July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Patriot Pre Games (01/11/06)
The players
Patriot Pre Games (01/11/06)
By By RAY COONEY-
(This is the first in a three-part series focusing on the pre-game activities at Jay County High School boys basketball games. The second story in the series, following Patriot coach Craig Teagle, will run next week. The cheerleaders, band and the fans will make up the third story.)
When fans leave the game they talk about a lot of things:
The final score.
The big 3-pointer.
The steal for the game-winning basket.
But there are a lot of things fans see, and don’t see, which are most likely overlooked, despite their importance.
Game-time for the Jay County High School boys basketball players, and all teams, starts well before they actually take the floor for the opening tip:
3:30 remaining JV third quarter
After watching the JV first half and the beginning of the second, the Patriot varsity players head to the locker room to the applause of the home fans. But while those fans quickly focus back on the JV game, talking to friends or getting some pre-game popcorn, the team is getting in game mode even though the varsity clock won’t start ticking for more than 30 minutes.
Once they reach the locker room, the first five to 10 minutes or so are personal time. Different players have their own routines as they change into uniforms and warm-ups from dress clothes.
While most everyone else is getting a drink of Gatorade, senior John Retter prefers a Coke — often used to wash down some popcorn of his own.
“Pretty much everyone is just calm and laid back and pretty much doing their own thing,” Retter says, with his trademark laugh following quickly. “We all know each other and we all hang out and have a good time. It’s fun because we all entertain each other. It relaxes us.
“If it was all strict and stuff ... then we’d all be pretty uptight.”
Corey Comer, a junior, doesn’t need the popcorn Retter opts for. This year he’s taken to eating Subway before every game, figuring the team’s 7-1 record is proof his ritual is working.
Senior Tyler Rigby goes through the same series of stretches at the same time before every game while senior Zac Green and junior Scott “Scooter” Bruggeman simply try to get into the right frame of mind.
“I just try to picture some of the things that might happen in the game and go through them mentally,” says Bruggeman. “(I think of) the guy guarding me, the moves I have to do so he won’t bother me. I go through all the offensive motions and what I have to do on defense.”
Randy Evans’ pre-game pattern is much more personal.
Evans, a senior, listens to three songs he put together in remembrance of his friend Justin Myers — “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy, “Dreams” by Van Halen and “Time After Time” by Ozzy Osbourne. Myers was killed in single-vehicle accident on icy roads Jan. 30, 2005.
“It gets me not really thinking about anything else,” says Evans, who also has a tattoo in Myers’ honor. “I just get everything out and focus on basketball.”
2:30 remaining
JV fourth quarter
From this point on, the individual stuff is over. It’s all team, all the time.
The varsity players gather around the dry-erase board in the locker room to go over coach Craig Teagle’s pre-game notes. (More on these in part two of the series.)
Every player has a different idea of what part of the team’s series of pre-game activities is most important. Evans says this is his.
If any part of the game plan has slipped out of the players’ brains, Teagle crams it back in.
“It gets us in the right mode,” Evans says.
Conclusion of JV game
20:00 on pre-game clock
After gathering in the locker room hallway the Patriots walk out to the corner of the floor, getting in a circle for the first of four times. They’ll do it again before the leave the floor after pre-game warm-ups, when they return to the floor for player introductions and one more time right before the start of the game.
While talking about the band and great fans (the third part of this series) and Teagle’s talk in the locker room, Comer says he gets most fired up for action in the midst of his circle of teammates.
Everyone has a chance to get a few words in, but Rigby, a captain, is most often doing the talking.
“I try to give them a little pep in their step to try to get them up for the game, make sure they’re focused,” Rigby says.
19:30 remaining
After circling the court, Jay County goes through a series of warm-up drills, starting with the “z-drill”. Each group of partners takes turns dribbling against the other, in a “Z” pattern.
Next comes the two-man up-and-down passing drill, followed by some rebounding.
18:00 remaining
Time for the daily dozen, which is fairly self explanatory.
Starting with a variety of lay-ups, the Patriots go through a series of 12 different shots. Among the variety are reverse lay-ups, pull-up jumpers and three-pointers, with shots from enough different angles to prepare the players for any shot they might take during the upcoming contest. At some point during this stretch most of the players also remove their warm-up pants, tossing them to the bench.
12:00 remaining
The three-man weave. A passing drill involving three players, obviously.
