This is Duerrisms for the Week of March 10, 2008. And at least from a high school basketball standpoint, this usually hectic month has come in like a lamb. There is just not a whole lot of March Madness left out there for us, my friends. Thusly, this will be our last "regular posting" until the Do or Die Basketball Wrap Up Show, which is tentatively set for March 29th from 11:30am-12:30 pm, just in advance of CBS NCAA Tournament Pre Game Coverage. That should provide the basketball junkies out there a full days worth of local and national fun. If time affords, we may or may not get in a little bit of high school baseball/softball here on the site. We should return to our normal Duerrisms Schedule the first week of April, with a Diamond/Track rich posting waiting for you every Friday when you wake up.
Our continued thanks, as always, to our title sponsor: ADVANCE Physical Therapy.
The circumstances by which it happened were a little bittersweet, but the KHQA Message Boards tallied it's 10,000th member over the weekend. Granted, somehow, the whole "Shoe Gate" saga netted us about 300 new users over the weekend; which is not the kind of splash we were hoping to make. Nevertheless, hitting 10 K is a very nice milestone and a testament, we hope, to the better nature of the Boards. Yes, I have probably cursed some of the posts and topics as much as you have over the years. (Maybe more so because some very infuriating and embarrassing offerings have occasionally hit a forum that bears our names. The double edged sword of free speech, I guess) By the same token, the great majority of our posters are thoughtful, intelligent people who use the site as it was intended. It is probably the best chance I have on a daily basis to interact with our viewers and I very much enjoy the debate/discussion/queries. All I ask is that when you post on the boards, you don't write anything anonymously that you would not post with your name attached. That to me, seems a fair standard for board decorum. Outside of that, happy posting.
And, it's that time of year again. The KHQA Viewers Fantasy Baseball League is filling now on Yahoo. If you want to be a part of the fun, the League ID number is 177950 and the password is duerr. See you on the diamond.
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KHQA/ADVANCE Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week
(Application forms must be submitted through your local athletic director or principal. We can provide them with the proper forms if you contact us at crees@khqa.com)
Week Twenty Two Winner: ALYSSA DUFFY, Mendon Unity Basketball/Track and Field
Week Twenty One Winner: RENITA BUNTE, QND Basketball and Softball
Week Twenty Winner: JAMES HURT, Keokuk Football, Basketball and Soccer
Week Nineteen Winner: MISTIE RAE MILLER, North Shelby Softball
Week Eighteen Winner: GARRETT HOWLAND, Pittsfield Basketball/Baseball
Week Seventeen Winner: MATT SNYDER, Illini West Football/Basketball/Baseball
Week Sixteen Winner: SARA FEDLER, Holy Trinity Basketball/Volleyball
Week Fifteen Winner: DEVIN WOMBLES, Pleasant Hill Basketball/Volleyball
Week Fourteen Winner: KELSEY LITTLE, West Central Volleyball/Basketball
Week Thirteen Winner: RYAN HESSE, Van-Far Football/Basketball
Week Twelve Winner: ERIN EALY, Rushville/Industry Track and Field
Week Eleven Winner: JOE ZELLER, Jacksonville Routt Football/Basketball
Week Ten Winner: MARK BAKER, QND Cross Country
Week Nine Winner: JOE GILLIAM, Paris Football/Basketball
Week Eight Winner: SAMANTHA MURFIN, Highland Softball/Basketball
Week Seven Winner: ZACH RODEFFER, Hamilton Golf
Week Six Winner: TAYLOR JOEHL, Concord Triopia Football
Week Five Winner: ERIN MAYES, South Shelby Basketball, Softball
Week Four Winner: JAMES VANDENBERG, Keokuk Football, Basketball
Week Three Winner: LUKE GUTHRIE, Quincy High Golf
Week Two Winner: MATT BUREN, Macomb, Basetball/Basketball
Week One Winner: ASHLEY HINKAMPER, QND Tennis
Overall Past Scholarship Winners:
2006: MIKAL BENCOMO, Clopton (SEMO Basketball)
2007: KATELYN BASTERT, Carthage (Duke University Cross Country)
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BASKETBALL 2008
Random Thoughts from the Playoff Trenches:
1. Based on what we've seen in the postseason, could one not make a very serious and compelling Player of the Year argument for Knox County Power Forward Dennis Dent? First of all, I love the fiery demeanor with which this kid plays. He isn't the same level athlete, but there is a decided Mike Fitch to Dent's play. He is an outstanding rebounder and shot blocker. I was really impressed with how evolved his offense has become. He is clever around the bucket, has a nice mid-range shot, and can even step out and knock down the occasional 20 footer for a triple. There aren't really any other major post threats returning in Northeast Missouri next season, so I would project that Dent's totals will skyrocket next season. We've actually talked about tweaking the Superfan Shootout Schedule to pit Knox County (if we can get their commit) against the twin towers at WNC of Will Carr and Caleb Gray. We will see...
