Scout team plays big role in success (03/22/06)

Everyone knows about Tyler Rigby and Randy Evans. They know about Zac Green and John Retter, Corey Comer and Scott Bruggeman, Clint Muhlenkamp, Luke Goetz and Billy Wellman.

But there are more who go into making a run to the state championship game. The effort goes beyond the varsity players, and beyond the coaching staff.

Six players — juniors Spencer Hummer, Luke McClung, Rhett Retter and Jon Wenger, sophomore Heath Rigby and freshman Adam Garringer — have spent the last month doing a thankless job. They are the scout team.

“Basically what their responsibility has been since sectional play started is to go through the other team’s offense and defense and simulate it to the best of their ability so that we are mentally and physically prepared for what you’re going to see,” said JCHS coach Craig Teagle, whose team will play New Castle for the Class 3A state championship at Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday at 6 p.m. “You don’t get to this point without doing a pretty good job of simulating.

“They’ve just been invaluable, especially in tournament play.”

McClung, Retter and Hummer saw their only tournament minutes in the sectional-opening blowout of Elwood.

Rigby and Garringer haven’t been in game action since the final junior varsity game of the regular season, on Feb. 24. And because of extenuating circumstances (see column), Jon Wenger hasn’t played a single minute at any level all year.

And yet, they keep on practicing.

“After each game I’ve asked them, ‘Guys can you go one more week?’,” said Teagle. “And they’re like, ‘Coach, we’ll go as long as you want.’ They really know that they play an important role, and we hope to reward them for that role.”

The week for the scout team begins with each coach breaking down a tape or two of the opposing team, and Teagle looking at a couple more. They put together a scouting report, which includes the basics of its offense and defense.

Then, while the varsity is going through its drills at the beginning of practice, the scout team learns with freshman coach Andy Isch. Early in the week they go through the opposing team’s main offenses and defenses as well as some of its out-of-bounds plays.

“Basically we’re just out here making them better,” said McClung. “Whatever it takes to make the team better, we’ll do it.”

“We try to do our best to prepare them,” said Heath Rigby, younger brother of leading scorer Tyler Rigby. “It’s hard to do it in a week, but we try.”

As the practice week goes on, the scout team’s job becomes more specific. Each player is assigned a member of the opposition to portray. They learn tendancies, whether their player likes to catch-and-shoot, drive to the basket or post up. They learn which hand a player dribbles with, which way he likes to turn after getting the ball, if he shoots a lot or not much at all.

Each member of the scout team becomes an actor for the week, scrimmaging against the varsity and trying to portray the opposition as best they can. The goal is that when the varsity takes the floor for its next tournament game there are no surprises.

“They’ve been a big help,” said Tyler Rigby. “It’s asking a lot of them to know a team’s offense that quick ... but I think they’ve done a real good job preparing us for the games.

“They help out more than anybody could say. Nobody ever sees them, nobody knows about what they do, but they help us out a lot.”

In the last four weeks the scout team has learned the offenses and defense of seven different opponents. And they’ve done it all for no playing time, no immediate pay-off. But they know there is one.

They’ve gotten to be in the middle of the greatest tournament run in county history. They’re in the locker room and on the bench at every game, and on the court in the middle of each celebration.

And, they figure, what better way to prepare themselves for the rest of their high school career than to play against a team which will finish no worse than state runner-up.

“I just enjoy coming out and playing basketball with the greatest guys that have been at Jay County so far,” said Hummer. “This is definitely an honor. This is a privilege, honestly. You’re playing with a top basketball team in 3A basketball in Indiana.”

And even though they toil week after week in obscurity their effort has never faltered.

“They play so hard,” said Isch. “You would swear they were the ones getting ready to play for a state championship.”

“That’s really the trademark or stamp you can put on this whole team ... they’re always looking out for what’s best for the team,” said Teagle. “They’re willing to sacrifice, willing to do whatever is necesary to help the team win. You don’t get where we’re at without those type of kids. We can’t thank them enough.[[In-content Ad]]