DUBLIN SCIOTO IRISH VS UPPER ARLINGTON GOLDEN BEARS
IRISH FANS............
It is said that as one door closes another one opens. It is hard to believe that this magical season has come to an end!
Your successes far outweigh your shortcomings. Yes, it is shortcomings that cause pain, yet, they can help you to be stronger in your next quest!
There is no shame in defeat if you pick yourselves up and learn from the experience.
The neigh sayers may have a field day with the outcome today.
However, it was not them but it was YOU who came into a new division with nary a word of encouragement from the outside!
It was YOU who believed that YOU could make a run for the roses and YOU did!
It was YOU who swept all the favorites in the OCC CAPITAL Division!
It was YOU who went 10-0 in the Capital Division and it cannot be taken away!
It was YOU who finished 5th in the Final 2006 AP Ohio High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Poll.
It was YOU who continued your quest and swept both of your sister schools for bragging rights in Dublin, Ohio for the next year!
It was YOU who won 20 games this season................how many teams are there in Central Ohio? How many teams can say they won 20 games............?
It was YOU who averaged giving up 40.77 points on defense.
It was YOU who averaged scoring 62.64 points on offense!
It was YOU who went out and showed that YOU were one of the best teams in Dublin Scioto Boys Basketball history!
IT WAS YOU.......YOU ARE....... DUBLIN SCIOTO IRISH BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM
Let's talk basketball..................
Varsity Game - Dublin Scioto vs Upper Arlington
This game was only the second game of the season that had thewebguy nervous! The other game was against Parkersburg South in January.
Upper Arlington has always been good tough competition for the IRISH. However, history has not always been kind to the IRISH when visiting the Columbus Fairgrounds Coliseum for a "first" game.
Today was no exception!
Talk in the stands centered around three key points.
First, solid defense right from the start! Deny the three point shot by Chris Sullivan and take Matt Hutton out of the game underneath.
Second, run, run and run some more! By running the IRISH would be able to get down the floor before the Golden Bears could set up their defensive scheme.
Third, the IRISH needed to get Kevin Lolli into the flow of the game early. By doing so, this would stretch the UA defense and open more opportunities for O'Connell and Winter.
The IRISH struggled in the first two quarters on offense and could not stop Sullivan nor the UA big man, Travis Deisering.
The Green & White started the game by demonstrating its plan to go underneath to Lolli and O'Connell. Both players were fouled and both players hit two shots each from the foul line. The IRISH took an early 4-0 lead. It was the biggest lead the IRISH would have throughout the game.
Upper Arlington was patient to work the ball into Travis Deisering or swing the ball out to Sullivan for a three pointer. Chris hit a 3 pointer for UA and the Golden Bears took a 5-4 lead only to lose it when Austin O'Connell hit his own three pointer for a 7-5 IRISH lead.
The Golden Bears then outscored the IRISH 5-0 to take a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The IRISH played good defense but could not really get an offensive flow going in the first quarter. thewebguy wrote it off as jitters and being in the Coliseum for the the first time.
Upper Arlington came out with fire in their eyes and scoring points without much answer from the IRISH in the second quarter.
Dublin Scioto got started with a basket inside the paint by Austin O'Connell. The Golden Bears answered with a three pointer from Chris Sullivan and the rout was on as the black and gold scored a total of 20 points in the second quarter to Dublin's 6 points. It was the largest scoring explosion given up by the Green & White all season.
The IRISH could not get untracked due to a very stubborn defensive game plan by Coach Tim Casey of the Golden Bears.
The UA crowd was into the game while the Dublin fans were very quiet as they did not and could not believe that their IRISH were being outplayed.
The IRISH left the floor at the end of the second quarter down 30 - 13. A score that was normally results set by the Dublin team all year.
Game plans need to change and that is what Coach Bisutti made clear to his team. He knew that the only way the IRISH would get back into this game was to step up the intensity of the defensive pressure.
The IRISH did just that as they caused turnovers on both ends of the court and outscored the Golden Bears 19-10 in the third quarter. Kelly Winter led the IRISH with 8 points.
When a team is down double digits coming into the second half, a coach strives to tell the players that there are no 17 point plays or shots. It is important to take one possession at a time.
Getting the team to step up their defensive intensity is not as hard as convincing them that they will cut the deficit to single digits by the end of the quarter!
Coach Bisutti did just that and the Green & White trailed by 8 points at the end of the 3rd quarter.
The IRISH ran on offense and played stingy defense. They did not allow the UA defense to get set and they harrassed their offense bringing the ball up the court.
This was the offense and defense that got Dublin Scioto the record that they possessed coming into this game!
The 4th quarter, did the IRISH have enough gas in the tank to come all the way back?
There are 8 minute quarters in high school varsity basketball. The IRISH hurt their chances badly by not scoring for the first 2 and half minutes
Austin O'Connell led a furious comeback in the last 6 and a half minutes. The IRISH got the deficit cut to three points but could get no closer.
Some tough calls that did not go the way of the IRISH and they were forced to foul! UA however, still wanted a game and continued to miss foul shots.
The IRISh were not able to convert and Upper Arlington won a battle between two storied schools!
Steppenwolf's........Magic Carpet Ride summed up the entire year for the IRISH----"you don't know what we can find, why don't you come with me......on a magic carpet ride..."
The final score was Upper Arlington 53 and Dublin Scioto 47.
The IRISH were led by Austin O'Connell and Kelly Winter with 15 points each; Ben Ashwill had 9 points; Kevin Lolli followed with 6 points; Michael Eubank scored 2 points.
The IRISH are 20 and 2 overall and 10-0 in the OCC - Capital Division. CHAMPIONS OF THE OCC-CAPITAL DIVSION!
This year was outstanding. thewebguy will miss this team very much. The memories; the stories; the parents; the coaches, 'Zutti Zone and most of all the players, especially # 15!
To all the IRISH fans who have followed the team this year and in previous years, thewebguy leaves you with a final line from PINK FLOYD.....
".....and if the band you're in starts playing different tunes...... "thewebguy" will see you on the dark side of the moon."
GO IRISH!
...WHILE THIS QUEST HAS ENDED........ANOTHER MORE IMPORTANT ONE BEGINS.............
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