2. If the Missouri Squad does not win the 2009 McDonald/Quincy Herald Whig All Star Basketball Game, it is never going to happen. The Show Me State will go to bat with a lineup featuring Dent, Matt Patterson, Jonathon Nutt, Justin Ellison, Michael Brennan, Josh Mims, Alan Keller, Ryne Brewer, and Kyler Moore at minimum. And if Don O'Brien decides to summon the Royal and Ancient "Mikey Smith Clause" the Missouri squad could add All State Guard Brandon McCann as well. If BK plays, I will take the Show Me State and lay 10 points to anyone who wants the action. No money. I am not condoning betting. But when you lose this one to me, you can mow my lawn for a year. Or I will do same.
3. Per capita, Marion County Basketball fans make more decibel impact than anyone. It was fun watching the Mustang Faithful at Highland on Tuesday, decked out to the nines and turning one little corner of the gym into a roaring hot spot. Quietly, local legend Ryan Wood has wiped the cobwebs off the Mustang Program and has Marion County maximizing its talent once again, as it used to do in the old Matt Kruzich era. (By the way, does anyone know where our old friend Mister Kruzich is these days?) Marion County is losing some very solid senior players, including a pair of really versatile kids in Nathan Meyers and Dakota Bainter, but there are good numbers in the program and strong fundamentals being taught. Now if only the next Ryan Wood could walk through the doorways to play for the "old" Ryan Wood, things could be really special once again in Philadelphia, Missouri.
4. It's nearly impossible to ping radar as sophomore girl any more, with Marley/Karlee/Tori/Anne-Marie/Leigh/Diedra (et al) soaking up all the attention, but South Shelby's "other" Class of 2010 kids are going to be luminous. Everybody knows about Jenna Mueller, but Swingmen Ashley Troyer and Jill Barry are both really nice wing weapons. Both are surprisingly smooth and confident scorers who aren't afraid to step up in big situations. There is a reason Alex Milner and Erin Mayes have so many assists.
5. And on a related note: If my life is on the line and one free throw will save me, Erin Mayes is shooting it. Her postseason Free Throw percentage is right at 91%. She hit 27 of 28 attempts in the District alone. That is an amazing clip at this point in the season. Shooting free throws this time of year is a whole different animal. Nerves kick in and you realize what's on the line. I reiterate before anyone starts etching someone else's name on the award: there is a very compelling Player of the Year argument to be made here. Erin has 111 consecutive career starts under her belt, she gives you Jessica Keller type across the board production every night, she is the best defensive player out of any of our five finalists, and she just happens to have a 32 ACT, the top GPA in her class, and is a young woman of unbelievable character and class. Food for thought.
6. Tragically obscured by all the other stuff last week was the fact that Tad Luebbehusen played the game of his life in Highland's Overtime win over South Shelby in the District Title Game. Seventeen Points. Seventeen rebounds. That kids, is quality work. He and Paul Power also ate up the interior of Lutheran North's defense on Saturday, albeit in a losing cause.
7. Clopton is going back to Columbia for the sixth straight year. If my research is correct, only Northeast Nodaway's run of seven consecutive Final Four appearances between 1973 and 1979 tops that Dynastic run. And after Saturday, I am pushing to rename the Farmington Civic Center something akin to "Samantha Yates Arena" for the unbelievable offensive outings she has produced in that building. The Delightful Miss Yates (which we coined her last year because she is such a cheerful and fun interview) hit for 29 against Nayler on Saturday. And Deaven Omohundro, whose complete stats we did not see, may have doled out as many as 15 assists according to our Tyler Fulghum. I mentioned Jessica Keller earlier in this posting. Phenomenal talent grossly under-scouted and under-recruited because she played in a tiny school at Belle, Missouri. Well, Omohundro is also on the verge of another All State nod and is headed back to Mizzou Arena, where she dropped a triple-double in the third place game last season.
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JUST ONE GUY'S OPINION: C-SC BASKETBALL COACHING EXODUS
One Institution of Higher Learning. One Press Release. Two Basketball Coaching Resignations.
In my eighteen years of covering college athletics, split between Jeff City and Quincy, I have never before encountered a situation quite like that which now faces Culver Stockton. Both Brad Hoyt and Dan Chapla surrendered their positions as the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats skippers on Thursday. Both left C-SC with nothing but positive things to say about their experiences. Both insisted the timing of their departures was merely "coincidence." I know both Brad and Dan to be men of honor and I believe that to be the case. By the same token, both gentlemen faced significant, largely unspoken frustrations in trying to elevate their programs. There also exists the very real possibility that those past problems will be compounded exponentially in the future. Thusly, Culver has a pair of Vacancy signs on its basketball programs.
