Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2010 5:30 pm | Updated: 4:14 pm, Thu Jan 14, 2010.
By Peter Adelsen staff writer padelsen@kokomoperspective.com | 0 comments
This may be one of the most balanced Howard County Tournaments in a long time.
The four Howard County schools are separated by only one game from top to bottom in the standings as they prepare to meet at Taylor High School on Friday and Saturday.
“This is about as balanced as it’s been in a long time,” Northwestern coach Jim Gish said. “Who ever wins will have to put their best two nights together and it could come down to which team is hot at that time.”
The defending champion Northwestern High School Tigers (5-3) have found its stride with four consecutive wins after a 1-3 start.
“We went into Christmas break knowing that there was a long season ahead of us,” Gish said. “We had times when we lost our focus to where we wanted to be, but I felt we were really coming together offensively and defensively.”
The Tigers are 0-2 in county play with losses against Western (72-55) and Taylor (55-53). The game against Taylor came down to the final shot as Taylor’s Reomey Northington hit a game-wining basket with a second remaining.
The Western High School Panthers (6-4) are coming off a tough weekend against the Logansport High School Berries and the West Lafayette Red Devils. The Panthers lost to the now 9-1 Berries 80-61 and defeated the now 4-5 Red Devils 54-44.
So far on the season, the Panthers have been unbeaten against its county foes with wins against Northwestern High School (72-55) and Eastern High School (61-55). It has yet to play Taylor.
“What I like about our team is that we are pretty balanced,” Western coach Andy Weaver said. “An opponent cannot key on one or two of our players.”
The Panthers are averaging three players in double-figures scoring. They are Jamal Johnson, Drew Larrick and Matt Reida.
The Eastern High School Comets (5-3) are on a three-game winning streak with wins over Clinton Central High School, conference rival Maconaquah High School and Carroll High School. For the past two games, the Comets pull out the wins in overtime.
The Comets have only played Western in county play losing to them 61-55 early in the season.
The hosts Taylor High School Titans (5-4) are coming into the tournament on a two-game losing streak against with tough losses to conference rival Hamilton Heights High School and Mississinewa High School.
The Titans are 1-0 in county play with a win over Northwestern (55-53) on December 11.
With how evenly matched the teams are it will be a tough tournament.
“Four teams with a winning record and nobody is undefeated,” Weaver said. “It makes it wide open.”
In game one of the tournament, Western plays Taylor at 6 p.m. Friday. Following that game at approximately 7:30 p.m., Eastern plays Northwestern.
On Saturday, the losers of Friday’s games meet at 6 p.m. for the consolation game. Following that game will be the championship between the two winners from Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Other games Friday (7:30 p.m. starts, unless otherwise noted):
New Castle at Kokomo, 6:30 p.m.
Peru at Maconaquah
Lapel at Hamilton Heights
Pioneer at Lewis Cass
Other games Saturday (7:30 p.m. starts, unless otherwise noted):
Carmel at Kokomo, 4:30 p.m.
Hamilton Heights at Western Boone
Logansport at Lewis Cass
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