So the playoffs are here with 2 exceptions, Jay vs Clark and Johnson vs MacArthur having to settle 4th place ties this coming Friday.
Clark took care of Jay to be in the drivers seat only to lose and get upset by Marshall to be in this predicament. Clark is playing without starting PG because on an injury making their task a little bit tougher. The winner gets a shot at the city's Top Ranked 5A team, Steele.
How Johnson is in this situation is beyond any reasonable explanation. They were preseason State Ranked and now are fighting for their lives to make the playoffs. They beat down OConnor, took care of Brandeis, Churchill twice and beat District Champ Reagan once pretty convincingly only to lose to Madison twice, Roosevelt twice and to MacArthur once. Winner of Johnson vs MacArthur gets a shot at Wagner. Let's see, the way this works is Johnson might be able to beat Wagner if they get a shot but might lose to MacArthur to prevent them a shot at Wagner. Confused, well that was the point.
In the first round with games already set, some interesting match-ups:
Churchill vs New Braunfels - Has anyone won more close games than Churchill. It seems half of their District games were decided by less than 5 points. They beat Roosevelt 26 to 25 to secure second place. That means two things, either the clock is going to eventually strike midnight and it will be time to go home or will the experience and challenges of playing close games going to prepare them mentally for a long run. New Braunfels should not be overlooked. They played Judson pretty tight and had a good showing against Wagner.
Judson vs Roosevelt - Judson needs to get some consistent scoring to make a good run in the playoffs. Against Roosevelt, they play against a team that has nothing to lose which can lead to trouble if Judson doesn't have the right mindset.
OConnor vs Southwest - This should be an entertaining game to watch. They both have an up tempo feel when they play and they both like to set up traps on opposing guards. Southwest in a full court setting while OConnor likes to trap at half court. Both teams have streaky shooters especially beyond the arc. Southwest can't fall behind if they are to have a chance.
As a potential 1st round game, Wagner vs Johnson would be a nice match up with the amount of college bound players on the court at the same time. But that is getting ahead, Johnson still has to take care of business against MacArthur. The same team that they lost to once and barely beat by 3 in their first meeting.
That leaves some intriguing potential games for the second round. If all the favorites win, we should see Steele vs Judson, Stevens vs Churchill, Reagan vs OConnor, Wagner vs Brandeis.
Which leads me to this, I will only rank the previously 8 mentioned teams. Everyone else is Honorable Mention!
8) Churchill - On paper, they are overachieving which is a credit to their coach and top players. Their strengths are their guards. Can they ride their guards to a run? Can they get more contributions from an inside presence and from their bench?
7) Judson - They seem to be missing something that prevents you from stating they are playing like a well oiled machine. They have very talented and capable players. They have guards that can penetrate and create and an inside presence. They need to find their shots from the outside to open up the inside. This team has the players that can put the clamps on opposing teams with their defense, rebounding and intensity. Now is the time if they want to make a run. A lot of seniors in the starting roster.
6) Brandeis - On paper, they have one of the deepest teams. Capable, smart, savvy point guard, at least 3 legit posts, capable abundance guards especially in Freshman Gabby Connally who is able to get to the rim, hit beyond the arc, create and get to the line if need be. They will be tested early. If they can get a signature win, they can make a deep run.
5) OConnor - This team has some great wins but some losses that have not been good. A good or great inside game in basketball is like having a great running attack in football. It is quite possible that their guards can carry them far but it would be a lot easier if they can get the inside game going in a consistent manner. They are better when their defense creates offense. Out of all their wins, beating Brandeis twice impresses me most. Which team is going to show up in the playoffs?
4) Reagan - When I saw Reagan lose to Johnson, one thing that struck me besides the play of Wendy Knight, was the fact that all the young supporting cast played with a demeanor that radiates CONFIDENCE. Although they lost, they shot, they attacked, they played like they were veterans even though they are only sophomores. Going back to Wendy, she put on a show against Johnson with her game on the court and in how she conducts herself as a team leader! To go back to State, the young ones are going to have to keep playing like veterans.
