The SCOL boys basketball champion is anyone's guess
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
As the basketball season enters February, it is easy see why coaches, players and fans of South Central Ohio League boys basketball are on the edge of their seats, while being on pins and needles.
This is the time of year with all the rain in the area when those who are superstitious want to avoid having an umbrella open indoors, and they should probably also stay away from black cats crossing their path, breaking a mirror or even stepping on a sidewalk crack.
Can someone get these teams a lucky rabbit's foot?
For the second consecutive season, the race to the league championship has taken a major twist thanks to the Miami Trace Panthers, as they have now swept the regular-season series with the Hillsboro Indians, while in the process bunching up the league standings.
Remember last season, the Panthers and Indians were co-league champions, with Hillsboro winning the title in the final league game (a win against London) after MT lost their two final league games (to McClain and Washington), opening the door for the Indians.
If you enjoyed that … well, here is the sequel.
The path to the league championship could be traveling in a different direction, but the great part about this trip is the final destination is unknown.
At first, it looked like the season was smooth sailing for the Indians (7-2) with a two-game lead in the league, but the loss to the Panthers on Tuesday, added with a Clinton-Massie (6-3) win the same night, put the Falcons one game back in the standings after nine games.
[[In-content Ad]]My GPS can't even predict the correct route to the SCOL championship at this point.
With as many different directions the league has taken this season, all it would say is "recalculating directions."
When the year began, I said aloud that the Indians would repeat as league champions, and I still believe that, but the league is tougher than I initially thought it was going to be, but that's why I watch the sport and not play it.
Either way, whomever the eventual champion will be, it isn't because it was easy, that is for sure.
Before Friday (Feb. 3), the current SCOL boys basketball standings read as …
Team L O
Hillsboro 7-2 11-4
Clinton-Massie 6-3 9-5
Miami Trace 5-4 7-7
Washington 4-4 7-8
Madison-Plains 4-5 7-9
London 3-7 4-12
McClain 2-6 5-10
Now, let's take a look at the remaining SCOL games on the slate for each team …
Hillsboro — Feb. 3 at Madison-Plains, Feb. 4 at McClain, Feb. 17 vs. Clinton-Massie.
Clinton-Massie — Feb. 3 at London, Feb. 10 vs. Miami Trace, Feb. 17 at Hillsboro.
Miami Trace — Feb. 10 at Clinton-Massie, Feb. 17 vs. McClain, Feb. 18 vs. Washington.
Washington — Feb. 3 vs. McClain, Feb. 7 at Madison-Plains, Feb. 10 at London, Feb. 18 at Miami Trace.
Madison-Plains — Feb. 3 vs. Hillsboro, Feb. 7 vs. Washington, Feb. 10 at McClain.
London — Feb. 3 vs. Clinton-Massie, Feb. 10 vs. Washington.
McClain — Feb. 3 at Washington, Feb. 4 vs. Hillsboro, Feb. 10 vs. Madison-Plains, Feb. 17 at Miami Trace.
With all that out of the way … let's take a closer look at some numbers of the SCOL's first- and second-place teams. (All numbers are just in SCOL games this season.)
The Indians, in first place by one game, have scored 531 points (59 ppg) in nine league games, while allowing 484 (54 ppg) as they, as of this writing, are 7-2 in the league with both losses coming to MT.
At home, HHS has scored 291 points or 58.2 ppg in five games. On the road, the Tribe has scored 240 points (60 ppg). In home games, the Indians don't allow many points to their SCOL opponents (242) at 48.4 ppg in five games, and on the road, they have given up the same number of points (242, 60.5 ppg) in four away games.
HHS, with that 60.5 ppg away game allowed average, will be back on the road for two straight games at MP and MHS this weekend, so to say these games are intriguing is an understatement.
Now for the second-place Falcons out of Clarksville.
