Hey Ya'll, Remember me?
It's been a while...the spring and early summer have been filled with basketball for me.
Well, I got a few things to say, so...
Post Season Extras
All Star Game this past Saturday
The Lions Club had their annual All-Star Game (31st annual to be exact) and while it was awfully hot, it was certainly fun to see some boys and girls from The Corner shine one more time.
On the Girls side, Seneca (4 girls) and Joplin (2 girls) girls pretty much made up the whole roster. With only 11 total players (5 on one team and 6 on the other) it proved to be a game of battling heat and fatigue. The size of Katy Cooper (East Newton grad) and Kayla Thaman (Joplin), both over 6 feet, proved to be too much for the Seneca laden Purple squad (who had no 6 footers).
Man, Katy is tall and athletic.
On the boys side, The White Squad had Joplin Boys Matt McCreary and Derek Stokes, Thomas Jefferson players Jordan Stauffer and Taylor Barton, Carthage stalwart Cody Caster and Neosho sharpshooter Micheal Lowe. While the Blue Team sported the Seneca 3 (Not So) Little Indian Boys Stryker Harris, Nick Chasten and Toby Roelfsema.
White squad used their size advantage to secure the win.
The night really belonged to Matt McCreary. Unofficially, I had him for about 30 points.
But the truth is, all our "corner" guys looked really good! I was proud of them.
On to the next level:
(I know they're may be some I'm missing and others to come, but these are the ones I know about as of today.)
Derek Stokes (Joplin) has signed to play ball at Lincoln University (NCAA DII). We'll get to see him a few times a year as Lincoln is a member of the MIAA.
Zentrell Shannon (Joplin) has signed to play ball at State Fair Community College. State Fair is in one of the toughest JUCO regions on the planet. Get ready to bang, Z.
Phillip Davis (Joplin) has signed to play ball at William Woods University. P Diddy will have a chance to make a huge mark on that program early. He's playing great in our workouts this summer.
Stryker Harris (Seneca) has signed to play ball at North Arkansas Junior College. Boy, Stryker looked good in that All-Star game, he just keeps getting better.
Kayla Thaman (Joplin) has signed to play ball at Mid-America Nazarene. They're going to a tournament in Hawaii next year...poor girl, must be rough.
Cody Caster (Carthage) and Nick Chasten (Seneca) have both signed to play football for MOSO.
Wow! We are so proud of you all. Now go put your hard hats on... champions are made in the off-season.
Short Corner:
Matt McCreary may have the greatest skill set of any ball player The Corner has ever seen...ever! That's right I said.
6'4" point guard, fierce defender, nasty hops, clutch shooter, high basketball IQ, nice handles, quick hands and feet, good court vision...should I continue? He's that good. And I mean it. He's that good! His combination of skills, size, athleticism and IQ are truly rare. The scary thing is, I think he just figured out how good he can be. On top of the Lions Club game, Matt was invited to play in two very prestigious All-Star games in St. Louis and Columbia.
At one showcase featuring some big time talent, one guy came over to me and said,
"Who is that guy?"
"His name is Matt McCreary, he's from Joplin High".
"He's the best player in this gym, period".
"Yeah...I know".
Now that's fast. Keith Lawrie (Carthage), Maddy Johnson (Webb City) and Zentrell Shannon (Joplin grad) have all been clock at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash this spring. I had my suspicions they were pretty darn fast...suspicions confirmed.
Alex Wise (Neosho rising senior) is first team All-State material. Good Luck to all who face him...bring an army...and a chaplain
Ellie Gore (East Newton) is scary good. The rising sophomore plays in a different world when she locks in.
Joplin's Dylan Shuler (rising senior) is probably the most underrated player in The Corner. He had 12 points and 16 rebounds in a summer tournament game the other day.
Bro Mbuthia (College Height grad), is it possible for one person to improve as much as you have in 3 months? I guess it is...
P-Diddy (Philip Davis, Joplin grad), you're just a good dude. Always willing to sacrifice for your team...you will be blessed. See you in the gym in the morning, bright and early :)
Toby Roelfsema (Seneca grad), you played basketball the way Dr. Naismith intended it to be played...and you gave your whole heart the way "the man upstairs" intended us to. I'm gonna miss you a bunch.
Buzzer Beater from The Corner:
Perhaps no one has worked harder to get what he has than Derek Stokes.
I have put in more hours with him in the gym than maybe any player I've ever coach.
He would call me at least a few times a week, every week, every year since 8th grade asking the question, "Hey, can we go workout today?".
If you only knew the heart that exists inside that young man's chest...
Watching him leave for school in August will be one of the most bittersweet moments of my life in ministry.
Hey Derek, You earned that scholarship.
Thanks for staying with me even when we weren't very good.