3) Stevens - Does this team have a bad loss? They are healthy again and looking to make a run. One of a few teams that can literally match up against anyone in the city. They have a lot of weapons on offense and a lot of weapons on defense. Can this be the year they go to State?
2) Wagner - They are healthy again which makes them a dangerous team. They beat Steele without their complete roster. They have the most entertaining pregame ritual than any High School team I have seen. How is that important to the game? That shows me they have chemistry, a bond, trust in one another. They have in my opinion more overall players that on offense can create for themselves and/or team. If a team plays them man to man, they don't need to run plays. Spread the court and someone is going to have an advantage. You play them zone, they can light up with 3's. Can everyone stay on board for a Team Goal greater than individual performances?
1) Steele - They have shown some kinks on their armor. Even a loss to Wagner still doesn't knock them down. When you are the defending Champ, you get some latitude. Playoffs are a complete different platform than the regular season. Everything gets magnified in the playoffs. When push comes to shove, you get the sense this team's intensity will go up a lot of notches if this team feels a challenge coming on in the playoffs. Which to me still will make them the team to beat to get to State in Class 5A.
In conclusion, Brennan starts their march to State in Class 4A. Yes, these rankings are for 5A teams but there is something to be said when Brennan has BEAT 6 of my top 8 teams including ALL my top 5!
Preparation, Commitment, Experience, Skilled, Well Coached are some of the attributes that make this team tough to beat.
It would have been interesting to see what they would have done if they were in this years Class 5A Brackets.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
SA ISLANDERS 2016 ANABELLE "BELLE" TOVAR HIGHLIGHTS
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Wednesday, January 29, 2014
SA Islanders Anabelle Tovar Highlights with Judson HS
2016 Belle Tovar having to play JV because of UIL ruling makes the most of the opportunity. A true 2 Guard, shows she can run the POINT as well.
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Thursday, January 23, 2014
SA Girls Basketball Class 5A Rankings ending 1-22-14
Well, the Girls basketball season is winding down in a flurry of action.
Is it surprising when a team doesn't win by the amount of points everyone thinks they should.
Case in point, Steele over Southwest by 6 earlier in the month. Or How bout Judson over New Braunfels by 4. Or how about OConnor over Marshall at halftime 18 to 12 before pulling away in the second half.
Maybe you can attribute it to a long season or just plain complacency, but teams better watch out cause here comes the playoffs and anything goes.
Sometimes it's not easy to turn on the "Switch".
In District 28-5A, playoff spots are virtually assured to Steele, CC Carroll, Southwest and East Central.
Southwest's running, trapping and uptempo style can pose a problem for a first round matchup. They shoot a lot of 3's and if they get hot, they can definitely pose a problem to a Top 10 team.
Not much is known about CC Carroll in SA, but they are the best team out of Corpus and have some real good athletes that are aggressive. No one should take them lightly.
East Central is coming on with Freshman Brittany Rodgers leading the way with 12 points a game after sitting the start of the season with injuries. She can create havoc with her power and finesse.
In District 26-5A, Wagner, Judson, New Braunfels and Smithson Valley have a lock on playoff spots.
Wagner has steadily been cruising beating #1 Steele along the way. They are healthy and look ready to make a big run. Judson played a tough non district schedule to get them ready. Time will tell how they do. They couldn't take advantage of playing against Wagner being without full strength. Now that Wagner is full strength, can Judson find a way to beat them? Smithson Valley is competing well. Injuries have hurt and they are still young.
In District 27-5A, OConnor, Stevens, Brandeis are virtual playoff locks. That leaves the last playoff spot to the winner of Jay vs Clark, Friday night. Can't get better than this, all the work before and during season. If Jay loses, they still have a chance to tie if they beat Brandeis. But if Clark loses, the writing will be on the wall that they are out of the playoffs. Anyway, whoever takes the 4th place spot, has as their reward the opportunity to more than likely play Steele in the first round.