They may not be easy to fill. Not at what is becoming, for both good and bad, "the Northwestern of the HAAC."
For starters, Culver Stockton is not a particularly "easy" coaching gig. There are significant academic standards that other schools in the HAAC don't face. Intrinsically, that speaks very well of Culver Stockton's mission to deliver a top notch education. By the same token, it also compartmentalizes the potential recruiting pool for athletics. I am not suggesting that Athletics should in any way compromise those standards. Merely pointing out, as someone whose job it is to cover sports, that realistically speaking, it is a hurdle that coaches must clear. It was an absolute fight for Dan Chapla to get one of his better players to the academic threshold of being able to suit up this season. She would not have had the hint of an issue at nearly any other school in the Heart of America Conference.
Canton, Missouri is not the easiest recruiting lure because it isn't a big city campus with big city offerings. The pie grows smaller. Culver is, positively, an institution that prides itself on offering a Disciples of Christ Affiliated Community for its students. For a small cross section of potential athletes, that too may be a fantastic draw. But again, like any other enterprise catering to a niche, you also alienate certain recruiting bases that may not want a situation that specific. For reasons right and wrong, then, it is probably "easier" to be an athlete at Lindenwood (especially with the palace like facilities now present in St Charles) Simply put, Culver Coaches also face a harder sell in getting in competitive talent. They are forced to court a specific type of student/athlete, for which there is already incredible competition. You've got Central Methodist, Hannibal-LaGrange, the increasingly aggressive Illinois College contingent, and Iowa Wesleyan, with its reputation for powerhouse programs, among others already trying to cherry pick the student/athletes Culver would covet. Geography doesn't help either. The very best players who might slip off bigger school radar or want to stay close to home are being siphoned off the top of the pool by Quincy University and Truman State. From a basketball talent standpoint, the smaller schools have to fight for the rest. C-SC's leavings are, as mentioned, very specific.
To make matters even more complicated, the Heart of America Conference is jumping from NAIA Division Two competition to NAIA Division One next year, according to the Kansas City Star, The problem with that scenario is that while the other schools in the HAAC making that move will increase their athletic endowments (to I believe seven full basketball scholarships) to players, accordingly; our sources indicate that Culver Stockton may well try to fight that battle with its current level of scholar/athlete endowment,That proved the breaking point for both Hoyt and Chapla, according to a consensus of other area basketball coaches in the area I talked with this week. Those of you who might remember Quincy University's ill fated attempts to play a Division Two Football slate with limited scholarships can attest that "playing hamstrung" isn't an ideal way to be competitive. You create one more set of hurdles for yourself that you don't need as coach. Your bench is shorter. Your talent poll more shallow. Neither Brad Hoyt nor Dan Chapla would even talk to us about those type restrictions, but both of those gentleman are competitive, hard working gents who want to win. I would fathom in both cases that both coaches just could not justify fighting that even harder uphill battle. Their departures will not be the first or the last. See also Doug Bletcher, arguably the most successful coach to have stepped foot on campus in the last two decades. You can find the former C-SC Baseball coach now working at the competition.
Culver Stockton is a proud academic institution and it's mission first and foremost is to deliver a quality education. There is a serious mission statement at play, to that end, and that is to be commended. Culver does not shortcut the education it gives its students. And trust me when I tell you this, but that is a source of pride not only to the "Academics" walking the halls on The Hill, but to the coaches as well.
Why, then, as an institution do you handcuff your coaches and your reputation by undercutting two of your most visible, viable programs from the get-go?
Is it a question of fiscal priorities in this strained economy? Understandable, but if so, cut sports altogether. Better to not be in the business of athletics, then to try and do it cutting corners. To paraphrase the venerable Pat Morita from the "The Karate Kid," either you offer College Athletics, yes, or you don't. If you try offering college athletics "maybe" you get squished like a grape.
Better yet, consider a move out of the Heart of America Conference and remain at the NAIA Division Two level where your budget is commensurate with every other team you play. Breaking with tradition and rescheduling may be short term issues, but at least you offer your students a level playing field.
Herein lies the double-edged sword for all involved at Culver Stockton. Athletics do still attract students to campus. Media attention as well. There is still a proud alumni that support the institution through, and because of, it's academic programs. I believe there are also pockets of strong support for Athletics within the Administration as well. The refurbished Track and Field Program and phenomenal facility going in at Ellison Poulton Stadium are evidence of such. By the same token, when your basketball programs are 3-23 and dead last in the conference, pointing out to the all weather track isn't going to buy you any reprieve. It's an untenable defense. Alumni don't gather around the water cooler to talk about how great your Pole Vaulters are. They care about "the money sports" and basketball, within this crazed little corner of the world, is more money then most. Whether the administration at Culver Stockton realizes it or not, bad basketball is bad for the school's bottom line. Alumni "support" best flows when people feel good about their school. Athletics can be a wonderful public relations tool, if done right, and enhance the overall standing of your institution. Here's hoping that C-SC gives its next generation of coaches that chance to help not only themselves, but the entire Culver Community.