What stands out to me right off is in CM's past three league games, they have held their opponent (McClain, Washington, Madison-Plains) to under 50 points in each of those games … and at this time of year, that is a big deal. Compare that to HHS, as the Indians in their past three league games (Washington, London, Miami Trace) have allowed 54, 60 and 55 where they have gone 2-1, winning by a total margin of eight points.
Here are the SCOL numbers of the Falcons: 489 (54.3 ppg) total points allowed (nine games), 507 (56.3 ppg) total points scored, 286 (57.2 ppg) home points scored (five games), 251 (50.2 ppg) home points allowed, 221 (55.3 ppg) road points scored (four games) and 238 (59.5 ppg) road points allowed.
I've singled out these two teams because they do sit atop the league standings, and let's say hypothetically HHS and CM have the same results in their next two SCOL games … win or loss … do you realize what that sets up on Friday, Feb. 17 at Hillsboro High School?
If you guessed a winner-take-all game for the SCOL crown, you would be correct.
I know I'm getting a bit far ahead of myself, but that is just one storyline.
Don't count out MT and WCH either, as they trail the Indians by just two games and CM by one in the standings.
WCH is 4-4, and MT is 5-4, so again, it is smart money to keep those two teams in mind as well. Don't forget, the Panthers and Blue Lions play each other on Saturday, Feb. 18 in a makeup game, so if a couple game results go the way of either Fayette County team … that could set up an interesting scenario come the weekend of Feb. 17-18.
Don't forget about MP, LHS or McClain either … they could be the heartbreakers of this entire league. These teams don't make it easy on their opponents. Look at the results, and I'll prove it to you.
MHS has a win over the Panthers, London has taken HHS to the ropes on two occasions and MP has a win over the Falcons … giving us the current standings situation we have.
I've been told the Red Raiders don't play like a team with four wins. I've seen MP this season, and they have some very good athletes, and the Tiger defense is always tough. Add that defense when their offense is able to score points ... that makes their trademark defense even more dangerous.
Nothing is never easy when it comes to the SCOL standings this 2011-12 season, and that's what makes this league "must-see" as the season dwindles down and the postseason nears.
May the best team win.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.
This is the time of year with all the rain in the area when those who are superstitious want to avoid having an umbrella open indoors, and they should probably also stay away from black cats crossing their path, breaking a mirror or even stepping on a sidewalk crack.
Can someone get these teams a lucky rabbit's foot?
For the second consecutive season, the race to the league championship has taken a major twist thanks to the Miami Trace Panthers, as they have now swept the regular-season series with the Hillsboro Indians, while in the process bunching up the league standings.
Remember last season, the Panthers and Indians were co-league champions, with Hillsboro winning the title in the final league game (a win against London) after MT lost their two final league games (to McClain and Washington), opening the door for the Indians.
If you enjoyed that … well, here is the sequel.
The path to the league championship could be traveling in a different direction, but the great part about this trip is the final destination is unknown.
At first, it looked like the season was smooth sailing for the Indians (7-2) with a two-game lead in the league, but the loss to the Panthers on Tuesday, added with a Clinton-Massie (6-3) win the same night, put the Falcons one game back in the standings after nine games.
[[In-content Ad]]My GPS can't even predict the correct route to the SCOL championship at this point.
With as many different directions the league has taken this season, all it would say is "recalculating directions."
When the year began, I said aloud that the Indians would repeat as league champions, and I still believe that, but the league is tougher than I initially thought it was going to be, but that's why I watch the sport and not play it.
Either way, whomever the eventual champion will be, it isn't because it was easy, that is for sure.
Before Friday (Feb. 3), the current SCOL boys basketball standings read as …
Team L O
Hillsboro 7-2 11-4
Clinton-Massie 6-3 9-5
Miami Trace 5-4 7-7
Washington 4-4 7-8
Madison-Plains 4-5 7-9
London 3-7 4-12
McClain 2-6 5-10
Now, let's take a look at the remaining SCOL games on the slate for each team …
Hillsboro — Feb. 3 at Madison-Plains, Feb. 4 at McClain, Feb. 17 vs. Clinton-Massie.
