December 30, 2008

 

The Night before New Year’s Eve

 

‘Twas the night before New Years Eve, when the Knights visited the Aves’ House,

    The Knight Fans were out in full force while the Ave Fans were as quiet as a mouse;

 

Strategy was drawn up with the upmost of care,

     In hopes that a Knight victory would be something we’d soon share;

 

The players were ready as they came out in uniforms of red,

     While visions of a second victory danced in their head;

 

The Aves wasted no time as they scored on their first seven trips down the floor,

      Field Goals by Burlecamp and Olds allowed the Knights to trail only 18 to 4;

             

            Michael’s four points was the only offense the visitors could muster;

                   Suddenly the Second Quarter was reminding us of General Custer;

 

            Although the defense was able to hold the home team to 8;

                  We just had to hope that it was not too late;

 

            Twenty-four to eight was our halftime score,

This will be the basis of fables and lore,  

                  

            The announcer insisted that the concession stand was open all night,

                   But after what we had just witnessed, how could anyone have an appetite?

 

            The Knights poured in fifteen in the third quarter somehow,

Everyone realized it was finally a game and they couldn’t leave just now;

 

            Buckets by Biz and Murph brought life back into the crowd,

                        We only trailed by ten, at 17 – 27, the fans shouted out loud;

 

            A put back by Andrew and Michael’s two along with a trey;

                        Provided a deficit of only eight as the home team looked on with dismay;

           

            The final quarter was just about to begin,

                        As Knight Fans texted their friends and kin;

 

            Tyler’s three followed by Phil’s buckets from the field and the line,

Brought the Knights to within seven as the clocked ticked past 5:09

 

            Howell contributed three the old fashioned way;

                        The Knights were only down 6 with just 4 minutes to play;

 

            Derrick stole the ball and glided down the floor,

                        His bucket brought the Knights to within four;

 

            A questionable call on an NBA-like travel caused Knight Fans to wail,

                        And provided the coffin with a hammer and nail;

 

            Two Aviators contributed breakaway lay-ups as the game was on the line,

                        With just over a minute to play, they now went up by nine;

 

            When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,

                        But a field goal by Fox and Smyth’s trey should appear;

 

            With only two team fouls at this point in the contest;

                        Coach Stevens said we must foul and keep trying our best;

 

            The Knights sprung from their bench, to foul like a thistle;

                        The referees then decided to swallow their whistle;

 

            Finally enough fouls were made to send an Ave to the line;

                        The fact that he missed it made us all feel just fine;

 

            Seventeen seconds remained on the clock we could all now see,

Smyth would drain a triple to bring the Knights to within three;

 

            Suddenly a little contact gave an Aviator another foul shot;

                        He only made one and we said, “Thanks a lot!”

 

            The Knights took a three in hopes of a make and a foul,

                        Not on this night as the Aves let out a howl;

 

            After trailing 18-4 we told our young men;

                        We won the rest of the game by ten;

 

            However, basketball isn’t like hockey with 3 periods of play;

                        Four quarters determine the winner, in basketball, the rule book does say;

 

            The Knights finish the year with a record of one and six in 2008,

                        A win over Wilmington will start the New Year out just great;

 

The Knights were left to reflect on this as the bus drove out of sight,

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night.

                         

               —————————————————————————————————-     

 

Michael Olds led the Knights with 10. Tyler Smyth tossed in 9. Spencer Berlecamp nailed 7. Phil Fox dropped in 6. Brian Howell sank 3. Andrew Winebrenner and Derrick Harris each had two to round out the Knight scoring. The Knights finished 5 for 7 (71%) from the Charity Stripe while the Aviators were burying 7 of their 14 (50%) attempts. Brett Simek tallied 23 for the home team including 8 in the opening quarter. The Aviators came away with a 47-43 victory. The Knights (1-6, 11) will return to action next Tuesday when they host the Hurricane of Wilmington in a FAVC Cardinal Division matchup. Tip off is at 7:30 PM. Go Knights!