Of all the drills, Green says the three-man weave most helps him prepare for the flow of the game, but “It’s all important, because you get loosened up,” he adds. “It gives you a feel for if you’re feeling good or not physically for the game. It’s also mental, being in the locker room. Both of them are big parts.”
11:00 remaining
From this point on it’s partner shooting — basically a shoot-around for each player to try some shots he might expect to see during the game. This lasts for at least five minutes, giving each player plenty of time to launch a bundle of 3-pointers or camp under the basket to grab rebounds and kick the ball out to their shooting teammates.
After the 5:00
mark passes
The players get in a defensive stance and move in a criss-cross pattern: from under the basket, to center court, to the left sideline parallel to the foul line and across to the right sideline.
The players slap both hands on the floor at each stop along the way, finally meeting again in their circle for another pep talk before they run off the floor.
“Our warm-up goes through every part of the game,” says Bruggeman. “It warms us up completely. If you aren’t there mentally for the pre-game you won’t be there mentally for the start of the game.”
3:00 remaining
At this point the clock stops, and is no longer a concern for the players.
Now back in the locker room, Teagle will go over his game notes and scouting report one final time.
Following the review, the squad will wait in the locker room hallway for the band to finish playing the national anthem. Then it’s back to the corner of the floor where they huddle again, closing with a chant of “One, two, three, team” as the clock starts once again.
They’ll shoot around for the next two minutes.
1:00 remaining
All the players head back to the bench, with the non-starters forming a human tunnel while the starters get rid of their warm-up shirts and take their seats. The team then watches quietly as the opposing starters are introduced.
Now the Patriot starters are introduced. Each starter hops through the tunnel of teammates, meeting up with Spencer Hummer at the end. Hummer does something different with each player — a chest-bump for one, perhaps a high-five for another.
Once more the starters huddle on the court, this time with Teagle, while the non-starters head to the bench. Teagle gives them his last words of advice, then it’s time to play ball.
Quite a bit has happened, and all before the game has even begun. So does all of this pre-game hoopla make much of a difference?
“A couple of years ago I didn’t think so, but this year I think it’s helped out a lot,” says Rigby. “Everybody goes hard in pre-game and that’s how we play in games.
“As a senior you realize everything is pretty well important — everything you do on the floor. So you’ve got to keep doing it as hard as you can.”
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When fans leave the game they talk about a lot of things:
The final score.
The big 3-pointer.
The steal for the game-winning basket.
But there are a lot of things fans see, and don’t see, which are most likely overlooked, despite their importance.
Game-time for the Jay County High School boys basketball players, and all teams, starts well before they actually take the floor for the opening tip:
3:30 remaining JV third quarter
After watching the JV first half and the beginning of the second, the Patriot varsity players head to the locker room to the applause of the home fans. But while those fans quickly focus back on the JV game, talking to friends or getting some pre-game popcorn, the team is getting in game mode even though the varsity clock won’t start ticking for more than 30 minutes.
Once they reach the locker room, the first five to 10 minutes or so are personal time. Different players have their own routines as they change into uniforms and warm-ups from dress clothes.
While most everyone else is getting a drink of Gatorade, senior John Retter prefers a Coke — often used to wash down some popcorn of his own.
“Pretty much everyone is just calm and laid back and pretty much doing their own thing,” Retter says, with his trademark laugh following quickly. “We all know each other and we all hang out and have a good time. It’s fun because we all entertain each other. It relaxes us.
“If it was all strict and stuff ... then we’d all be pretty uptight.”
Corey Comer, a junior, doesn’t need the popcorn Retter opts for. This year he’s taken to eating Subway before every game, figuring the team’s 7-1 record is proof his ritual is working.
Senior Tyler Rigby goes through the same series of stretches at the same time before every game while senior Zac Green and junior Scott “Scooter” Bruggeman simply try to get into the right frame of mind.
“I just try to picture some of the things that might happen in the game and go through them mentally,” says Bruggeman. “(I think of) the guy guarding me, the moves I have to do so he won’t bother me. I go through all the offensive motions and what I have to do on defense.”
Randy Evans’ pre-game pattern is much more personal.
Evans, a senior, listens to three songs he put together in remembrance of his friend Justin Myers — “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy, “Dreams” by Van Halen and “Time After Time” by Ozzy Osbourne. Myers was killed in single-vehicle accident on icy roads Jan. 30, 2005.
