THE CORNER REPORT: Super Bowl Sunday Edition

Another big game.
Another one point victory.
Another player stepping up to make free-throws.

A few weeks ago, Jansen Adams struggled at the free-throw line in the 4th quarter of a heart breaking loss to Francis Howell in the Kaminsky Classic. At one point, he missed 5 straight. 

Well Adams redeemed himself and then some on Friday night...
What better team for Jansen Adams to right the ship than bitter rival Webb City.
The senior went 8 for 8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter including two to tie and two to give them the lead for good.

Adams led the Bulldogs with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Jake McClarnon added 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks and the Bulldogs got 8 points and 4 assists from Josh Davis. Scott Roderique led the Cardinals with 20 points.

On Saturday, Joplin soundly defeated Waynesville 62-44.
Phillip "P-Diddy" Davis scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Eagles jumped out to a 20-9 lead. The Eagles never looked back. Perhaps the most impressive factor in the Joplin victory was that they held Waynesville's Kevin Vereen to 9 points. You see, I was there last year when Kevin Vereen destroyed Joplin. He had 18 rebounds in last year's game. Not this year...The Eagles again showed that stingy defense that has led them all year. "Diddy" led the Eagles with 23 points.

I believe this was Joplin's best and most impressive win this season thus far. Road wins are everything if you're going to win conference. To be a true contender, you must take care of business at home and you have to beat some good teams in their own building. The road win (16-4, 3-1 in Ozark conference) keeps them in a tie for first place in the Ozark Conference.

No time to celebrate as The Eagles have an even bigger game on Tuesday,,,I'll get to that in a second.


Also in The Corner:
Corner No. 1 Thomas Jefferson defeated Verona 72-36. Taylor Barton had 17 points (5 three pointers), 8 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the Cavaliers.

Cody Caster had 18 for Carthage in a loss to Williard on Friday night.

McAuley defeated College Heights to take 3rd place in their tournament. Garrett Wagner knocked down 7 treys on his way to 31 points!

Evan Belk led CHC with 14 points on Thursday night against Exeter and 17 points (3 treys) on Saturday against McAuley.
CHC has a kid named David Rice who's starting to assert himself...he's only played ball for a year. 

In another CR game, McDonald County defeated East Newton 49-37. The Bridenstine Brothers (Micheal 13, Charlie 11) combined for 24 points and Daniel Gomez pumped in 12 points on some sharp-shooting. Clint Broyles led East Newton, and all scorers, with 17 points.
 

Joplin will host the powerful Hillcrest team on Tuesday.

Hey, even if you're not a Joplin fan, go check this game out if you can. It's gonna be great basketball!

Hillcrest a strong team. They feature the 6'6"sophomore Dorial Green who is a Major Division I recruit in football. Word is, all the Big 12 teams are drooling over him already. He's pretty darn good at basketball too, and could play in college if he doesn't play football. He's joined by two of the best basketball players in SWMO in Taylor Sade and Trey Starks.

This game will have a lot to say about who will win the Ozark Conference and it will have a lot of impact on district seeding. 

Joplin fans, show up like you never have before!!!

This is perhaps your most important home game in 8-10 years.
I'm not exaggerating.

The Short Corner:
Just a few random thoughts...

The Who is playing halftime of the Super Bowl?
The Who?!?
I have one question: (The) Why?
Boy, Janet Jackson just messed everything up...

And this year's halftime music, doesn't CBS play those songs like 4 times a week already...Horatio?

BTW, my favorite commercial...probably the "Doritos ninja"...I like the silly stuff.

Buzzer Beater from The Corner:
Alex Wise said, "My legs were shaking"..."I heard them yelling at me. I just prayed I would make them".
And he did. He blocked out the negative words.
Do we belong with the "big boys" in state.

We here in the SW corner of this great state?

I always believed we did...
I just prayed that someday the kids and coaches would believe it too.

You see everybody's been yelling at us that we're too small, not enough athletes, etc...

That stuff starts to get to you. You start to believe it. Accept it.
We start to say things like, "Oh you guys played so good..." (After a loss to a big school)

"You have nothing to be ashamed of...they're just so good"

We start to accept mediocrity.

Let me ask you a question: Do we really believe we're good enough?
Now pause before you answer.
Because here's the truth...
Your actions always reflect your beliefs...

Alex Wise stepped to the line with the greatest weapon any player can ever possess: confidence and faith.
Confidence is the reason some do and some never can seem to get over the hump.

One of my teammates at Appalachian State was 5'7". Five foot, Seven inches!
He's still playing pro ball today.
He's one of the most confident guys I've ever known.
That's the secret.
It's not height, speed, size or athleticism that counts most...
It's what you believe.

Patriots beat the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams, Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots...and the Saints beat the Colts.
Why? Confidence.

It didn't matter what the "experts" were saying, they believed in themselves. Period.

If we are to ever rise above mediocrity in any area of life and sports we must:

1) Stop feeling sorry for what we don't have, or where we live, or how small our teams are
2) Stop paying attention to the other team, co-workers, etc...focus on us.
3) Try harder than you ever thought you could in practice, at work, etc...
4) And stop listening to everybody else...block out the negative words!!!

Like or not, you are what you believe you are.

A few years ago one of my players challenged me to a shooting competition: 10 shots. Top of the key.
He went first...he made 7.
I missed my first 2... Made the next 8.

He shook his head in frustration, along with the rest of the team, because nobody had ever beaten me in a shooting competition. He thought it might be better if he went first that time, usually I went first.

I put my arm around him and told him: "If I had gone first and made 6, you would have made 5"...

Why? "Because you don't truly believe in your heart you are a better shooter than I am".

And trust me, he was a much better shooter than I was. I hadn't practiced shooting in years, he was practicing everyday.

I told him, "Until you become certain you're better than me, you'll never beat me".
We'll that's the truth...
Forget all the X's and O's for a second...
They mean nothing without confidence!
Webster Groves, Nixa, Branson, Raymore-Peculiar, Borgia...can we beat 'em?