Wilson won the second time around. But things change and these are now two teams headed in opposite directions. Unless all 16 of their outside shooters turn cold on the same night, the home team will win this one by at least 25.
Buffalo Gap at Staunton: One of these will leave the Paul Hatcher Gym in sole possession of second place, whereas the other will be tied with the Riverheads/Fort winner for third place (and of course Wilson if I am wrong about the Hornets' trip to SD). BG knocked off the Storm 61-57 in their first meeting at the Gap, which would ordinarily make you think that Staunton might be expected to win this one to even the score. But I am not so sure, considering that BG only lost by two at the Fort, whereas the Storm allowed those same Indians to come into their place and knock them off. Not only that but the Bison gave Stuarts Draft a good game on the road. I am very much inclined to go with the Bison in this one, but I just can't see the Storm losing back to back home district games. So just on a hunch, the home team wins by 3.
Riverheads at Fort Defiance: Wow is this one ever going to be tough to call, especially when you consider that I have to factor in my school pride. To look at the facts, the Indians have won three in a row and may make that four on Monday night when they host Turner Ashby. If so, that would give them the chance to make the Gladiators their fifth straight victim, which would be an amazing accomplishment for a team that started the season 1-12. So an objective observer would say, "yep they are on a roll and the Big Red is going down." However, we cannot overlook the fact that Riverheads is coming off its own impressive victory, a 22-point thumping of Wilson. Not only that but the Gladiators have now been forewarned that the Fort is on a rampage, whereas BG and Staunton were caught somewhat off guard. You could also argue that the Big Red will be better-rested as they will not have played since Friday, whereas the Indians do have the TA game the night before. Adding all of that together, I see an ugly "first one to 50" slugfest and either could come out on top, but I will have the confidence in my Gladiators to snap the win streak and pull it out by 4 points or less. RHS won the first time by 16.
I guess with all the flu bugs going around, any one of these games could be impacted by that. But let's wish everyone good health so that all games will have even playing fields.
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