“It gets me not really thinking about anything else,” says Evans, who also has a tattoo in Myers’ honor. “I just get everything out and focus on basketball.”
2:30 remaining
JV fourth quarter
From this point on, the individual stuff is over. It’s all team, all the time.
The varsity players gather around the dry-erase board in the locker room to go over coach Craig Teagle’s pre-game notes. (More on these in part two of the series.)
Every player has a different idea of what part of the team’s series of pre-game activities is most important. Evans says this is his.
If any part of the game plan has slipped out of the players’ brains, Teagle crams it back in.
“It gets us in the right mode,” Evans says.
Conclusion of JV game
20:00 on pre-game clock
After gathering in the locker room hallway the Patriots walk out to the corner of the floor, getting in a circle for the first of four times. They’ll do it again before the leave the floor after pre-game warm-ups, when they return to the floor for player introductions and one more time right before the start of the game.
While talking about the band and great fans (the third part of this series) and Teagle’s talk in the locker room, Comer says he gets most fired up for action in the midst of his circle of teammates.
Everyone has a chance to get a few words in, but Rigby, a captain, is most often doing the talking.
“I try to give them a little pep in their step to try to get them up for the game, make sure they’re focused,” Rigby says.
19:30 remaining
After circling the court, Jay County goes through a series of warm-up drills, starting with the “z-drill”. Each group of partners takes turns dribbling against the other, in a “Z” pattern.
Next comes the two-man up-and-down passing drill, followed by some rebounding.
18:00 remaining
Time for the daily dozen, which is fairly self explanatory.
Starting with a variety of lay-ups, the Patriots go through a series of 12 different shots. Among the variety are reverse lay-ups, pull-up jumpers and three-pointers, with shots from enough different angles to prepare the players for any shot they might take during the upcoming contest. At some point during this stretch most of the players also remove their warm-up pants, tossing them to the bench.
12:00 remaining
The three-man weave. A passing drill involving three players, obviously.
Of all the drills, Green says the three-man weave most helps him prepare for the flow of the game, but “It’s all important, because you get loosened up,” he adds. “It gives you a feel for if you’re feeling good or not physically for the game. It’s also mental, being in the locker room. Both of them are big parts.”
11:00 remaining
From this point on it’s partner shooting — basically a shoot-around for each player to try some shots he might expect to see during the game. This lasts for at least five minutes, giving each player plenty of time to launch a bundle of 3-pointers or camp under the basket to grab rebounds and kick the ball out to their shooting teammates.
After the 5:00
mark passes
The players get in a defensive stance and move in a criss-cross pattern: from under the basket, to center court, to the left sideline parallel to the foul line and across to the right sideline.
The players slap both hands on the floor at each stop along the way, finally meeting again in their circle for another pep talk before they run off the floor.
“Our warm-up goes through every part of the game,” says Bruggeman. “It warms us up completely. If you aren’t there mentally for the pre-game you won’t be there mentally for the start of the game.”
3:00 remaining
At this point the clock stops, and is no longer a concern for the players.
Now back in the locker room, Teagle will go over his game notes and scouting report one final time.
Following the review, the squad will wait in the locker room hallway for the band to finish playing the national anthem. Then it’s back to the corner of the floor where they huddle again, closing with a chant of “One, two, three, team” as the clock starts once again.
They’ll shoot around for the next two minutes.
1:00 remaining
All the players head back to the bench, with the non-starters forming a human tunnel while the starters get rid of their warm-up shirts and take their seats. The team then watches quietly as the opposing starters are introduced.
Now the Patriot starters are introduced. Each starter hops through the tunnel of teammates, meeting up with Spencer Hummer at the end. Hummer does something different with each player — a chest-bump for one, perhaps a high-five for another.
Once more the starters huddle on the court, this time with Teagle, while the non-starters head to the bench. Teagle gives them his last words of advice, then it’s time to play ball.
Quite a bit has happened, and all before the game has even begun. So does all of this pre-game hoopla make much of a difference?
“A couple of years ago I didn’t think so, but this year I think it’s helped out a lot,” says Rigby. “Everybody goes hard in pre-game and that’s how we play in games.
“As a senior you realize everything is pretty well important — everything you do on the floor. So you’ve got to keep doing it as hard as you can.”
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