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In the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", Will Smith's character tells his son (Yes, Will Smith's real life son)
"Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you...you can't do something. Not even me."
"You got a dream...You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you...'you can't do it'
If you want something...go get it. Period."
The 4 Corners (rankings through Jan 18)
Boys
4) Seneca (9-4)
We welcome the Indians to the Quad Squad. Thomas Jefferson opened the door with a loss on Tuesday night to Lamar B team, while Seneca put together an impressive performance in dismantling Pierce City 71-45.
3) Diamond (9-2)
The Wildcats are moving up to the #3 spot. Diamond certainly got a statement victory on the road at Miller 77-47. The NEO tourney awaits starting Thursday.
2) Webb City (11-4)
Webb's been playing solid basketball! They made short work of Springfield Central on Tuesday night 65-33. Signature win opportunity awaits as they will face state power Logan-Rogersville on Friday.
1) Carthage (14-2)
This weekend will be a big one for the Tigers as they have a chance at some signature wins in the Glendale Tourney (Springfield).
Girls
4) Neosho (7-11)
I have great respect for the Lady Cats Strength of Schedule (SOS). A good win over a hot East Newton on Monday night seals the deal.
3) McDonald County (5-7)
Mac County made the most of their opportunities. They haven't gotten to play much recently because of them not being in a conference, but they're 2-0 in the last week or so.
2) Carthage (10-5)
The Lady Tigers got a good win over Joplin on Monday night, 54-30. Carthage is gearing up for a nasty stretch. Nevada, Republic, Nixa, Webb City and Ozark are their next 5 games. Plenty of chances to get signature wins and take the top spot back.
1) Webb City (9-3)
The Lady Cardinals too are preparing for strong competition as they are participating in the Kickapoo tourney this weekend.
Franchise Notes (a look into the future):
Neosho 6th grade thru 8th grade boys basketball teams are tough. COC tough. The 8th grade team is beating their opponents like they owe them money :)
When those 8th graders are Juniors in High School...oh my!
And now, if you don't like girls basketball, turn your head
Carl Junction girls are set up for the future. Their JV team is very strong. Their 8th grade girls team went undefeated. And most of their varsity players are underclassmen. If everything comes together right, I believe CJ will be a state power in a few years.
Webb City's got a group of 8th grade girls that are equally tough! And Desiree Buerge (9th grader) has a chance to be very very special. Very.
Jasper 8th grade girls were undefeated champions this year! And trust me, there are some special girls on that team. They were coached by one of the best coaches in the area, Kent Anderegg.
I like East Newton's 8th grade squad a whole lot too. Plus they have some real 9th and 10th grade talent. They should be in the mix for a long time.
I'll have more on the jh boys as their season picks up here in the next 3-4 weeks.
Short Corner:
27 was a common number this past week.
Evan Belk (College Heights) has put together an impressive 2 game run. He had 27 points, 8 steals and 5 assists on Friday, knocking down 5 three pointers in the process. And then on Tuesday night, He went for 34 points in a win over rival McAuley...oh yeah, He nailed 6 three pointers. Nice Job, young man, nice job.
Joplin boys (7-5) have won a couple in a row defeating Camdenton on Friday and Neosho on Tuesday. Charlie Brown had 27 against Camdenton and...well...27 against Neosho. Which makes his 2 game average..........hang on, I'm adding it up...this could take me a minute...
Against Joplin, Area Scoring leader Ethan Murray scored 23 points in limited minutes due to early foul trouble and then a cut on his hand. Still ended up 23...impressive.
Carl Junction girls got a nice one over Neosho on Friday night! Bryce Boyd led the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points while Brenlee McPherson added 15.
Catie Cummins (Neosho) did not play in that game, but she came back a woman on fire on Monday night, leading the Lady Cats with 13 points in a win over East Newton. Catie Cummins is tough! Catie Cummins is fearless! She's relentless! Like the honey badger. But since that nickname's already taken...I have to find one for her!!!
Congrats to Ashley Gilion (Neosho) on signing to play softball at NEO!
Congrats to the Jasper boys who took 5th place in the Golden City tournament with a 57-50 win over Dadeville. Michael Spicer led the way with 19 while Michael Branham added 15. In the first game of the tourney, Spicer had 27 (there's that number again) in a win over Golden City.
It seems as teams attempt to key on Michael Branham, they are leaving the door open for the super athletic Michael Spicer. They are a dangerous duo!
And the Jasper girls also took 5th place in the Golden City tournament, winning 52-20 over Bronaugh. Rachel Bausinger led the way with 16 while Shea Wells had 12 for the Lady Eagles.
Carl Junction boys got a very good win over Seneca on Friday night 57-47. Chase Marrs led CJ with 15 followed by Payton Walker's 13.
The Brothers Robertson (McAuley) combined for (the magic number) 27 points on Friday night against Verona.
Older bro Shaw had 17 while little bro Adam aka "Larry Bird" had 10.
Kyle Heman put up 26 (just missed by 1 point) and Jared Huffman added 17 in the aforemention win over Miller on Friday.
