Navy Blue Angels drop to 2nd place, take it on the chin, 52-14

[Darrell KSR]

We have 2 8th grade teams in our league due to not having enough 7th grade teams. They took two teams that were supposed to have younger players on it, and/or weaker teams.

Instead, they put the best team in the 8th grade in the 7th grade division. The closest game they've had before yesterday was 69-7. Their coach was furious with his team, calling timeouts because they weren't beating us badly enough. Called his final timeout with 25 seconds to play.

Our kids were fine. They were intimidated with the opponent, and missed a few layups and short shots early in the game, but settled down and played well. Their team is bigger, stronger, quicker, more experienced and more skilled than our team, but I really don't see what they're getting out of it.

Oh well.

One of my kids told me, "Coach, that was my favorite game of the year." He took a charge on a 6'4, 220 pound behemoth in the lane that fired us up and I thought was going to flatten him. He's not quite 5'0 tall, and got in the lane, and saw him coming and didn't flinch. Very proud of him.

Anyway, it will be a 2nd place season (1st place among 7th grade teams) unless the coach screws it up. I'm always capable of that .

We play them again in 14 days. Two weeks to figure out a better game plan.

[Darrell KSR]

To rub salt in the wound...

Apparently my assistant coach smiled after our pregame prayer (this is a church/school league) and told their big kid to, "take it easy on us, now" before the game.

He was reported to the Board as their Athletic Director said his coach was "furious" that we would "talk to their players" before the game.

At the same meeting, he blasted the "mercy rule"--if a team is up by 35 points, the clock is supposed to run, and they're not supposed to play defense in backcourt. Didn't really apply to our game, but the A.D. said, "how are we supposed to prepare our kids for high school" with that rule?

My answer would've been--play them against kids their own age. But our A.D. is much nicer than I am, the lowly basketball commissioner not invited to the "board" meeting.

I laughed about it first, now it is making me angry. Unbelievable this is a church/school league. But I knew the coach was trying to run up the score on us as much as possible, throwing his clipboard against the stands at one point.

I will tell you this. There are no high D-1 players on either team; not even close. I'm as competitive as the next guy, but geez.