OConnor beating Brandeis twice leaves them in a great position. If they win out, they are District Champs. Stevens can do the same, if they win out, they are District Champs. So that pretty much sums it up, next Saturday February 1st, Stevens vs OConnor for District Championship. What is somewhat of a surprise is that both teams are not very deep in their bench, but their starters more than make up for it. I said it before the season started, don't underestimate OConnor's guard play. At this point, it doesn't matter where Brandeis falls in seeding. I would not like to play them in the first round. On paper, they have tough and capable team, inside and out. It will not surprise me if they go 3 or 4 rounds.
Finally in District 26-5A, Reagan is in but you have Churchill, MacArthur, Madison, Johnson and Roosevelt all vying for the last 3 spots. That means 2 teams are going to be on the outside looking in. The best thing is most of them are going to play each other for the last 3 games of any significance. So anyone that goes 3-0 is probably in. Anyone that goes 2-1, is more than likely in. Anyone besides MacArthur and Churchill, that goes 1-2 is probably out.
MacArthur is on a good roll while preseason favorite Johnson is going the other way. There is still time for Johnson, but they will have to beat Reagan, Churchill and/or Roosevelt.
No one of the 5 teams vying for the last 3 spots has any advantage since they all play each other.
There is a strong possibility that 3 teams wind up in a tie for the last playoff spot. That would be interesting figuring that out. Coin Toss maybe.
So what does that mean for fans, great action ahead!
As of right now, Following are my top 10 teams for 5A in San Antonio. Teams have the power to change the outcome on the Court as the next two weeks come to a close.
1. Steele
2. Reagan
3. Wagner
4. OConnor
5. Stevens
6. Churchill
7. Brandeis
8. Judson
9. Jay
10. MacArthur
Honorable Mention: Roosevelt, Johnson, Madison, Clark, Smithson Valley, Southwest
Is it surprising when a team doesn't win by the amount of points everyone thinks they should.
Case in point, Steele over Southwest by 6 earlier in the month. Or How bout Judson over New Braunfels by 4. Or how about OConnor over Marshall at halftime 18 to 12 before pulling away in the second half.
Maybe you can attribute it to a long season or just plain complacency, but teams better watch out cause here comes the playoffs and anything goes.
Sometimes it's not easy to turn on the "Switch".
In District 28-5A, playoff spots are virtually assured to Steele, CC Carroll, Southwest and East Central.
Southwest's running, trapping and uptempo style can pose a problem for a first round matchup. They shoot a lot of 3's and if they get hot, they can definitely pose a problem to a Top 10 team.
Not much is known about CC Carroll in SA, but they are the best team out of Corpus and have some real good athletes that are aggressive. No one should take them lightly.
East Central is coming on with Freshman Brittany Rodgers leading the way with 12 points a game after sitting the start of the season with injuries. She can create havoc with her power and finesse.
In District 26-5A, Wagner, Judson, New Braunfels and Smithson Valley have a lock on playoff spots.
Wagner has steadily been cruising beating #1 Steele along the way. They are healthy and look ready to make a big run. Judson played a tough non district schedule to get them ready. Time will tell how they do. They couldn't take advantage of playing against Wagner being without full strength. Now that Wagner is full strength, can Judson find a way to beat them? Smithson Valley is competing well. Injuries have hurt and they are still young.
In District 27-5A, OConnor, Stevens, Brandeis are virtual playoff locks. That leaves the last playoff spot to the winner of Jay vs Clark, Friday night. Can't get better than this, all the work before and during season. If Jay loses, they still have a chance to tie if they beat Brandeis. But if Clark loses, the writing will be on the wall that they are out of the playoffs. Anyway, whoever takes the 4th place spot, has as their reward the opportunity to more than likely play Steele in the first round.
OConnor beating Brandeis twice leaves them in a great position. If they win out, they are District Champs. Stevens can do the same, if they win out, they are District Champs. So that pretty much sums it up, next Saturday February 1st, Stevens vs OConnor for District Championship. What is somewhat of a surprise is that both teams are not very deep in their bench, but their starters more than make up for it. I said it before the season started, don't underestimate OConnor's guard play. At this point, it doesn't matter where Brandeis falls in seeding. I would not like to play them in the first round. On paper, they have tough and capable team, inside and out. It will not surprise me if they go 3 or 4 rounds.