 

- Scooter Knight

December 27, 2008

 

Comets Need Overtime to Push by the Knights

           

In a week that included sub-zero wind chill and an ice storm that cancelled the Colerain game the Knights finished it with a jump over the proverbial backyard fence, in 70-degree weather, to take on the Comets Saturday evening. The Knight – Comet clash finished off a long day of basketball at the Mason Arena as women’s and men’s freshmen, junior varsity and varsity squads faced off. A large crowd, including the infamous Mason Student Section, aka “The Black Hole”, greeted both teams as they entered the arena.  The Comets began the game with a 3-0 record and #5 ranking in the Enquirer’s Division I Coaches Poll.

 

The Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead, with 8:00 still remaining on the clock, when Tyler Smyth knocked down a foul shot for a Technical Foul that was assessed on the home team. The Comets then ran off 10 straight points before Matt Rumelhart nailed the Knight’s first field goal at the 3 minute mark. Chris Burton’s trey and a bucket from Zac Murphy allowed the Knights to claw to within six at the end of the quarter, 8-14. The Black Hole opened the 2^nd quarter with a taunting chant, “Why So Quiet?” towards the Kings Student Body. However, it would be the Mason Students that would spend most of that quarter quietly watching the Knights dismantle the home team.

 

Tyler Smyth and Spencer Burlekamp opened the quarter with field goals to close the gap to three. Mason responded by tossing in a field goal and free throw, but Michael Olds, who had just entered the contest, drained a long distance dedication to bring the Knights right back to within three. Olds and Brian Howell would provide strong defense on the Comet guards during this time span while Phil Fox and Chip Barkett were solidly defending the interior. Derrick Harris’ three field goals brought the visitors to within one, at 22-23, with just over a minute to play.  Berlekamp’s field goal at the buzzer, from the corner located right in front of the Comet bench and their student section, brought Knight Fans to their collective feet as the team in red ran off the court with a 24-23 half-time lead. This also left the Knight Student Section asking their friends from Mason, “Why So Quiet?”

 

During half-time, over 30 former Mason basketball players were introduced to the crowd. One special introduction was for a 1940 graduate. One can only imagine how many great basketball games, between Mason and Deerfield Union – which would later become Kings, have these players participated in and witnessed?

 

Kings opened the third quarter with the ball and didn’t take long to light up the visitor’s side of the scoreboard as Chris Burton and Andrew Winebrenner nailed field goals that pushed the Knights out to a 5 point lead, at 28-23. When the Comets immediately turned over the ball, Mason quickly took a time-out. Coming out of the timeout, Chris Burton scored on a nice out-of-bounds play and the Knights were up 30-23. However, the Knights would be held scoreless over the next 2 – ½ minutes as the Comets went on a 7-0 run to tie it at 30 with two minutes remaining. Derrick Harris’ field goal gave the lead back to the Knights. Mason’s Zach Brown stole the ball and drove to the Mason goal. He was met on the way up by Derrick who pinned the ball against the blackboard. It looked like a clean block to all of the Knight faithful, but in the zebra’s judgment a foul was committed. Brown sank one of his two free throws and the Knights went to the bench with a narrow 32-31 lead.

 

The Comets opened the quarter with a bucket and as the two teams transitioned down to the Knight end of the floor, Mason’s Post Player Rashee Billings and King’s Post Player Andrew Winebrenner engaged in a few elbows to each other’s faces. Billings ended up on the floor and the tone was set for the remainder of the evening. Chris Burton’s free throw would tie the game again at 33. Matt Rumelhart’s field goal knotted the game at 35 and then Chris Burton’s two free throws again tied the score at 37 with just over 2 minutes remaining. A Comet free throw gave them a one-point lead at the 1:33 mark. Zach Brown’s 5^th foul came with just 6.5 seconds showing on the clock and sent Derrick to the line where he sank the second one to tie the game at 38. Mason missed their final shot and the game would be settled in overtime, which only seemed appropriate for a Kings – Mason contest.