Clinton-Massie — Feb. 3 at London, Feb. 10 vs. Miami Trace, Feb. 17 at Hillsboro.
Miami Trace — Feb. 10 at Clinton-Massie, Feb. 17 vs. McClain, Feb. 18 vs. Washington.
Washington — Feb. 3 vs. McClain, Feb. 7 at Madison-Plains, Feb. 10 at London, Feb. 18 at Miami Trace.
Madison-Plains — Feb. 3 vs. Hillsboro, Feb. 7 vs. Washington, Feb. 10 at McClain.
London — Feb. 3 vs. Clinton-Massie, Feb. 10 vs. Washington.
McClain — Feb. 3 at Washington, Feb. 4 vs. Hillsboro, Feb. 10 vs. Madison-Plains, Feb. 17 at Miami Trace.
With all that out of the way … let's take a closer look at some numbers of the SCOL's first- and second-place teams. (All numbers are just in SCOL games this season.)
The Indians, in first place by one game, have scored 531 points (59 ppg) in nine league games, while allowing 484 (54 ppg) as they, as of this writing, are 7-2 in the league with both losses coming to MT.
At home, HHS has scored 291 points or 58.2 ppg in five games. On the road, the Tribe has scored 240 points (60 ppg). In home games, the Indians don't allow many points to their SCOL opponents (242) at 48.4 ppg in five games, and on the road, they have given up the same number of points (242, 60.5 ppg) in four away games.
HHS, with that 60.5 ppg away game allowed average, will be back on the road for two straight games at MP and MHS this weekend, so to say these games are intriguing is an understatement.
Now for the second-place Falcons out of Clarksville.
What stands out to me right off is in CM's past three league games, they have held their opponent (McClain, Washington, Madison-Plains) to under 50 points in each of those games … and at this time of year, that is a big deal. Compare that to HHS, as the Indians in their past three league games (Washington, London, Miami Trace) have allowed 54, 60 and 55 where they have gone 2-1, winning by a total margin of eight points.
Here are the SCOL numbers of the Falcons: 489 (54.3 ppg) total points allowed (nine games), 507 (56.3 ppg) total points scored, 286 (57.2 ppg) home points scored (five games), 251 (50.2 ppg) home points allowed, 221 (55.3 ppg) road points scored (four games) and 238 (59.5 ppg) road points allowed.
I've singled out these two teams because they do sit atop the league standings, and let's say hypothetically HHS and CM have the same results in their next two SCOL games … win or loss … do you realize what that sets up on Friday, Feb. 17 at Hillsboro High School?
If you guessed a winner-take-all game for the SCOL crown, you would be correct.
I know I'm getting a bit far ahead of myself, but that is just one storyline.
Don't count out MT and WCH either, as they trail the Indians by just two games and CM by one in the standings.
WCH is 4-4, and MT is 5-4, so again, it is smart money to keep those two teams in mind as well. Don't forget, the Panthers and Blue Lions play each other on Saturday, Feb. 18 in a makeup game, so if a couple game results go the way of either Fayette County team … that could set up an interesting scenario come the weekend of Feb. 17-18.
Don't forget about MP, LHS or McClain either … they could be the heartbreakers of this entire league. These teams don't make it easy on their opponents. Look at the results, and I'll prove it to you.
MHS has a win over the Panthers, London has taken HHS to the ropes on two occasions and MP has a win over the Falcons … giving us the current standings situation we have.
I've been told the Red Raiders don't play like a team with four wins. I've seen MP this season, and they have some very good athletes, and the Tiger defense is always tough. Add that defense when their offense is able to score points ... that makes their trademark defense even more dangerous.
Nothing is never easy when it comes to the SCOL standings this 2011-12 season, and that's what makes this league "must-see" as the season dwindles down and the postseason nears.
May the best team win.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.