Finally in District 26-5A, Reagan is in but you have Churchill, MacArthur, Madison, Johnson and Roosevelt all vying for the last 3 spots. That means 2 teams are going to be on the outside looking in. The best thing is most of them are going to play each other for the last 3 games of any significance. So anyone that goes 3-0 is probably in. Anyone that goes 2-1, is more than likely in. Anyone besides MacArthur and Churchill, that goes 1-2 is probably out.
MacArthur is on a good roll while preseason favorite Johnson is going the other way. There is still time for Johnson, but they will have to beat Reagan, Churchill and/or Roosevelt.
No one of the 5 teams vying for the last 3 spots has any advantage since they all play each other.
There is a strong possibility that 3 teams wind up in a tie for the last playoff spot. That would be interesting figuring that out. Coin Toss maybe.
So what does that mean for fans, great action ahead!
As of right now, Following are my top 10 teams for 5A in San Antonio. Teams have the power to change the outcome on the Court as the next two weeks come to a close.
1. Steele
2. Reagan
3. Wagner
4. OConnor
5. Stevens
6. Churchill
7. Brandeis
8. Judson
9. Jay
10. MacArthur
Honorable Mention: Roosevelt, Johnson, Madison, Clark, Smithson Valley, Southwest
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Alexia Torres Hays Tournament Highlights Part 2
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Friday, December 20, 2013
ALEXIA TORRES HAYS TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS PART 1
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FLORESVILLE TOURNAMENT
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Sunday, December 8, 2013
SA Class Girls 5A Rankings Ending 12-8-13
Getting close to the Holiday Break, almost everything remains real volatile. Which is good for anyone that enjoys watching girls basketball. So many teams are up and down that you can't make a logical or rational argument that sticks cause as soon as you think you got it figured out, wham, you DON'T.
One assertion anyone can make is that Brennan remains the top team overall in the city. I hear so many things that opposing teams could've, should've but in the end, Brennan has beaten the top challengers in the city. Brennan will be better off scrimmaging against each as far as competition rather than having to play in their District.
As far as Class 5A goes
10) Clark- After getting a big time win against Johnson propelling them to a Top 25 Ranking in TABC rankings, they falter in their first two District games against O'Connor and Stevens. A lot of good players and depth is helping them against weaker competition but hurting them overall when they play better teams. I said it before, in a close game who is the go to Player?
9) Brandeis- Surprising loss to OConnor takes them down the rankings. I expect them to be there at the end though. They have depth in all positions, experience and an exceptional freshman in Gabby Connally.
8) Churchill- At 19-1 they could be higher up if the competition had been tougher. But that doesn't mean they can't compete. They have momentum and a HC that can maybe pull off some upsets.
7) Stevens- They overcome a 19 point deficit to beat Clark. That showed a lot of character. They are needing some more depth to fully compliment their arsenal.
6) Wagner- They are hanging in without their best player on the court. You just don't know what you are going to get day in and day out. They had a good win over Johnson.
5) OConnor- They beat Clark and Brandeis to start off district 2-0. They should run off undefeated in first half of district till a show down with Stevens at the end of the year.
4) Johnson- Still trying to figure out this team. You have better odds in predicting the weather than predicting how this team is going to fare. They have a lot of talent to barely be beating some of the competition by just a little. They should be running away against some of the mediocre teams they have beaten.
3) Judson- They lost two games to Reagan. The best way I can explain this team is watching a football team that has a great defense, a great running game but can't pass the ball efficiently.
2) Reagan- Sometimes you have to look deeper than the numbers to see who the MVP of the young season is. You have a team that has 5 of the top 6 scorers are sophomores or 6 or the top 8. How many times have I heard a coach say, we are losing but we have a young team. How many players can pull off what Wendy Knight is doing? Playing with the majority of sophomores and making the team one of the top teams in the city.