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RANDOM MUSINGS
Thanks to an injury to Power Forward David West, Fort Madison Product Ryan Bowen has stepped into the New Orleans Hornets Starting Lineup the last two games. He had three rebounds and no points in his first start of the year against New Jersey. On Friday, he scored a season high nine points.
KHQA confirmed this week that Bowling Green Sophomore Center Anne-Marie Hartung is already entertaining significant recruiting interest from both Saint Louis and Missouri. Both of Anne-Marie's parents were athletes at Mizzou and there has already been some initial effort by both schools to project the 6'4" pivot into their programs. Anne-Marie has also attended a Camp at the University of Tennessee, and has been invited back next season. She also made an unofficial visit to Knoxville earlier this year, which would be her dream landing spot. We will keep you updated.
In the best individual pairing of the 2009 KHQA/Subway Superfan Shootout, Hartung will go heads-up with another outstanding junior to be in West Hancock's Marley Hall. The Lady Titan All Stater has not yet received a Division One Scholarship offer, but is garnering plenty of attention in her own right with Wisconsin and Saint Louis the most active wooers to date. Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and several other smaller DI schools have also expressed interest in the exceptionally athletic pivot. That high wattage pairing in the paint alone should be worth the price of admission and bring out the crowds early.
Jacksonville Routt's Melissa Nichols has been named the Jacksonville Journal Courier Basketball Player of the Year.
The first of the major high school football vacancies is now filled. Todd McGhghy, former Central-Southeastern and Iowa Wesleyan skipper, is back in the game after obtaining his Masters Degree, landing at Fort Madison. Without mincing words, the Bloodhound Program has fallen a long way. That does not sit well with new Athletic Director Brent Buttjer, who impresses me as a guy who is really driven to excel at his job. Thus, you get a splashy "name" hire with a guy who has Division One Assistant Experience and a head college coaching gig on his resume. And as if to send a message that a new era had begun, Buttjer engineered a school-wide assembly to introduce McGhghy, complete with marching band, to introduce McGhghy. Nice touch. For this particular scenario, Todd is a really nice fit. If anything during his career, McGhghy has shown a real proficiency for quickly making dead programs quickly viable. I would suspect Fort Madison will win a few games next year and be among the most improved programs in our area, if no more than on the sheer force of Todd's will. He will quickly knock the cobwebs off his kids, the fan base, and the tradition. The product will be more entertaining. Todd's challenge as a coach, is to prove he can push a program beyond that first impressive initial step. His body of work at both CSE (took a promotion after one year) and Iowa Wesleyan (released after ugly divorce with Schools Administration) was too short for anyone to project his impact beyond that. If he had stayed at CSE and turned the Panthers into a perennial playoff contender, I don't think a Fort Madison could ever have gotten him. And for Todd's part, I think there is a great personal, driving desire for him to stay rooted in a program and finish the job, just to prove he can. If it works, this might end up being the smartest area hire since Mark Grounds or Tom Little. If Fort Madison resists McGhghy's Passion and Energy, then it might end badly. Todd doesn't tolerate laziness or apathy, period, and there was too much of that within the program the last few years. It is a case of adding energy to a stagnant situation and that is always a roll of the dice. By the same token, kudos to Brent Buttjer for being bold enough to make that play.
Considering how well the Ryan Watson hire has worked out at Paris, its easy to understand why there is some coaching buzz developing around another former Monroe City Quarterback. Quincy High Assistant and former Dale Labuary signal caller Brian Lewton is a name I am hearing kicked around some in conjunction with both the CSE and Unity/Payson vacancies. Nate Sibbing, a finalist at QHS when Randy Dickens resigned, is also on radar.
Highland State Champion Sprinter Josie McCracken is signing a National Letter of Intent to continue her Track and Field Career at Pittsburg State. McCracken is the 2006 Class 2 Champ in both the 100 and 200 meter events, but could not defend as a junior due to injury issues.
Look, I am incredibly biased on this one and try to stay incredibly A-Political, but the hire of Lonny Lemon as Quincy Superintendent of Schools is a huge win for my kids and kids in this community. I have known Lonny since his coaching days at QND and have long considered him a true man of character. QND Principal Ray Heilmann, who I respect as much as anyone I've ever met in the Education Business, has nothing but the most glowing praise of his former protege. The man has a tireless work ethic and limitless dedication to his job, which is why he has successfully executed duties ranging from coach to principal (at Pittsfield) to Superintendent (Pawnee) As a taxpayer, I am thrilled to see this hire.
