THE FINAL WORD: HISTORY MADE BY ATHENS BOYS, WAVERLY SWIMMERS ... AND MORE (2022-03-09)
One of the reasons I love my job is that I’m constantly seeing something I’ve never seen before. Things most people have never seen before.
Athens’ win over Mid-Valley in the opening round of the PIAA, Class 4A playoffs is a perfect example. The Athens program had not won a state playoff game since 1956 — that’s 65 years for those of you are math impaired.
While I’m getting old, I’m not quite that old, so mark that up as something I’ve never seen. I would bet the large majority of people who there to witness the 1956 are no longer with us either.
Coach Jim Lister has his critics (what coach doesn’t), but he’s done a good job with this team.
Lister has definitely tamped down some of the attitudes on the team from last year, which has allowed the team to play under control. The team still plays with plenty of energy, but is on a much more even keel.
The Wildcats, who lack a consistent 3-point threat in their rotation, have also stopped taking bad shots from behind the arc. In other words, their shot selection has improved drastically.
And, taking higher-percentage shots has resulted in a more efficient offense. Last night, especially in the first half, may have been the most patient I’ve seen this team.
And perhaps the biggest stroke of genius for Lister and his coaching staff was switching to the 3-2 zone and sticking with it. With their length, the Wildcats have cause opposing teams fits on the perimeter, and (aside from Lewisburg) prevented them from running their offenses the way they’re accustom, instead forcing them further away from the bucket.
Of course, my father, in his infinite wisdom, use to say, “a coach can’t win if he ain’t got the horses.” While that may be a drastic over-simplification, there’s definitely a lot of truth to it.
Well, Lister has “the horses.”
Senior J.J. Babcock is as good as any player in the region. At 6-6, he can stroke the 3, rebound, block shots, and he may be the best passing big man I’ve ever seen in the Valley. The Wildcats’ success runs through him.
Tucker Brown has taken his game up two levels since his junior season. He is nearly unstoppable going to the bucket, knocks down enough of his outside shots to keep defenders honest, and is a ball hawk on defense.
Senior Nalen Carling is a versatile player, who has a perfect wing span for the top of the 3-2 zone. He’s very good in transition, can rebound, and can knock down the open shot.
Junior Mason Lister is very good getting to the rim, can knock down the open 3-pointer, is a good passer, and can rebound.
Watching senior Troy Pritchard with the ball in the low blocks is like being in a flashback to the 1970s. He has a variety of pump fakes, and up-and-unders that are truly old-school. He can also rebound, and defend in the low post. He’s a joy to watch.
I’ll be totally honest, I did not expect the Wildcats to win Tuesday night, but they played their most patient, and “smartest” game of the season.And, Babcock, Brown, and senior Ryan Thompson, who canned a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter for his only points of the game, came up big in the clutch.
Archbishop Carroll will be a handful for the Wildcats Friday night, but regardless of the outcome, this is a team that will be remembered and talked about for a long time.
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The Waverly foursome of senior Kaden Wheeler, and juniors Jerrell Sackett, Oscar Williams, and Ryan Clark made a great deal of history of their own at the New York State Swimming & Diving Championships.
Sackett broke Mike Atanasoff’s school record for the 50-yard freestyle in the preliminaries, then matched him for best finish ever for Waverly at a State meet, winning a bronze medal.
The foursome topped that, winning a silver medal in the 200-yard freestyle for the best finish ever in program history. They also broke the school record again.
The foursome won a ninth-place medal in the 400-yard freestyle, also in school-record time. They finished 22nd in the 200-yard medley relay, and tied their school-record time.
With Sackett, Williams, and Clark all returning, it will be interesting to see if they can find a fourth, and make another historic run at States next year.
The time and work these young men put in is incredible. The yardage at practice is staggering. But, it all paid off.
Waverly’s swim team has a storied history, but these four will now be remembered along with the Fell brothers, the Mastrantuono brothers, Atanasoff, John Hallett, and Josh and Sam Hogan as the best in program history.
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There were a couple of other pretty good coaching jobs on the hardwoods this winter.
Athens girls coach Brian Miller had to replace a 1,000-point scorer, two other starters, and the first girl off the bench from a 17-7 team.
He replaced them with a freshman, albeit a very talented one, a senior who hadn’t played since she was a freshman on JVs, and role players from last year’s team. The results: a 17-7 team.
Miller has an innate ability to get the best out of his players. He is also willing to adjust his style to match the abilities of his players, instead of trying to bend them to fit his “philosophy.”
Tioga boys coach Brian Card also did a nice job getting his team on track after a rough start.
The Tigers, who opened their season the day after the football team won its state title, opened the season at 0-3, and was 1-4, but righted the ship to finish 11-9 in the regular season. All of their losses came to playoff teams.
Tioga rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit at Notre Dame in the opening round of the Class C playoffs to win by 10, but lost to top-seeded Watkins Glen in the quarterfinals.
