Mandatory Basketball Rant - Winter 2022-23 - Week 2

 The season is in full swing before the holidays.   I see a lot of hot dogs, walking tacos, and pierogies from concession stands fulfilling my dinners.

Local Rec League:  After the board has wearily survived schedules drama, uniform snafus, and gnashing of teeth over practices (games have been relatively strees-free), I've been pulled out of mini-retirement to set up the playoff schedule for February.  All assume it's this complicated algorithm.  I simply pull up some sample double elimination bracket for an appropriate number of teams, plug in the normal schedule, and wait for the results of the January games.  Not exactly high science.  From what little I did get to see, the exodus of the good players (including Millie) has strengthened the play of the remaining boys and girls... although on Millie's off day, she may have convinced me to take her to a 6th grade boys practice to scrimmage (and mop the floor with) them.

Breanna Stewart:  Last week I mentioned that my wife was taking the girls to a Breanna Stewart basketball camp up in Syracuse.  There were some flaws in the presentation/communication of the camp, and there was a worry that they were all driving up (with a friend and their mom) for a style of camp that they regularly attended down in this area. 

I am delighted to say all my worries were for naught.  

It was well-organized, well run, with a good assortment of talent, and a hefty amount of swag thrown at the campers.  Specifically, Maja won her age group's round of Knockout and got a pair of shoes signed by Breanna! 

Millie didn't get swag that cool, but did have a great time (the whole reason she brought a friend, always a win-win).

Millie might have to grow a bit to make it to the Show.

Millie: Millie and her friend weren't available for the Wolfpack's championship Sunday at the tournament... and it didn't matter.  They still blew out the opponent 43-10 without them.  The team is that good.

Everyone got home from Syracuse with just seconds to spare for the Kingston Rec season.  The Wolfpack played their game (a trouncing of the local Catholic school league team) and it a moment of solidarity, finally took a picture of the team with their medals/trophy with everyone there.   For a "hated" team a year ago, once your in with these guys, you're family.

Millie's Mountain Top team's season finally started with them running roughshod over a brand-new team from Berwick 42-3.  Three players were in double figures, with Millie's friend Jordan getting 14 points and 10 boards.  

Millie returned to action on Saturday with league play against the same team they won the championship on Sunday.  I don't feel pity for the other team, and another loss to the Wolfpack 43-18.  I feel pity for every other team that will taste their wrath over the season.  They are the second best team in the league and they need to let off some steam. 

Maja:  Maja's second season of Freshmen ball started off with her NOT as a starter.  Rather, she ran the B-team off the bench against the lowly team from Hanover Area (This is the team the girls beat 47-1 last year).   Big shoutout to the new coach of the Hanover Freshmen and the busload of girls he brought.   Despite a similar result (59-4), those girls showed high energy and positivity, cheering on their teammates with an intensity rivalled only by the team they were playing.  Depth and energy has not been something that program has had in years, and here's hoping it turns around for the years to come.

Maja needed to wait, but made fast work of the "Lady Hawks", scoring a quick six before being put in admin mode, managing the B and C team.  Heck, she was even helping the Hanover girls when they got confused. 

The second game of the week was against a more experienced Lake Lehman team, although all of the true Freshmen I remember them having were called up to play JV.

Maja did get to start and had a solid line  4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals in a 40-20 win.   The starters were responsible for a 24-4 score, with the B and C playing to 16-16.   They have a much tougher opponent this upcoming week...

7th-8th Grade Girls:  My adopted kids won games!  Sure the 7th and 8th grade team played the local charter school from Bear Creek (They and the girls from Hanover should scrimmage together, it would help them both).  7th grade won 34-3, with 9 of the 13 girls scoring.  The 8th grade Bear Creek girls put up a fight, but it still allowed the coach to play all the 7th and 8th grade  girls, with 10 out of 16 scoring.  

Yesterday, they played the "hated" Dallas team.  The 7th grade team won 24-14, with Millie's friend Annika getting here second double-double of the season.  The Dallas 8th graders are dominated by AAU players from the same program as Maja and Millie, and with with 2 out the 3 8th graders on our team, it wasn't a surprise that it was a 53-11 blowout for Dallas.