 

As 4 more minutes were place on the scoreboard some Mason Fans unexplainably began to leave the Mason Arena. Kings won the first and only jump ball of the game. Andrew Winebrenner dropped in a bucket on a nice post move off the block and the Knights were ahead 40-38. The Comets scored three the old fashioned way, but Chris Burton answered with a long distance three and the Knights were up by two. Another Comet bucket tied the score at 43 with just 130 ticks left on the clock. A turnover by the Knights led to a Comet bucket and a 45-43 lead. Another turnover gave the Comets the ball right back, but a foul by the Knights and a resulting missed free throw on the front end of a one-and-one gave the Knights a chance with 45-seconds remaining. Chris Burton was fouled on a 3-point shot and sank one of his three opportunities from the Charity Stripe. Another Knight foul sent Mason right back to the line for two shots, as a result of being in the double-bonus, and they sank them both. Still the Knights had a last chance with 19 seconds remaining but a loose ball that that resulted in a Knight Foul gave the Comets one more point from the line and a 48-44 victory.

 

Chris Burton led the Knights with 14. Derrick Harris tossed in 9. Spencer Berlekamp, Tyler Smyth, Andrew Winebrenner and Matt Rumelhart each contributed 4. Michael Olds nailed 3 and Zac Murphy rounded out the scoring with 2. The Knights finished 5 for 11 (45%) from the Charity Stripe. The Knights were successful on 6 of their three point attempts, while connecting on 11 field goals from inside the arc. The Comets were led by Rashee Billings with 11. Zach Brown, who entered the game averaging nearly 16 points per game, was held to 9 by the Knight Defense. The home team finished 11 for 18 (61%) from the charity stripe. The Comets connect on only two attempts from behind the arc, but found success on 16 of their attempts inside.

 

The Knights (1-5) will continue their swing through the Great Miami Conference with a visit to Sycamore to face the Aviators on Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM.   Go Knights!

 

-Scooter Knight  

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 27, 2008

 

           

In a week that included sub-zero wind chill and an ice storm that cancelled the Colerain game the Knights finished it with a jump over the proverbial backyard fence, in 70-degree weather, to take on the Comets Saturday evening. The Knight – Comet clash finished off a long day of basketball at the Mason Arena as women’s and men’s freshmen, junior varsity and varsity squads faced off. A large crowd, including the infamous Mason Student Section, aka “The Black Hole”, greeted both teams as they entered the arena.  The Comets began the game with a 3-0 record and #5 ranking in the Enquirer’s Division I Coaches Poll.

 

The Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead, with 8:00 still remaining on the clock, when Tyler Smyth knocked down a foul shot for a Technical Foul that was assessed on the home team. The Comets then ran off 10 straight points before Matt Rumelhart nailed the Knight’s first field goal at the 3 minute mark. Chris Burton’s trey and a bucket from Zac Murphy allowed the Knights to claw to within six at the end of the quarter, 8-14. The Black Hole opened the 2^nd quarter with a taunting chant, “Why So Quiet?” towards the Kings Student Body. However, it would be the Mason Students that would spend most of that quarter quietly watching the Knights dismantle the home team.

 

Tyler Smyth and Spencer Burlekamp opened the quarter with field goals to close the gap to three. Mason responded by tossing in a field goal and free throw, but Michael Olds, who had just entered the contest, drained a long distance dedication to bring the Knights right back to within three. Olds and Brian Howell would provide strong defense on the Comet guards during this time span while Phil Fox and Chip Barkett were solidly defending the interior. Derrick Harris’ three field goals brought the visitors to within one, at 22-23, with just over a minute to play.  Berlekamp’s field goal at the buzzer, from the corner located right in front of the Comet bench and their student section, brought Knight Fans to their collective feet as the team in red ran off the court with a 24-23 half-time lead. This also left the Knight Student Section asking their friends from Mason, “Why So Quiet?”

