Sports
6 Ellis County Chronicle Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The view from the press box
Red Oak overcomes odds in run at history
Photo by Gary Puckett/Special to the Chronicle
Taking flight Red Oak coach Preston Foster raises the regional quarterfinal trophy in celebration of his team’s 56-51 win over Midlothian on Monday. The Hawks have advanced to the regional tournament this weekend, starting with Friday’s game against Pinkston.
Hawks ride emotional win over county rival Midlothian to regional tournament By ALEX RILEY Chronicle sports writer
MANSFIELD – As D.J. Brady’s shot fell through the hoop in the opening moments of the second half, there was almost a collective sigh of relief from the Red Oak portion of the gym. After forcing 12 first half turnovers, the boys basketball team had very little to show for facing a 27-24 deficit. So when a turnover directly led to points early on, the Hawks could start to see their fortunes beginning to change. In the end, defensive work and timely shooting helped the team pick up a 56-51 win over Midlothian allowing the team to advance to the regional tournament this weekend. “They played a great first half and we played a flat out terrible first half. We couldn’t make a shot, couldn’t make lay-ups, they were shooting great and for us to still be that close, we knew at halftime that we still played bad but we’re right there, we’ve still got a chance,” coach Preston Foster said. “The second half, thankfully, it turned around. We started getting a few shots and the defense was good.” Numerous first half turnovers resulted in no points as Red Oak (24-9) missed lay-ups and transition buckets creating the early deficit. The Hawks fell behind by as much as nine in the first half as a pass from Trent Morgan to Cameron Lowman went for an easy lay-up and a 20-11 lead. Those numbers began to change as the team went on a 9-0 run capped by a pair of free throws from Jeremiah Gaines that tied the score at 20. But the Panthers’ Eddie Johnson would hit a hook shot for a 22-20 lead that the team would not give up as the first half ended with Midlothian ahead 27-24. While the defense didn’t force as many turnovers in the second half (just four) it did force the Panthers to take ill advised shots that resulted in easy rebounds. Over Midlothian’s first 10 possessions, the team had six misses, a turnover and just seven points as a Brady 3-pointer created a 37-34 Red Oak lead. The two squads traded buckets and leads for the remainder of the third period before a Do-
Photo by Gary Puckett/Special to the Chronicle
Red Oak senior guard Dominique Harris tries to steal a ball away from Midlothian’s Eddie Johnson during Monday’s regional quarterfinals. The Hawks forced 16 turnovers in the game to keep the Panthers off-balance. monique Bonner rebound and putback gave the free throws and capitalizing on misses by the Hawks a 43-42 lead at the end of the period. Hawks. Lowman would hit a shot off the glass The defensive stands finally helped the to make it a four-point game at 55-51 with 1:24 Hawks create some breathing room as fouls by left in the game. Midlothian coupled with misses and rebounds But in the end, the Hawks proved too much as helped Red Oak build on Bonner’s basket with Earl Graves came up with a block and Edwards a 10-0 run that created the needed distance in grabbed a steal with less than 35 seconds left to the game. seal the victory. “That felt good. Finally our defense started With their deepest run into the playoffs in paying off in the end after all our steals and school history, the Hawks are fighting to stay stuff,” senior Gaylon Edwards said. alive and stay in the race for a coveted slot in the While the lead was sizable it was far from safe See HOOPS, Page 7 as the Panthers clawed back into it by hitting
MANSFIELD – Preston Foster couldn’t help but laugh as his assistant coaches talked about the four team regional field. First, there was District 11-4A powers Kimball and Pinkston who have a combined record of 42-13. Then, there’s Lancaster, who rolled District 15-4A with a Alex Riley 32-2 record. Chronicle And then, Sports there’s Red Oak. writer Before the playoffs, some might have called that a great punchline. Even now, Foster cracks a smile. But the reality is when those four teams take the court on Friday, they each have an equal shot of winning two games and advancing to the state tournament. Two games are all that separates the 2009-10 Hawks from the greatest season in the program’s history. No one will argue that this year has been special and might very well be regarded as one of the greatest already. But what would a trip to Austin do for this team’s place in history? When you mention that road trip to the veteran Red Oak coach, his response is simple -“Wouldn’t that be something?” Yes coach, actually it would. The good news for Red Oak is the team is composed of poised young players who respond well to pressure. In the playoffs, the Hawks have rallied back twice from sizable momentum swings to take control and win the game. In the regular season, the team played in some stout tournaments and each time had above .500 showings. When you ask players about their goals for the season, they are fully aware of being the underdog. In fact, it’s a role they embrace. With such little expectation put on them by the outside world, the Hawks have united internally and are ready to take on anyone who stands in their collective path. But for now, these players will focus on preparing for Pinkston and taking the TAKS test this week. Asking them to be mentally and physically ready for both is a tough stretch, but one they should be ready to handle. How does Foster know his team will be ready to handle the pressure this week has to offer? When asked about the vibe in the Red Oak locker room, the veteran coach said he believes the only time he’s ever see more energy was when the program made the playoffs for the first time in more than 50 years, back when he first started. With the way things have gone this season, Foster believes this run might even top that in terms of morale. Spirits are high in the world of Red Oak. And that is no joke. Alex is a sports writer covering Red Oak athletics. Contact him at alex.riley@wninews. com or at 469-517-1456.
Playoff boxscores Bi-district
Area
Regional quarters
Red Oak – 88 Waco High – 69
Red Oak – 62
Red Oak – 56
Marshall – 55
Midlothian – 51
Leading scorers Red Oak: Gaylon Edwards 20, Earl Graves 19, Domonique Bonner 12
Leading scorers Red Oak: Gaylon Edwards 16, Branden Hebert 14, D.J. Brady 10
Leading scorers Midlothian: Eddie Johnson 14, Derrick Agbaroji 11, Blaine Blackburn 10
Waco High: Reshard McCants 15, Dave Simmons 13, Wilson Bridgewater and Michael Coleman 9 Score by period Red Oak: 21 26 16 25 Waco High: 15 17 19 18
Game summary: Pressing defense against forced Waco High into numerous careless passes as the Red Oak defense gets easy transition buckets. In the first half alone, the Hawks forced 16 turnovers to dominate the tempo. Freshman Jeremiah Gaines comes off the bench to score nine as the reserve players pour in 40 points to help key the win.
Game summary: With the usual scoring forces having off nights, junior post Marshall: Booma Dade 16, Matt player Branden Hebert steps Holmes 13, Eddie Allen 12 up with 14 big points early on to keep the Hawks in it as Score by quarter senior D.J. Brady makes his Red Oak: 9 15 20 18 presence known in the final Marshall: 9 14 18 14 minutes. Brady’s seven points in four possessions help key a swing that gives Red Oak a 57-53 lead late.
Red Oak: D.J. Brady and Earl Graves 13, Gaylon Edwards 12, Domonique Bonner 11 Score by period Midlothian: 16 11 15 9 Red Oak: 9 15 21 11
Game summary: Despite getting 12 first half turnovers, the Hawks find themselves in a three-point halftime deficit against their Ellis County rival. That situations turns as the Hawks post points in the second half while Midlothian goes cold. Red Oak hits for a 10-0 run in the fourth to seal the game and move on to the regional tournament.