In Seneca's 71-45 win over Pierce City, Kyler Ng and Daniel Noah led the team with 16 and 13 points respectively.
Alex Oserowsky had 33 points in the Tuesday night loss to Lamar's B team.
College Heights girls got a win over Sarcoxie 47-32. Kayte Peters led the way for the Lady Cougars win 10.
Diamond girls won 53-47 over Exeter on Monday night led by Hanna Million's 21 points.
On Monday night, Carthage Boys defeated CJ 76-57 and Carthage girls won the victory over Joplin 54-30
Desmond Buerge led the boys with 23 points and a reverse dunk! Nice!!! Nathan Reid had 16 points, Jaryd Coss 15...
On the girls side Carthage spread the wealth...Vanessa Pawlak 17, Chloe Shepherd 13, Hannah Blount 10 and Kaylee Morgan 8
The Corner has some big opportunities for signature wins this week, let's go get 'em!!!
One more for the road...Sarcoxie boys defeated Exeter 51-30. Kurt Bloss and Garett Triplett combined for (you guessed it) 27 points. Bloss 16, Triplett 11.
Buzzer Beater from The Corner:
In the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", Will Smith's character tells his son (Yes, Will Smith's real life son)
"Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you...you can't do something. Not even me."
"You got a dream...You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you...'you can't do it'
If you want something...go get it. Period."
The 4 Corners (rankings through Jan 18)
Boys
4) Seneca (9-4)
We welcome the Indians to the Quad Squad. Thomas Jefferson opened the door with a loss on Tuesday night to Lamar B team, while Seneca put together an impressive performance in dismantling Pierce City 71-45.
3) Diamond (9-2)
The Wildcats are moving up to the #3 spot. Diamond certainly got a statement victory on the road at Miller 77-47. The NEO tourney awaits starting Thursday.
2) Webb City (11-4)
Webb's been playing solid basketball! They made short work of Springfield Central on Tuesday night 65-33. Signature win opportunity awaits as they will face state power Logan-Rogersville on Friday.
1) Carthage (14-2)
This weekend will be a big one for the Tigers as they have a chance at some signature wins in the Glendale Tourney (Springfield).
Girls
4) Neosho (7-11)
I have great respect for the Lady Cats Strength of Schedule (SOS). A good win over a hot East Newton on Monday night seals the deal.
3) McDonald County (5-7)
Mac County made the most of their opportunities. They haven't gotten to play much recently because of them not being in a conference, but they're 2-0 in the last week or so.
2) Carthage (10-5)
The Lady Tigers got a good win over Joplin on Monday night, 54-30. Carthage is gearing up for a nasty stretch. Nevada, Republic, Nixa, Webb City and Ozark are their next 5 games. Plenty of chances to get signature wins and take the top spot back.
1) Webb City (9-3)
The Lady Cardinals too are preparing for strong competition as they are participating in the Kickapoo tourney this weekend.
Franchise Notes (a look into the future):
Neosho 6th grade thru 8th grade boys basketball teams are tough. COC tough. The 8th grade team is beating their opponents like they owe them money :)
When those 8th graders are Juniors in High School...oh my!
And now, if you don't like girls basketball, turn your head
Carl Junction girls are set up for the future. Their JV team is very strong. Their 8th grade girls team went undefeated. And most of their varsity players are underclassmen. If everything comes together right, I believe CJ will be a state power in a few years.
Webb City's got a group of 8th grade girls that are equally tough! And Desiree Buerge (9th grader) has a chance to be very very special. Very.
Jasper 8th grade girls were undefeated champions this year! And trust me, there are some special girls on that team. They were coached by one of the best coaches in the area, Kent Anderegg.
I like East Newton's 8th grade squad a whole lot too. Plus they have some real 9th and 10th grade talent. They should be in the mix for a long time.
I'll have more on the jh boys as their season picks up here in the next 3-4 weeks.
Short Corner:
27 was a common number this past week.
Evan Belk (College Heights) has put together an impressive 2 game run. He had 27 points, 8 steals and 5 assists on Friday, knocking down 5 three pointers in the process. And then on Tuesday night, He went for 34 points in a win over rival McAuley...oh yeah, He nailed 6 three pointers. Nice Job, young man, nice job.
Joplin boys (7-5) have won a couple in a row defeating Camdenton on Friday and Neosho on Tuesday. Charlie Brown had 27 against Camdenton and...well...27 against Neosho. Which makes his 2 game average..........hang on, I'm adding it up...this could take me a minute...
Against Joplin, Area Scoring leader Ethan Murray scored 23 points in limited minutes due to early foul trouble and then a cut on his hand. Still ended up 23...impressive.
Carl Junction girls got a nice one over Neosho on Friday night! Bryce Boyd led the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points while Brenlee McPherson added 15.
Catie Cummins (Neosho) did not play in that game, but she came back a woman on fire on Monday night, leading the Lady Cats with 13 points in a win over East Newton. Catie Cummins is tough! Catie Cummins is fearless! She's relentless! Like the honey badger. But since that nickname's already taken...I have to find one for her!!!