 

During half-time, over 30 former Mason basketball players were introduced to the crowd. One special introduction was for a 1940 graduate. One can only imagine how many great basketball games, between Mason and Deerfield Union – which would later become Kings, have these players participated in and witnessed?

 

Kings opened the third quarter with the ball and didn’t take long to light up the visitor’s side of the scoreboard as Chris Burton and Andrew Winebrenner nailed field goals that pushed the Knights out to a 5 point lead, at 28-23. When the Comets immediately turned over the ball, Mason quickly took a time-out. Coming out of the timeout, Chris Burton scored on a nice out-of-bounds play and the Knights were up 30-23. However, the Knights would be held scoreless over the next 2 – ½ minutes as the Comets went on a 7-0 run to tie it at 30 with two minutes remaining. Derrick Harris’ field goal gave the lead back to the Knights. Mason’s Zach Brown stole the ball and drove to the Mason goal. He was met on the way up by Derrick who pinned the ball against the blackboard. It looked like a clean block to all of the Knight faithful, but in the zebra’s judgment a foul was committed. Brown sank one of his two free throws and the Knights went to the bench with a narrow 32-31 lead.

 

The Comets opened the quarter with a bucket and as the two teams transitioned down to the Knight end of the floor, Mason’s Post Player Rashee Billings and King’s Post Player Andrew Winebrenner engaged in a few elbows to each other’s faces. Billings ended up on the floor and the tone was set for the remainder of the evening. Chris Burton’s free throw would tie the game again at 33. Matt Rumelhart’s field goal knotted the game at 35 and then Chris Burton’s two free throws again tied the score at 37 with just over 2 minutes remaining. A Comet free throw gave them a one-point lead at the 1:33 mark. Zach Brown’s 5^th foul came with just 6.5 seconds showing on the clock and sent Derrick to the line where he sank the second one to tie the game at 38. Mason missed their final shot and the game would be settled in overtime, which only seemed appropriate for a Kings – Mason contest.

 

As 4 more minutes were place on the scoreboard some Mason Fans unexplainably began to leave the Mason Arena. Kings won the first and only jump ball of the game. Andrew Winebrenner dropped in a bucket on a nice post move off the block and the Knights were ahead 40-38. The Comets scored three the old fashioned way, but Chris Burton answered with a long distance three and the Knights were up by two. Another Comet bucket tied the score at 43 with just 130 ticks left on the clock. A turnover by the Knights led to a Comet bucket and a 45-43 lead. Another turnover gave the Comets the ball right back, but a foul by the Knights and a resulting missed free throw on the front end of a one-and-one gave the Knights a chance with 45-seconds remaining. Chris Burton was fouled on a 3-point shot and sank one of his three opportunities from the Charity Stripe. Another Knight foul sent Mason right back to the line for two shots, as a result of being in the double-bonus, and they sank them both. Still the Knights had a last chance with 19 seconds remaining but a loose ball that that resulted in a Knight Foul gave the Comets one more point from the line and a 48-44 victory.

 

Chris Burton led the Knights with 14. Derrick Harris tossed in 9. Spencer Berlekamp, Tyler Smyth, Andrew Winebrenner and Matt Rumelhart each contributed 4. Michael Olds nailed 3 and Zac Murphy rounded out the scoring with 2. The Knights finished 5 for 11 (45%) from the Charity Stripe. The Knights were successful on 6 of their three point attempts, while connecting on 11 field goals from inside the arc. The Comets were led by Rashee Billings with 11. Zach Brown, who entered the game averaging nearly 16 points per game, was held to 9 by the Knight Defense. The home team finished 11 for 18 (61%) from the charity stripe. The Comets connect on only two attempts from behind the arc, but found success on 16 of their attempts inside.

 

The Knights (1-5) will continue their swing through the Great Miami Conference with a visit to Sycamore to face the Aviators on Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM.   Go Knights!