1) Steele- I watched them over the weekend at the Hays Tournament. I thought I was watching a College team walking into the gym. They just play like they are bored cause it is so easy and effortless for them. If you look at some of the players numbers, they are definitely misleading. Their starters are playing less than half the games in a lot of instances. If they are focused, in a scenario where everything than can go wrong, goes wrong, they still beat 95% of the areas basketball teams.
A great week of girls basketball is coming up.
This weeks top games:
Reagan vs Wagner
Reagan vs Churchill
Stevens vs Brandeis
Stevens vs Jay
OConnor vs Jay
Johnson vs Steele
Judson vs Steele
One assertion anyone can make is that Brennan remains the top team overall in the city. I hear so many things that opposing teams could've, should've but in the end, Brennan has beaten the top challengers in the city. Brennan will be better off scrimmaging against each as far as competition rather than having to play in their District.
As far as Class 5A goes
10) Clark- After getting a big time win against Johnson propelling them to a Top 25 Ranking in TABC rankings, they falter in their first two District games against O'Connor and Stevens. A lot of good players and depth is helping them against weaker competition but hurting them overall when they play better teams. I said it before, in a close game who is the go to Player?
9) Brandeis- Surprising loss to OConnor takes them down the rankings. I expect them to be there at the end though. They have depth in all positions, experience and an exceptional freshman in Gabby Connally.
8) Churchill- At 19-1 they could be higher up if the competition had been tougher. But that doesn't mean they can't compete. They have momentum and a HC that can maybe pull off some upsets.
7) Stevens- They overcome a 19 point deficit to beat Clark. That showed a lot of character. They are needing some more depth to fully compliment their arsenal.
6) Wagner- They are hanging in without their best player on the court. You just don't know what you are going to get day in and day out. They had a good win over Johnson.
5) OConnor- They beat Clark and Brandeis to start off district 2-0. They should run off undefeated in first half of district till a show down with Stevens at the end of the year.
4) Johnson- Still trying to figure out this team. You have better odds in predicting the weather than predicting how this team is going to fare. They have a lot of talent to barely be beating some of the competition by just a little. They should be running away against some of the mediocre teams they have beaten.
3) Judson- They lost two games to Reagan. The best way I can explain this team is watching a football team that has a great defense, a great running game but can't pass the ball efficiently.
2) Reagan- Sometimes you have to look deeper than the numbers to see who the MVP of the young season is. You have a team that has 5 of the top 6 scorers are sophomores or 6 or the top 8. How many times have I heard a coach say, we are losing but we have a young team. How many players can pull off what Wendy Knight is doing? Playing with the majority of sophomores and making the team one of the top teams in the city.
1) Steele- I watched them over the weekend at the Hays Tournament. I thought I was watching a College team walking into the gym. They just play like they are bored cause it is so easy and effortless for them. If you look at some of the players numbers, they are definitely misleading. Their starters are playing less than half the games in a lot of instances. If they are focused, in a scenario where everything than can go wrong, goes wrong, they still beat 95% of the areas basketball teams.
A great week of girls basketball is coming up.
This weeks top games:
Reagan vs Wagner
Reagan vs Churchill
Stevens vs Brandeis
Stevens vs Jay
OConnor vs Jay
Johnson vs Steele
Judson vs Steele
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
SA Girls Basketball Class 5A Rankings Ending 11-27-13
After about 3 weeks in action going into Thanksgiving break, everything might seem more uncertain than when the season started.
A couple of things I look at when a team loses, is what they do to bounce back and how close did they lose by and the quality of teams they are playing.
Quality of teams can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
Coaching has a lot to do with the large picture but who has the main guns that can take over a game at a moments notice. Who has the kids that can go to work when the game is on the line?
Brennan is the top team in the area in any classification because they simply have more attributes that make up a good/great team. It makes it hard for a team to capitalize on a teams weaknesses when they don't possess many.
So you can also turn it around and say what weaknesses and how many does a team possess to gauge how good they really are?
Coaching, go to players, skilled and talented players, experience for both coaches and players, inside presence, outside shooters, ball handlers, chemistry, overall team athletism are some strengths and/or weaknesses in no particular order.
