Ready for No. 1?
By Michael Ashford
Originally published 02:07 p.m., December 20, 2007
Updated 02:07 p.m., December 20, 2007
Now is as good a time as ever for the Emporia High boys basketball team to face one of the top-ranked teams in the state.
That’s what EHS coach Rick Bloomquist believes, and that’s what he and his Spartans are going to get Friday night when they play host to Centennial League foe Hayden, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A.
“We need to play a team like Hayden,” Bloomquist said. “Tulsa (Memorial) was a big challenge for us, there’s no question about that, but this is more of a challenge because we should be more improved, it’s a league game and Hayden’s really good. In my opinion, they’re the best team in 4A, could be one of the best teams in 5A and would be a contender in 6A.”
And no, Bloomquist is not just blowing smoke.
The Wildcats (3-0, 2-0 Centennial League) boast one of the top players in the state in 6-foot-5 junior guard Jeff Reid, who transferred to Hayden from Brewster this year. Reid — the younger brother of former Kansas State player Josh Reid — is being recruited by Kansas State, Kansas and Gonzaga, among others, and is averaging 13.3 points per game this season.
But Reid isn’t even the top scorer for the Wildcats. Stephen Feighny has been good for 16.3 points per contest for Hayden.
Add in a talented surrounding cast of large, athletic and physical players, and Hayden makes for one imposing basketball team.
“They’re definitely going to out-size us, we know that for sure,” said senior Caydrick Bloomquist, who leads EHS in scoring at 21 points per game. “Hayden’s always big. We’re basically going to try and match up with them the best we can.”
But don’t expect the Spartans (3-2, 1-0) to roll over for Hayden.
The sixth-ranked (Class 5A) Spartans feel good after picking up a 60-49 victory over Topeka High last Friday, and they also believe they match up better against Hayden than they have the past few years.
Six-foot-five senior center Troy Pierce has looked stronger and more athletic in the low post this season, as he is close to averaging a double-double with nine points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Six-foot-six sophomore Greg Canales (5.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg) has shown flashes of high-quality play in the early going with a nice shooting touch away from the basket, while ultra-athletic senior Brandon Childs (6-3) has made a difference in rebounding.
“I think our inside game is better than it was last year,” Coach Bloomquist said. “I think we have more of a presence than we did last year, so that should help us.”
That low-post production will need to come up big against Hayden — which swept the two-game series last season — particularly on the glass. In both games last year, the Wildcats physically out-manned Emporia in the rebounding battle, something Rick Bloomquist said could not happen this year if the Spartans hope to pull off the upset.
“We can win this game if we get out-rebounded, but we can’t be dominated on the boards,” he said. “They’ll overmatch us on the inside if we don’t have everybody come to play. I’m not saying we have to beat them on the boards, but if they dominate the boards, they’ll win the ballgame.”
That line of thinking could ring true for the Emporia High girls as well.
The Lady Spartans, ranked second in Class 5A and sporting a 4-0 record overall and a 1-0 league mark, will face easily their sternest test of the season so far against a physically superior Hayden squad (3-0, 2-0).
“It’s going to be really tough,” senior forward Sadie Webb said. “We’re going to have to play really well.”
What stands out the most when sizing up the Lady Wildcats is their balance on offense.
Lindsay Biggs and Aubree Luebbe lead the way in scoring at 16.3 and 15.7 points per game, respectively, while freshman Jayde Reid is third on the team with a 9.7 average.
But then there’s the monster that is Corrinne Stringer.
Though never a big threat to score, Stringer is a warrior in the rebounding department. She grabbed a combined 29 rebounds in two games against Emporia last season, which the two teams split.
She’s enough of a force down low that the Lady Wildcats look to her nearly every time down the court.
“Last year, they pretty much ran their whole offense through her,” Webb said.
The Lady Spartans believe they have the talent needed to fend off 10th-ranked (Class 4A) Hayden, as three EHS players are scoring in double figures. Nichole Naab leads the way at 15.3 points per game, followed by Webb (12.8 ppg) and Lexi Hileman (10.5 ppg). Also, Lindy Arndt is chipping in eight points per contest.
Webb said EHS would like nothing more than to head into the upcoming vacation with a marquee victory over a team like Hayden.
“It would give us a big boost of confidence going into Christmas break,” Webb said, “not only because of the fact that we’d be 5-0, but also because we would have beaten a team like Hayden, who every year, they’re always tough no matter what.”