 

-Scooter Knight  

December 19, 2008

Just Like Football

 

Semester Finals ended earlier in the day for the Knights, but one final exam awaited them as they boarded their bus and headed into Turpin Territory for a clash with the Spartans in FAVC Cardinal Division action. Since each team was seeking their first victory of the season, it was a must win for both teams if either held any hope of contending for the conference championship. The Spartan Student Section was out in force to welcome the Knights.

 

Tyler Smyth got the Knights on the scoreboard early after being fouled on a three point attempt and connecting on two of those opportunities. Tyler drained two more field goals as the Knights opened a 6-2 advantage. Chris Burton found nylon on two free throws and after Tyler hit another field goal, the Knights had a 10-8 lead. Andrew Winebrenner sank four free throws, on two trips to the line, to expand the Knight lead to six. Michael Olds banked in one from behind the arc on the wing (did he call it?) and when Derrick Harris sank a shot at the buzzer, the Knights were enjoying a 19-8 lead.

 

The second quarter opened with another bucket by Derrick. The Spartans were starting to show their frustration as one of their players was assessed with a Technical Foul after fouling Michael Olds. Michael hit one of his two opportunities and then Chris Burton calmly sank both shots assessed by the Technical Foul while the Turpin Student Section pounded their shoes on the floor. At least they weren’t throwing them! This expanded the visitors lead to 24-10. Field goals from Smyth and Burton along with two free throws from Chris pushed the lead to 20, at 30-10. When Derrick hit a field goal, with just over a minute to play, the Knights had equaled their entire scoring from the Loveland Game. Phil Fox’s three pushed the lead back to 20, at 35-15, as the teams retired to their respective locker rooms for half time.

 

The Turpin Dance Team entertained the crowd with their Christmas themed show. In case there was any question that the Turpin rivalry had lost any of its intensity, those questions were put to rest in the third quarter. Physical play resulted in nine team fouls being charged to each team during the 8 minutes of play and led to 24 foul shots being attempted. A Technical Foul on a Spartan Player brought the Turpin Coach onto the floor to escort his player back to their bench. Four Knights would visit the trainer during the course of this game. Who said basketball is a non-contact sport? The Knights continued to give great effort with intense defense and all out hustle while diving for loose balls. This resulted in an expansion of the lead to 52-28 as the teams went back to their corners, aka benches.

 

The Knights first four point of the final quarter came from the Charity Stripe as Spencer and Derrick connected. Chris Burton, Phil Fox, Spencer Berlekamp and Brian Howell would bury field goals to finish off the Spartans and bring home the Knights first victory of the season with a final score of 67-48.

 

Four Knights scored in double figures with Derrick leading the way with 21. Spencer and Chris each contributed 11 while Tyler Smyth knocked down 10. Phil Fox and Michael Olds each nailed 7. Andrew Winebrenner and Brian Howell tossed in 4. Chip Barkett and Matt Rumelhart provided several key rebounds and strong defensive play on the interior. The Knights finished 25 for 35 (71%) from the foul line while the Spartans were successful on 18 of 25 attempts (72%). The fans leaving the gym were careful not to bump into each other in fear of another foul being called. Fans are already marking their 2009 calendars for when Turpin visits the K-House on Friday, January 30^th. Beating the Spartans twice in one season will make it “Just Like Football”.

 

The Knights (1-4, 1-1) will take a break from league play over the holiday but the schedule doesn’t get any easier as they will face three GMC schools in the next two weeks. First up, will be a trip to Colerain to face the Cardinals on Tuesday evening. This will be the first regular season meeting between the two schools on the basketball court.  Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 PM. Go Knights!!

 

-Scooter Knight

 

December 16, 2008

 

Tigers Ice Over the Knights

 

While a mixture of snow and freezing rain fell outside, the orange clad Tigers of Loveland invaded the K-House on Tuesday evening for their annual backyard clash with the Knights. The Knight’s Student Section was out in force and had done some advance work with signs and posters to welcome the Tiger players.

