To quote one of my all-time favorite movies, “it’s all happening.”
Yesterday the MIAA released the pairings for the basketball tournament and today the hockey brackets will be released. If you’re a fan that means you know where to be to see your favorite team’s biggest game of the year so far. For me, it means I know where I’ll be trekking to each night.
Actually the first week doesn’t look that bad for me. With the exception of the Falmouth High girls’ basketball team all of the teams I cover will be at home for their first round games for hoops. Hockey is another story, but usually they play those games in Gallo, so it shouldn’t be that bad.
Next week is when the nuttiness will really begin. The FHS boys’ hoops team could go pretty deep, and I think the MHS boys could make a run at D4. For them, if they can make 60-percent of their free throws, they’ll challenge to win any game. They’re just not that good at the charity stripe, which is their Achilles Heel. If I had to point to a weakness on the FHS boys team it would be that they’ve struggled in games that they haven’t dominated, if that makes any sense. Close games have been tough for them and someone is going to have to channel his inner-Kobe and want the ball when it matters most. Personally I’d like to see DK Johnson take that role. He’s the senior captain, he’s a slasher that can get to the basket. It’s his team, and his year, so I think in the final three minutes he should be the one that dictates the action.
It’s funny because I really get into this stuff at this time of year. As a journalist I’m not supposed to have a real rooting interest, but I’d be lying if I told you that I don’t care what happens to these kids, and I love a good story.
Like the FHS girls, they’re all young, and they’ll be a legitimate contender to make some real noise next year. This year they’re getting their feet wet. It’d be great if they can pick up a win in the play-in game before potentially getting waxed in round two (I hate to put it like that, but the girls’ tourney is always very top heavy, and there are some machines at the top of the bracket every year. The girls tourney rarely has any paper tigers, especially at the D1 level, and I believe FHS would play New Bedford in the next round). Still for girls like Shannon Marcoux and Elizabeth Knox, the team’s go-to players for next year, and this, it will be a great learning experience and something that they can build on for the future.
Another team that really has my interest piqued is the Mashpee boys’ ice hockey team. For the level they play at, D3, they’re pretty good. They have a go-to scorer, a couple of solid role players and a solid keeper. That’s the recipe for a deep run if ever there was one. MHS/UCT will be heard from, I think.
All in all, the tournament is always great and it’s something I’m really excited about. Almost as much as the vacation I’m going to take when it’s all over.
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