I love you more than you'll ever be able to understand.
The Lions Club had their annual All-Star Game (31st annual to be exact) and while it was awfully hot, it was certainly fun to see some boys and girls from The Corner shine one more time.
On the Girls side, Seneca (4 girls) and Joplin (2 girls) girls pretty much made up the whole roster. With only 11 total players (5 on one team and 6 on the other) it proved to be a game of battling heat and fatigue. The size of Katy Cooper (East Newton grad) and Kayla Thaman (Joplin), both over 6 feet, proved to be too much for the Seneca laden Purple squad (who had no 6 footers).
Man, Katy is tall and athletic.
On the boys side, The White Squad had Joplin Boys Matt McCreary and Derek Stokes, Thomas Jefferson players Jordan Stauffer and Taylor Barton, Carthage stalwart Cody Caster and Neosho sharpshooter Micheal Lowe. While the Blue Team sported the Seneca 3 (Not So) Little Indian Boys Stryker Harris, Nick Chasten and Toby Roelfsema.
White squad used their size advantage to secure the win.
The night really belonged to Matt McCreary. Unofficially, I had him for about 30 points.
But the truth is, all our "corner" guys looked really good! I was proud of them.
On to the next level:
(I know they're may be some I'm missing and others to come, but these are the ones I know about as of today.)
Derek Stokes (Joplin) has signed to play ball at Lincoln University (NCAA DII). We'll get to see him a few times a year as Lincoln is a member of the MIAA.
Zentrell Shannon (Joplin) has signed to play ball at State Fair Community College. State Fair is in one of the toughest JUCO regions on the planet. Get ready to bang, Z.
Phillip Davis (Joplin) has signed to play ball at William Woods University. P Diddy will have a chance to make a huge mark on that program early. He's playing great in our workouts this summer.
Stryker Harris (Seneca) has signed to play ball at North Arkansas Junior College. Boy, Stryker looked good in that All-Star game, he just keeps getting better.
Kayla Thaman (Joplin) has signed to play ball at Mid-America Nazarene. They're going to a tournament in Hawaii next year...poor girl, must be rough.
Katy Cooper (East Newton) is playing college basketball at Pitt State.
Corner Basketball Standouts who are going to the next level in other sports:Cody Caster (Carthage) and Nick Chasten (Seneca) have both signed to play football for MOSO.
Wow! We are so proud of you all. Now go put your hard hats on... champions are made in the off-season.
Short Corner:
Matt McCreary may have the greatest skill set of any ball player The Corner has ever seen...ever! That's right I said.
6'4" point guard, fierce defender, nasty hops, clutch shooter, high basketball IQ, nice handles, quick hands and feet, good court vision...should I continue? He's that good. And I mean it. He's that good! His combination of skills, size, athleticism and IQ are truly rare. The scary thing is, I think he just figured out how good he can be. On top of the Lions Club game, Matt was invited to play in two very prestigious All-Star games in St. Louis and Columbia.
At one showcase featuring some big time talent, one guy came over to me and said,
"Who is that guy?"
"His name is Matt McCreary, he's from Joplin High".
"He's the best player in this gym, period".
"Yeah...I know".
Now that's fast. Keith Lawrie (Carthage), Maddy Johnson (Webb City) and Zentrell Shannon (Joplin grad) have all been clock at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash this spring. I had my suspicions they were pretty darn fast...suspicions confirmed.
Alex Wise (Neosho rising senior) is first team All-State material. Good Luck to all who face him...bring an army...and a chaplain
Ellie Gore (East Newton) is scary good. The rising sophomore plays in a different world when she locks in.
Joplin's Dylan Shuler (rising senior) is probably the most underrated player in The Corner. He had 12 points and 16 rebounds in a summer tournament game the other day.
Bro Mbuthia (College Height grad), is it possible for one person to improve as much as you have in 3 months? I guess it is...
P-Diddy (Philip Davis, Joplin grad), you're just a good dude. Always willing to sacrifice for your team...you will be blessed. See you in the gym in the morning, bright and early :)
Toby Roelfsema (Seneca grad), you played basketball the way Dr. Naismith intended it to be played...and you gave your whole heart the way "the man upstairs" intended us to. I'm gonna miss you a bunch.
Buzzer Beater from The Corner:
Perhaps no one has worked harder to get what he has than Derek Stokes.
I have put in more hours with him in the gym than maybe any player I've ever coach.
He would call me at least a few times a week, every week, every year since 8th grade asking the question, "Hey, can we go workout today?".
If you only knew the heart that exists inside that young man's chest...
Watching him leave for school in August will be one of the most bittersweet moments of my life in ministry.
Hey Derek, You earned that scholarship.
Thanks for staying with me even when we weren't very good.
I love you more than you'll ever be able to understand.