 

The Tigers wasted little time as they controlled the tip and knocked down a three. However, the Knights immediately sent a message back as Tyler Smyth answered with one of his own and the clash was on. Tyler nailed another bucket to knot the score at 5, but then the Tigers ran off 6 straight points before Tyler hit another to make it Loveland 12 Tyler 7. Following another bucket by the visitors, Spencer Berlekamp would connect on one of two from the line to narrow the Loveland lead to 14-8 at the end of the quarter. Indiana University bound, Bobby Capobianco, scored a three point play the old fashioned way and then another field goal to expand the Loveland lead to 19-8. Field Goals by Derrick Harris and Zac Murphy kept the Knights close and when Spencer hit a three at the buzzer, the Knight faithful had reason for optimism as the home team left the court  trailing by only 8, at 25 – 17.

 

The second half opened positively with Tyler Smyth draining a field goal and suddenly the Knights were within 6. Sadly, the Tigers would go on a 12- 1 run, with the Knights lone score being Andrew Winebrenner’s foul shot, before Derrick would hit a bucket as the Knights went to their bench down 37-22. The Orangemen, aka Tigers, didn’t let up as they opened the final quarter with a 6-2 run before Tyler drained another long distance dedication from behind the arc to bring the scoreboard to show the sad but true score of 46-27. The only question for Knight Fans was if the home team would be able to get over 30. Michael Olds answered that question as he tossed in two buckets in the final minute to close out the 46-31 victory for the Tigers.  

 

Tyler Smyth led the Knight attack with 12 points including 7 in the first quarter. Derrick Harris tossed in 8 while Michael Olds and Spencer Berlekamp each connected for four. Zac Murphy nailed 2 and Andrew Winebrenner rounded out the Knight scoring with 1. Bobby Capobianco tallied 18 for the Tigers. The Knights were successful on 2 of 9 attempts from the line (22%) while the Tigers were a perfect 10 for 10 (100%). 

 

Although it is still early, the Knights (0-4, 0-1) face a must win situation as they travel to Turpin to face the Spartans on Friday evening. There should be no problem getting up for Turpin, but the Knights will need to bring their “A-Game” if they are to come out of there with their first victory of the season.  Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 PM. Go Knights!!

 

-Scooter Knight

 

 

December 12, 2008

 

Barons Control Boards to Turn Out the Lights on the Knights

 

The Knights traveled to Amelia on Friday evening to clash with the Barons in the conference opener for both teams. Each squad was also seeking their first victory of the young season.

 

The opening quarter was closely fought with Spencer Berlekamp knocking down a field goal and a trey before Phil Fox drained his one point of the evening from the free throw line. Matt Rumelhart would put in two field goals and the Knights led 12-11 at the end of the first 8 minutes of action. The lights were turned off over the Knight Fans but it didn’t stop the action of the court in the second quarter.  Spencer tossed in two free throws in the early going and Tyler Smyth connected on a long distance dedication. An Amelia score knotted the contest at 17 with 5:20 left on the clock. Zac Murphy and Derrick Harris would hit field goals, while Amelia would only hit one shot, and the Knights went to the locker room with a slim 21-19 lead.

 

The two teams continued to trade baskets in the third quarter as Harris and Berlekamp dropped in early buckets. Nick Bauer went down mid-quarter with a sprained ankle and would not return. Tyler drained another three from the other side of the county and Derrick’s two free throws brought the Knights back to within two. Zac’s put back off an missed free throw tied the contest at 31 but a Baron put back at the buzzer sent the teams to their respective benches with the Barons holding a two point advantage, 33-31.

