Local
basketball teams hit the
prep hoops Lotto Tuesday night
BY ED WRIGHT
Jan. 20, 2010, 2:45
p.m.
As I typed away at my laptop late Tuesday night and into Wednesday
morning, one thought kept creeping through my mind: Wow, is David Letterman looking old these
days!
Seriously, although Dave is aging rapidly, the topic dominating
my thought process was this: There
is some seriously good basketball being played around these parts these
days!
On Tuesday night, the six PCEP teams actually hit the prep hoops
lottery by going six-for-six in the win column. My memory isn't what it
used to be, but I can't remember this ever happening before.
While the feat is impressive, it is far from surprising given
the talent base the local programs have been dealt.
For instance, you haven't lived until you've seen Canton junior
point guard Dietrich Lever drop a blink-of-an-eye cross-over dribble on
his defender, dart to
the
rim and execute an out-of-this-world double scoop shot on an unprepared
6-foot-7 kid who thinks he
is going to smack Dietrich's shot into the 10th row of the bleachers as
the ball settles softly into the twine.
If Dietrich doesn't play college basketball, which I'm certain
he will, I think the Globetrotters should give him a look.
And if you didn't know any better, after watching Salem's boys
basketball team play for a quarter, you'd swear its roster is stocked
with three-year senior starters -- not one senior, a bunch of
first-year juniors, a couple of sophomores and two freshmen.
Talk about poise beyond their years.
If you love defense, you'll get a kick out of Canton's girls
squad, which is currently 9-1 and ranked third in the state in Division
1; and Plymouth's boys team, which is making a habit out of holding
opponents to less than 40 points, an amazing feat in this era of
up-tempo basketball.
I don't know if I've ever seen a more cohesive,
all-for-one-one-for-all basketball team than the Canton girls. They
make
the Three Musketeers look out of sync.
The Plymouth boys team is already taking on the personality of
first-year coach Mike Soukup, an enthusiastic, defense-first mentor who
has a positive intensity about him.
Teams seem to come down with the "Twine" flu when they play the
Chiefs girls and Wildcats boys, who make scoring against them an
adventure.
Possibly the hottest team at the Park is Salem's girls team,
which has strung together four consecutive impressive victories to earn
the "Team to Beat" label in the always-tough KLAA Central.
Rock senior Sara Stone has as much skill as any player in the
area and she doesn't force the issue when she faces double-teams night
after night. Fellow senior Brett de Bear is also having a stellar
season, playing incredible defense while knocking down clutch triples
with regularity.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Plymouth's girls team,
which may not have the best record at the Park, but it probably has the
biggest upside when it comes to down-the-road potential. Several
underclassmen join four-year standout Stacey Klonowski in the Wildcats'
rotation, which is potent enough to beat most teams in the area when it
is clicking on all cylinders.
While all six teams are blessed with talent, heart, amazing
coaches and a million intangibles, there's one thing they're missing:
the fan support they deserve.
Yes, all of the players' parents and siblings attend the games
and there have been some impressive student sections at select games.
But overall, the product these teams are putting on the court deserves
more attention from the general public.
When you get a minute, check out the comprehensive schedule
posted on PlymouthCantonSports.com and find a game that fits into your
schedule (It won't hurt to miss one episode of American Idol).
Check out a few games this winter. You won't be disappointed.
Ed Wright
can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.
ED WRIGHT COLUMN
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