Greenwood 54 - Bowling Green 49

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Someone once told me that Coach Blane Embry could suit up an Upward team in Greenwood uniforms and the Bowling Green Purples would freeze at the sight of them. That's nice hyperbole, but sometime I wonder if it is true. I do know this: Greenwood has got Bowling Green's number. Greenwood's Tommy Tutone and Bowling Green is Jenny.

The other thing I know about Greenwood is that Coach Embry gets the most out of his players, possibly more than can be reasonably expected. The Gators always play hard. Will Clayton, J.J. Smith, and Dee Anderson leave it all on the court almost every time I see them play. In the first quarter of Friday night's game a kid named Cody Stumbo, who should not be confused with current Kentucky Speaker of the House of Representatives Greg Stumbo, stepped up and peppered the Purples with layups and short jumpers that pushed the Gators to a 19-8 second quarter lead.

It's good strategy to hit Bowling Green early. The best way to beat Bowling Green is to hit them right out of the gate and knock out their confidence. I'd say that Stumbo nearly did that single-handedly.

Bowling Green surged in the second frame, though, outscoring their reptilian visitors 18-9 and cutting the lead to two at the end of the first half. At one point Greenwood was stuck at 21, and Jeb Richardson made some key plays. He hit a big three pointer and then followed up a Greenwood turnover with a layup to give the purples a 22-21 lead. It's the old trey and lay play.

I fogot to mention that J.J. Smith hurt his ankle early in the first half and, I think, he even left the bench for the locker room.

Greenwood came back and got the lead late in teh second quarter and tooka a 28-26 lead to the break.

Dee Anderson is among the best press breakers in the region. If a team presses Greenwood, they've got to keep the ball out of Anderson's hands. He handles the ball pretty good, but his feet are two rockets. Anderson has a sense for getting to the rim, too. He cut through the middle of the Purple press like a hot knife, freezing Purple defenders in their shoes. He missed several layups in the game, but I knew he wouldn't miss many more as the game continued. He figured out how to take something off his layups long before Bowling Green ever figured out how to stop him.

I don't understand. When the Purples played and won at Greenwood, they did a fantastic job of containing Anderson. Friday night, it seemed they forgot he was on the court until he was flying past them. I know that Coach D.G. Sherrill told Vic Smith to pack up his locker this week (justifiably so), but Smith is a good defender on the press and near the basket. Greenwood had far too many easy shots against the Bowling Green press. I'm not chastising Coach Sherrill. Instead, I hope Vic Smith realizes what it means to be part of a team.

J.J. Smith returned to Greenwood's lineup in the fourth quarter. I'm sure his ankle was sore, but he brought his team a fresh set of legs down the stretch. He made some important baskets down in the paint. I still can't figure out how this guy takes players down low and scores against them. He's a good player, I know that, but I think defenders in this region need to stand their ground on him and see how many charges they can draw on him.

Greenwood controlled the fourth quarter, and they did what they always do against Bowling Green. They frustrated them. The Purples played desperate and launched more scuds than Saddam Hussein on a drinking binge. The two teams actually played even -- each scoring 13 points -- in the fourth quarter. It gave the Gators a 54-49 victory.

OBSERVATIONS

Post Season Implications: Friday's loss will most likely knock Bowling Green out of any chance of getting the top seed in the 14th District. It's important because the district tournament is played at Greenwood this season, and if the Purps are the two seed, they'll play the Gators in The Swamp later this month. It could mean an early ouster for one of the better teams in the region. Remember Bowling Green is Jenny and Greenwood is Tommy Tutone. "Jenny, I got your number..."

School Spirit: Is it school spirit to chant and sing on an opponent's home court after a victory? I don't know. I'm just asking. Some people might call it "poor sportsmanship."


What the Heck?: Why don't people go to basketball games. Last week, I figured people would be in the rafters at the Purple Palace for Warren Central. This week, I figured the same thing for the Greenwood game. I'm afraid the cancer of television is now killing high school basketball crowds.

Restoration of Pick and Roll Headquarters: I hope my family will be back in our home by the end of the regular season, but it's not looking hopeful. It's hard to do my usual Pick and Roll stuff from a hotel room because I'm not using my "big computer," which is full of links and bookmarks that allows me to come up with information. Plus, most of my time is consumed with issues surrounding the reconstruction of my house.