Take Their Talents to Columbia

As the game clock at Centralia High School slowly approached expiration, the Winfield Warriors, both player and fan alike, averted their eyes. They dared not look at the proverbial timer that, upon hitting zero, would close the book on their season. However, their ears betrayed them. The students and fans of the Class 3 District 8 champions made sure that what the Warriors refused to see was heard by everyone in the gym.

10-9-8...

The players on the Eagles' bench stood to their feet, throwing their arms in the air and their eyes to the sky.

7-6...

Coach Dave Meers stood at the end of the bench, stoic in posture, but excitement and pride beaming off of his face like the lights that illuminated the gymnasium.

5-4...

The Pep Club prepared themselves to storm the court, ready to trample anything in their way.

3-2...

And the clock didn't make it to one. Around 1.7-1.3, the celebration began. The students charged center-court, meeting the players from the floor and bench to create a celebratory mob. And unlike almost every crazed fan you'll ever see on Sportscenter or any giddy college student on ESPN Gameday, the index finger on everyone's hand pointed upwards actually meant something. This age-old sign of victory signified something special. The Eagles were now officially the best. The victors. The winners. #1.

Champions.

Amidst the hugs and shouts and smiles, the players walked about, soaking in the feeling of a hard-fought win (and the sweat that came with it.) After a good 15-20 minutes of celebration, the players made their way back to the locker room to prepare themselves for the trip back to O'Fallon. However, the feeling that dominated the presence of the players and coaches wasn't one of satisfaction. But why not? They had just taken home the first district championship in the basketball program. Wouldn't it make sense if they felt satisfied? Not this team. Now that they've tasted ultimate victory, they're hungry for more. And more is being set before them. The time for celebration has ended. It's time to clean the plate.

I talked to Adam Glenville the day after and his words encouraged me. He said, "We're not done yet. We're not even close to being done yet." That was music to my ears. It's good to hear that this team isn't ready to be finished. So without further ado, let's look at what's ahead for this team...

The boys will travel to Moberly on Wednesday to take on Elsberry. The two squads met earlier this season and the outcome wasn't favorable for the Eagles. The Indians defeated the Eagles 56-46, making the Eagles the runner-up of their second tournament in the season. While this may seem like a sign to make Eagle's fans shake in their boots (along with Elsberry's impressive 23-4 record), this game was actually a turning point in the season. Since that game, the Eagles have a 12-4 record, a deceiving number when you consider they defeated Whitfield and suffered bad losses to Westminster, Crossroads, and North County Tech. This includes their current five-game winning streak, their longest of the season.

Also, if you take a look at the last game against Elsberry versus Wednesday's far-more-important contest, the Eagles should have a clear advantage. When they took on the Indians at the Clopton tournament, it was essentially a home game for Elsberry. Elsberry and Clopton have teamed up in the past in order to form other athletic teams, so there is a strong bond between the schools, resulting in a strong Indian crowd. This should be different on Wednesday as the game is in a neutral location. Also, the game is at a college-sized gym, the same size gym that the Eagles practice on every day. The Elsberry big men had noticable trouble running the floor at a small Clopton gym, making the game on Wednesday about speed. And the Eagles have plenty of that. Another key factor is defense. The Eagles have racked up 80 steals in the last 3 games (30, 26, 24). This is a very important stat, as it plays right into the hands of the Eagles' fastbreaking strategy. Finally, shooting will be a key factor in the outcome of the game. The Eagles, usually a decent shooting team, shot a shocking 30% from the field (15-50), including 4-24 from behind the arc (1-9 for Adam, 0-6 for Andrew.) That shooting percentage is bound to go up now that the Eagles are making better decisions with the ball and have developed their offensive game. The Eagles also shot 70.6% from the free-throw line. They'll need to repeat that in order to stay in the game and maintain a lead.

Yes, indeed, the Eagles are the champions. But only of their district. Now is their chance to take their talents to Columbia and Mizzou Arena and take home a state championship. The path isn't going to be easy. The Eagles' region contains the defending state champion Cardinal Ritter Lions (22-5.) They will be playing on Wednesday against the up-start Orchard Farm Eagles (24-4.) Nevertheless, the road starts Wednesday with a game the Eagles should come away with. And I whole-heartedly believe they will. Just like Adam said...

"We're not even close to being done yet."