Congrats to Ashley Gilion (Neosho) on signing to play softball at NEO!
Congrats to the Jasper boys who took 5th place in the Golden City tournament with a 57-50 win over Dadeville. Michael Spicer led the way with 19 while Michael Branham added 15. In the first game of the tourney, Spicer had 27 (there's that number again) in a win over Golden City.
It seems as teams attempt to key on Michael Branham, they are leaving the door open for the super athletic Michael Spicer. They are a dangerous duo!
And the Jasper girls also took 5th place in the Golden City tournament, winning 52-20 over Bronaugh. Rachel Bausinger led the way with 16 while Shea Wells had 12 for the Lady Eagles.
Carl Junction boys got a very good win over Seneca on Friday night 57-47. Chase Marrs led CJ with 15 followed by Payton Walker's 13.
The Brothers Robertson (McAuley) combined for (the magic number) 27 points on Friday night against Verona.
Older bro Shaw had 17 while little bro Adam aka "Larry Bird" had 10.
Kyle Heman put up 26 (just missed by 1 point) and Jared Huffman added 17 in the aforemention win over Miller on Friday.
In Seneca's 71-45 win over Pierce City, Kyler Ng and Daniel Noah led the team with 16 and 13 points respectively.
Alex Oserowsky had 33 points in the Tuesday night loss to Lamar's B team.
College Heights girls got a win over Sarcoxie 47-32. Kayte Peters led the way for the Lady Cougars win 10.
Diamond girls won 53-47 over Exeter on Monday night led by Hanna Million's 21 points.
On Monday night, Carthage Boys defeated CJ 76-57 and Carthage girls won the victory over Joplin 54-30
Desmond Buerge led the boys with 23 points and a reverse dunk! Nice!!! Nathan Reid had 16 points, Jaryd Coss 15...
On the girls side Carthage spread the wealth...Vanessa Pawlak 17, Chloe Shepherd 13, Hannah Blount 10 and Kaylee Morgan 8
The Corner has some big opportunities for signature wins this week, let's go get 'em!!!
One more for the road...Sarcoxie boys defeated Exeter 51-30. Kurt Bloss and Garett Triplett combined for (you guessed it) 27 points. Bloss 16, Triplett 11.
Buzzer Beater from The Corner:
I always grade my years.
1999 was an A+. 2005 was an A-.
Since 1995, the lowest grade I had given a year was a B+.
Until 2010.
I gave 2010 a C+.
It's kinda crazy
In 1997, my best friend and mentor died of pancreatic cancer. One of the toughest years of my life...I struggled with full blown clinical depression...
and yet that year was an A-.
Why? Because it's the year my faith became real to me. More than rituals and religion.
So why a C+ for 2010?
Because it was the first year in my adult life that I stopped trying new things.
I became too afraid of failing.
Scared of losing my job, not being able to take care of my wife
I stopped dreaming.
Something convinced me I was too old to dream. I needed to think practically.
...And then I looked back at the years in my life that had received A's.
There's been 8 such years since 1995 (95 was my high school graduation year).
In each of them, there was trouble, pain, hard times, tornadoes, doubts, fears...
But (like 1997), they were great years. Because I grew, I watched others grow, my faith grew, I hoped, I tried, I failed and I tried again...
I dreamed!
The only year I have regrets about is 2010.
2010 was a pretty solid year for me.
Marriage was good, ministry was good, finances were good (by youth pastor standards...lol)
Everything was good.
That was the problem.
You see, I don't believe we were meant for a good life,
I believe we were meant for a great life!
I believe we were meant to have life and have it more abundantly. Have life and have it to the full.
But how can you have life to the full with only half of your heart in it?
Switchfoot sang, "We were meant to live for so much more..."
I believe we were meant to hope...
To dream!!!
To believe in greatness!!!
Shouldn't we strive for greatness?
Shouldn't we believe in excellence?
And believe me, I don't reach it as often as I'd like, but I still believe in it.
Greatness is worth hoping for.
It changes your whole life to live it once.
It's worth failing to strive for it.
It's worth sacrificing for...
Instead of our kids wearing T-shirts that say "Lazy but Talented" their shirts should read:
"Flawed but Determined"
"Doubted but Relentless"
"Unsung but Still Singing"
"Hard-Pressed but not Crushed"
"Perplexed but not in Despair"
"Struck down but not Destroyed"
..."Scared...but still Dreaming"
Life isn't about avoiding pain.
Life isn't about setting the bar low enough so you never fail.
If you've never failed, you'll never succeed.
Let me close with these questions.
People of the Corner, what's your dream?
Is there a business you've been wanting to start?
Is there a place you want to go?
Is there an obstacle you've been afraid to face?
Is there a dream you once had that you gave up on?
It's 2012. Start it, Go there, face it, Dream it!
How will you grade your year?
How will you grade your life?
To quote the great Switchfoot again, "This is your life. Are you who you want to be?"
Are you willing to dream?
"But Isaac, what if I fail?"
...Funny, you talk about failure like it's a bad thing. :)
(This column was made possible in great part by one man's courage to "Have a Dream". Thank you Dr. King)
