Athens @ Alexander 2-13

[TroopSports]

This game can be heard live from The Alley on Power 105 and simulcasting on 970 WATH-AM in southeast Ohio.

Tune in online via: mms://132.235.236.177/WXTQ

Game time is 8 p.m., with pre-game coverage slated for 7:45.

Caleb Troop and Brian Boesch will have the call.

sports@wxtq.com

[TroopSports]

Game time is almost here.

Click the link below to listen to the broadcast open for tonight:

www.TroopSports.com/2-13open.mp3

[Sue E. Side]

Any one have the Score?

[sportfolio]

Alexander won the game 77-42 ... Take away the third quarter and it was a close game ... Alex led 37-27 at the half then outscored Athens 27-5 in the third quarter .. Athens was taking good shots but they just wouldn't fall .. Their five points all came in the last minute or so.

[athens78]

Athens needs to work on defense in the off season. They also may want to rethink their offensive strategy.

[vikefan]

Where are all the Athens posters????

[Spartan]

Athens doesn't have that many posters. Maybe when they become the mecca of basketball like McArthur it will pick up.

[g w mclintock]

^^^^^

[highspeed]

This score surprised me a little bit. Has Athens kids quit? Alex is a much better team but not this much better. Quote by Athens 78"Athens needs to rethink their offensive strategy and work on their defense in the offseason". Sounds like a program changer to me. You talking about the coach or the strategy?

[gt13osu]

Athens just went ice cold late in the 2nd and the whole 3rd period. Alex defense was good, but the Bulldogs just couldn't get shots to go down. Something has to go wrong for a team to go on a 31-0 run and it was going all wrong for the Bulldogs friday night. Spartans were up only 29-27 in the 2nd, then about 6 minutes later, it was 60-27. It got ugly in a hurry and we heard nothing from the athens student section the rest of the night.

[athens78]

You pick

[Jumpstop]

a78, why dont you volunteer some time to help the program. I am sure you would be welcome to give your insight.

The kids are working extremely hard. The staff is working extremely hard trying to not only better the individuals, but also the entire team. If ther is something you can input, i am sure coach would be more than happy to listen. I belive they are 8-9 or 10 now in a situation where they have 1 senior giving scoring, and 3 w/ minutes.
I do know this, they could have won some they have lost, but the same is viceversa. When i spoke w/ coach, he has spoken about working w/ system for 3 years to have opportunity to make a run in the tvc. I know only time will tell, but it sure looks like the table is being laid out to do just that.

Tough 3rd qtr and game bulldogs, and congrats on your work.

[athens78]

If he is here 3 years. You never know I guess. Did he coach the same way at Berne Union? If so how long was he there and how successful was it there? I don't know that they ever had any winning seasons. Until they learn to play defense they will not win any TVC titles.

[Jumpstop]

i will tell you this. I would have not wanted to play for any other coach. Here is a guy who is on the verge of 300 wins. He has been to state quarterfinals 2 or 3 times and state semi-finals and he never brings that up. He tries his best to care about making young boys into young men. His life lessons has helped me more thanr any win that we had at Berne Union. We made it to the 3rd round his last year here at Berne Union and the whole time we talked about being successful after high school. When i have had a problem, he is always one of the first people i call to get input. We came as a group of alumni to Athens, to do open gyms..etc. Athens had never seen such a thing. Players that played for a program helping their coach??? what a concept. But we knew what it is about. Their program attends all athletic events they can to promote not ony their program, but support the others. Volleyball, girls basketball, baseball and even started the tailgating for football. Do you see any other of your coaches down there doing that?
So, you can go ahead and complain about this and that, and that program will go ahead keeping his players off this site and trying to what all of his programs have tried to do "create better citizens through sports".

What is truly the purpose of high school athletics?

[CoyDuke]

I've had a chance to travel around and watch a lot of southern ohio basketball this year, and the times that I've seen Athens play I have been impressed with the overall improvement of their program. I find it hard to believe that people are giving their coach a hard time when they seem to be improving each year.

[athens78]

There should be improvement. They moved way down to the TVC. Quality isn't close to the SEOAL. Being a DII school they should have done much better in the league. They have played a lot of these school as non conference game in the past.

[Spartan]

Then answer me this Jumpstop?

If so successful, than why so well-traveled? Also i have heard that most of those wins were coaching girls in states where they play about 50 games per year.

[Jumpstop]

dont know about well travelled but do know a few reasons. Went to Louisiana after he got out of school to be with his parents that moved there and look for a job in a time when everyone was consilidating here. Was successful there and decided it was time to move on. Was there for a while and decided to work his way back home. Found a job in Kentucky and stayed there until his boy came home from school and said something to the sort "we had grandparents day today and i was the only one that didnt have anyone there." He resigned the next day and tried to find something that was close to his home. The only thing at that time was here at Berne Union. It was not a good fit for him, but he told us in 4 years we would make it past the 2nd round and that is what we did. Why wouldn't he take a move up back to a school the size of what he was used to in Athens?

Yes he did coach girls, and i think most of his success is from there when it comes to wins, but i am going back to what should be the purpose? To me i am thankful that it was not just about wins. We tried to do what was the best for the team.

I dont know if it matters how many games played in a season. I do not really care about how many games and am not here to put him on a pedastal. Everyone makes mistakes and know he has as well. Just know that if/when i have a son, I would love for him to be coached by someone that thinks of the person, not of the stat.
Anyway, I am done on this topic. I hope that when i become a parent, i can see that it is what my kid brings home after the games that is the most important. I am not saying that everyone does not want to win. But at the end of the day, I learned much more than just winning. I hope i learned what it takes to be a man.

Good luck to all.

[Spartan]

You're the one that boasted. Only prompted me to ask a couple of legitiment questions as to which you answered with promptness and passion.

Not a good fit at Berne Union? I wonder if he is a good fit at Athens? Jumpstop may be able to answer the first part, but not the second.

IMHO - coaching boys and girls isn't the same thing, shoot, i have over 200 biddy league wins Can I count those?