 

A break away layup and one from Smyth brought the Knights to within one with just under 6 minutes to play. The play, which had been physical all night, became even more so in the final quarter. Amelia’s two free throws, with less than 90 seconds on the clock, gave them a 5 point advantage at 43-38. Spencer nailed two three throws and Murphy drained a shot from the corner to bring the Knights to within one with just over a minute on the clock. After a Baron missed free throw, Derrick took the ball coast to coast for a bucket to narrow the deficit to one. With 23 seconds showing on the clock, Amelia knocked down two free throws to push their lead back to three, at 47-44. The Knights brought the ball down and pushed it out on the left wing for Matt Rumelhart. Rumie drained a three, with 12 seconds showing, to bring the Knight faithful to their feet in a collective cheer. The Knights were called for a foul after the ball was inbounded and the Baron hit both chances. The Knights were unable to get off a decent shot and came up on the losing side of the scoreboard, 49-47.

 

Unofficial statistics showed the Knights being outrebounded by 20 as the Barons snagged 37 missed shots while the visitors could only manage 17 and definitely remains an area of concern and focus for this young Knight team. Spencer Berlekamp led the Knight scoring with 15. Derrick Harris tallied 10 while Tyler Smyth tossed in 8. Matt Rumelhart knocked down 7. Zac Murphy kicked two extra points….no wait wrong sport…well, he had 6 points and Phil Fox rounded out the Knight scoring with 1. The Knights finished 10 for 14 (71%) from the Charity Stripe while the Barons were also successful 10 times out of the 18 (56%) chances they had, which came mostly in the final quarter as they went 10 for 17 in the final stretch.

 

The Knights (0-3, 0-1) will return to “The Mill” on Tuesday evening as the Tigers from Loveland will pay a visit. Last year’s varsity game was a classic and that seems to be more the norm than the exception when these two backyard rivals get together. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 PM and a near capacity crowd, weather permitting, is expected. Go Knights!!

 

-Scooter Knight

 

 

 

December 9, 2008

 

Indians Band Together to Scalp Knights

 

“U-G-L-Y….You Ain’t Got No Alibi”….could easily describe the opening quarter for both teams as the Knights traveled to Fairfield, to battle the Indians, on Tuesday evening. As the rain fell outside on an unseasonably warm December evening, the Knights could not say the same about their shots inside the Fairfield Arena.

 

Zac Murphy dropped in his first points of the season to register the first points of the contest after nearly two minutes of play. Buckets by Derrick Harris and Nick Bauer, scoring his first points of the season as well after being hampered by football injuries, raced the Knights to a 6-5 lead. However, the Indians ran off 6 straight points to take an 11-6 lead to the bench at the buzzer. Fairfield opened the second quarter with a quick bucket which was answered by Derrick’s own field goal. However, Fairfield netted another bucket which expanded their lead to seven. Tyler ‘aka Smith” Smyth drained a three and Derrick dropped in a nice finger roll to bring the Knights to within two. After a 3-pointer from the Indians, Zac fired in a bucket and connected on one of two from the line on the next trip down to bring the deficit  back to 2. Spencer Berlekamp went Coast to Coast to knot the score at 18 with just over two minutes remaining. Turnovers continued to plague the Knights in the opening half as Coach Stevens moved furniture around on the sidelines. A late bucket by the home team sent them to the locker room with a slight 20-18 half-time lead.

 

After being outscored by 5 in the first quarter, the Knights outscored the Indians by 3 in the second and opened the final 16 minutes of play down by two. While the impressive Fairfield Pep Band continued to play, the Knights tied the score when a pass from Derrick to Andrew Winebrenner bounced off of Andrew’s knee right back to Derrick who calmly drained the rock. Does Andrew get an assist on that one? An old-fashioned three point play by Derrick put the Knights back up by 3. The momentum swung in favor of the Indians as they went on a 9-0 run to take a 6 point lead. A bucket and two foul shots by Tyler and a foul shot by Derrick kept the Knights close as they finished out the third quarter trailing 35-28.

 

Another 9-0 run put the Indians lead out to 44-28 until Brian Howell drained a bucket at the 4:45 mark. Intensive defense pressure by Howell, Bauer and Olds in the backcourt gave the Knight Faithfull some glimmer of hope as Derrick scored 11 of the Knights’ final 12 points. Chris Burton, coming off a foot injury, tossed in a late free throw.  However, Fairfield went 8 for 8 from the line during the same time to hang on to a 10 point, 52 – 42 victory.