If I focus on the strengths and/or weaknesses of teams on paper and what I have seen, I come up with the following rankings.
Honorable mention: Roosevelt, Jay, Southwest, Madison
10) Clark- Has two loses to Churchill and a win over Johnson. Who is the go to player on this team? Come District time, is the coach going to depend and wait for someone to get hot? A lot of depth, but it might get tough in a close game if the team is waiting for someone to step up and get hot.
9) OConnor- Dropped down with loses over the weekend and (not a good showing) loss to Johnson. They are lacking depth in the bench. They are a fun team to watch. You get the feeling something is going to happen at any moment. Maybe good, maybe bad.
8) Stevens- Had a close loss to Judson after a good weekend tournament showing in West Texas.
7) Brandeis- Took care of business in Floresville Tournament with relative ease. Beat Madison pretty handily. Shook off back to back losses from last week.
6) Churchill- They are slowly but surely building confidence. Their schedule has been soft but are still taking care of business. Thats what good teams do.
5) Wagner- Had a close loss to Brennan. Not much action.
4) Johnson- Beat OConnor pretty handily but turn around and get beat by Clark. If they can play the way they did against OConnor, they are tough to beat. They hit both offensive and defensive boards with reckless abandonment and attacked the basket with the same determination.
3) Reagan- Have a loss to Steele but win against Jay.
2) Judson- Beat Johnson and Stevens. They control the tempo with their rebounding and defense. You need to be patiently aggressive to beat their press and zone coupled with some timely shooting to beat this team.
1) Steele- They beat Reagan. Not much action. Gearing up for a good showing in December when they play some of the top teams.
A couple of things I look at when a team loses, is what they do to bounce back and how close did they lose by and the quality of teams they are playing.
Quality of teams can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
Coaching has a lot to do with the large picture but who has the main guns that can take over a game at a moments notice. Who has the kids that can go to work when the game is on the line?
Brennan is the top team in the area in any classification because they simply have more attributes that make up a good/great team. It makes it hard for a team to capitalize on a teams weaknesses when they don't possess many.
So you can also turn it around and say what weaknesses and how many does a team possess to gauge how good they really are?
Coaching, go to players, skilled and talented players, experience for both coaches and players, inside presence, outside shooters, ball handlers, chemistry, overall team athletism are some strengths and/or weaknesses in no particular order.
If I focus on the strengths and/or weaknesses of teams on paper and what I have seen, I come up with the following rankings.
Honorable mention: Roosevelt, Jay, Southwest, Madison
10) Clark- Has two loses to Churchill and a win over Johnson. Who is the go to player on this team? Come District time, is the coach going to depend and wait for someone to get hot? A lot of depth, but it might get tough in a close game if the team is waiting for someone to step up and get hot.
9) OConnor- Dropped down with loses over the weekend and (not a good showing) loss to Johnson. They are lacking depth in the bench. They are a fun team to watch. You get the feeling something is going to happen at any moment. Maybe good, maybe bad.
8) Stevens- Had a close loss to Judson after a good weekend tournament showing in West Texas.
7) Brandeis- Took care of business in Floresville Tournament with relative ease. Beat Madison pretty handily. Shook off back to back losses from last week.
6) Churchill- They are slowly but surely building confidence. Their schedule has been soft but are still taking care of business. Thats what good teams do.
5) Wagner- Had a close loss to Brennan. Not much action.
4) Johnson- Beat OConnor pretty handily but turn around and get beat by Clark. If they can play the way they did against OConnor, they are tough to beat. They hit both offensive and defensive boards with reckless abandonment and attacked the basket with the same determination.
3) Reagan- Have a loss to Steele but win against Jay.
2) Judson- Beat Johnson and Stevens. They control the tempo with their rebounding and defense. You need to be patiently aggressive to beat their press and zone coupled with some timely shooting to beat this team.
1) Steele- They beat Reagan. Not much action. Gearing up for a good showing in December when they play some of the top teams.
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