Welcome back everyone. Here's hoping that students enjoyed their break and those real world adults out there at least enjoyed the thought of one. If it's any consolation to the unfortunate working class, Park athletes were forced to report for duty during the winter hiatus as well. The Hoops for Habitat Tournament interrupted the 2-week vacation, leaving both the boys' and girls' teams with unpleasant tastes in their mouths.
For the boys' basketball squad, the entire 2-day competition proved a struggle. A not-what-they-used-to-be athletic and savvy Grace Bible team pushed the Bruins to the limit, who toughed out a fourth quarter, 3 point victory. The tourney final did not go nearly as well. The Metro top 10 Edmondson-Westside Red Storm hammered the hapless Parkies. All the heart in the world may not have been enough to slow the waves of linebacker-sized aerialists that seemed to materialize from the opposition's bench. All the morbid details can be found elsewhere on the website. January seems to have lifted the boys' spirits, however (perhaps it's the return to classes). In their return, the Bruins got their first C-Conference win against the then undefeated Key School Obezags, and followed with their second B-Conference upset, knocking off Boys' Latin. Oddly enough, that brings the boys' record to 1-2 in the C and 2-0 in the B! There's been heart and guts and, at times, streaks of precision shooting intermingled with breathtaking slashes to the basket. There's also been fumbles and lapses in discipline and concentration intermingled with the tried and true habit of playing down to lesser adversaries. Plagued by this sort of inconsistency, Park faces a difficult road to the playoffs.
MBB: 1/13 @ Indian Creek, 1/15 @ Sts. Peter & Paul
The version presented by the girls' basketballers offered a bit more drama but the same second place dissatisfaction in the end. Grace Bible's girls apparently haven't been visiting the same recruiting neighborhoods their boys have frequented in recent years. They played the part of speedbump in the Bruins' drive to the final. Bryn Mawr put up a tougher fight, however, and unlike the Park boys, our girls sadly have no magic spell for defeating B-Conference teams. In the end, the Bruins found themselves trailing by but 3 points when time expired, a slim loss and an exciting game but a shock to the system nonetheless. The girls are currently 7-0 in the C-Conference and have enjoyed an average margin of victory of 25 points in their 10 overall wins. That statistic includes the 3 league conquests since returning to school, over Lutheran (62-22), AACS (65-36) and St. Tim's (53-20). The run has again sparked conversations on the appropriateness of the girls' C classification. The arguments for a move are credible and many (and, by the way, the transition year is upon us), but perhaps the most damning evidence against the upgrade is the conspicuous lack of that ever-elusive championship. Perhaps this is the year... let's not go there. And, take heart C-Conference haters; rumor has it that several B teams may be descending to liven up our next regular season. Stay tuned...
WBB: 1/11 v. New Town HS, 1/13 @ Key
The winter break caused a brief stir among the indoor soccer girls as well, unleashing a fleeting offensive outburst as they toppled Oldfields in bookend games (12/17 and 1/5) games by a combined tally of 27-1. Ouch. Reality snapped the team from its postseason daydreams, however, when the Bruins met second place (then 4-2) Garrison. The result was a 1-8 thumping, even despite another 23 save performance by goalie Nikki Casper. Normally a defensive powerhouse, with just over a 1 goal-per-game-against average in their 7 total wins, Park was spread thin by the Grizzlies' attack who notched scores with 6 different players. Park had beaten Garrison earlier in the year and, though a rude awakening, the Bruins remain alone in first place at 6-1. Only 1 game (3 points) now separates the 2 teams and, as the soccer gods would have it, they'll play 1 more before season's end.
ISC: 1/13 v. St. Tim's
Park squash remains winless in the hyper-competitive A-Conference, though they've shown signs of life, narrowly missing a win against Friends before the break. Unfortunately, details on the team are lacking just about everywhere and (fortunately I suppose) few among the group have visited the athletic training room so there's little to report. Though another game against undefeated Gilman looms in the near future, there are potential victories to be had in the weeks ahead, and the determined Bruins continue to improve.
SQ: 1/12 v. Gilman, 1/14 v. St. Paul's
With recent improvements in score reporting and the consistent updating of the website, What's Bruin looks to become less of a report on games past and more a look to the future and, perhaps, an outlet for thoughts on the program and/or high school competition in general. Send me your ideas, arguments and philosophies. Let's hear all that's good and bad about Park athletics, the ins and outs of Bruindom, and your ponderings on the MIAA/IAAM and all that is teen sports.