 

Derrick Harris led the Knight scoring with 23. Tyler Smyth netted 7 while Zac Murphy dropped in 5. Nic Bauer, Brian Howell and Spencer Berlekamp tossed in two apiece while Chris Burton rounded out the scoring with 1.  Phillip Harris led the Indians with 22 points. The Knights finished 6 for 12 from the Charity Stripe (50%) while the Indians were a perfect 11 for 11 (100%).  The Knights struggled from the field as they sank 17 of 48 attempts.

 

After two days of hard work on the practice court, the Knights (0-2) will go after their first victory of the season, as they open FAVC Cardinal Division play on Friday evening, when they travel to Amelia for a 7:30 PM tip-off. Go Knights!

 

-Scooter Knight

 

 

December 5, 2008

 

Cougars Edge the Knights

 

            The Kings Knight’s Varsity Men’s Basketball Team hosted the Cougars of Edgewood, Friday evening at the “K-House”, to open their 2008-09 season.

 

            The Cougars jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead as the Knights, with four new starters from last year, quickly learned about the intensity of varsity basketball. Matt Rumelhart’s bucket broke the shutout at the 2:20 mark of the first quarter. Defensive intensity held the game close including a nice Oscar Winning Performance from Tyler Smyth on drawing a charge. Spencer Berlekamp nailed two buckets in the waning moments of the first quarter and the Knights closed the Cougar lead to 9-6 at the conclusion of the opening quarter. The Knights first four points of the second quarter came from nailing four opportunities from the Charity Stripe. Derrick Harris’ turnaround jumper in the lane with 5 minutes remaining knotted the score at 12. Less than 30 seconds later, Derrick’s long distant dedication, from behind the three point line, gave the Knights their first lead of the contest. After a Cougar bucket, Derrick nailed another trey which put the Knights up by 2. Phil Fox buried a bucket on a nice reverse layup along the baseline and the teams retreated to their locker rooms tied at 21.

 

      The near capacity crowd was entertained by the Kings High School Dance Team at halftime and the ongoing enthusiasm of the “Red Sea” student section that was out in force. The home team opened the 2^nd half with a quick 7-2 run on a  bucket from Fox and three field goals by Harris to take a 5 point lead, at 28 – 23, within the first 3 minutes of the quarter. However the Cougars would fight back and take a two point lead, at 35-33, as the quarter ended. Derrick opened the final quarter with another long distance dedication and the Knights were back in front by one. Edgewood star, Xavier Fugate, tossed in 6 straight points to put the Cougars up by 5. Fugate was signaling to his coach that he needed to come out, but that request wasn’t granted in time and he became sick on the floor. There was a stoppage in play while the Kings Custodian made an appearance, with the full encouragement of the junior high section, to clean up the damage. However, it would be Fugate who would make the Knights sick in the final 5 minutes of the contest. After play resumed, the Knights scored on a nice give and go from Berlekamp to Harris and back to Spencer. However, the Cougars then went on a 13 – 4 run to close out a 54-42 victory.

 

         Derrick Harris led the Knights with 17 points. Spencer Berlekamp tossed in 11. Tyler Smyth netted 6 before fouling out. Phil Fox and Matt Rumelhart each contributed 4. The Knights were 5 for 8 (62%) from the free throw line while the Cougars were burying 7 of their 16 opportunities. (44%) Xavier Fugate finished with 35 points for the visiting Cougars. The Knights drained 5 shots from behind the 3 point arc while the Cougars could only connect on 2. However, the visitors managed to connect on 8 more field goals from inside the arc to take a victory home with them.

           

It will be a quick turnaround for the Knights (0-1) as they travel to Fairfield on Tuesday evening for a battle with the Indians at 7:30 PM. Go Knights!

 

- Scooter Knight