Bonner Springs Basketball Breakdown

By David Brox, davidbrox@shukc.com

As I get a look at each of the teams in the city I will be writing up a review of the teams strengths and weaknesses. 

Bonner Springs has an unquestioned leader in BJ Watson at the point guard position.  He is fast and could possibly be one of the top shooters in the city this year.  He is definitely not afraid to attack the basket and take the punishment that a small guard should expect going into the lane.  If there was a stat for hitting the floor Watson is definitely a favorite to win.

The danger in a scoring point guard however is what that means for the rest of the team.  We will have to monitor BJ's team mates to makes sure they don't get in a mode of watching instead of staying active on offense.  He will have to make sure he is keeping his team mates involved as well.  With his quickness we should see at least 5 assist per game.  I will be keeping an eye on his assist to turnover ratio.  Not just for BJ but all PG's that are covered.  Taking care of the ball is paramount.

Senior C Brett Steuart plays very aggressively and hits the boards well.  He plays a bit of an enforcer role as he definitely was not afraid to get in there and push some people around.  He was not shy about asking for the ball in the post as well.

Senior F Stevie Williams will bring the house down a few times this year.  Without doubt he is the best leaper on the team.  This shows up in his drives to the basket as well as rebounding the ball on offense and defense.  I expect Stevie to be a vocal leader for this team.  I commented to his dad with in the first few minutes that he looked like a completely different player than over the summer.  This is a good sign for Bonner fans.

Guard JJ Jackson impressed me with his defense tonight.  He did not show the ability to create his own shot but has a nice looking jump shot which will prove important as teams pinch in on Watson driving to the basket.  Every team needs a defensive stopper and JJ's work ethic shows up clearly on the defensive side of the ball.

Jordan Jackson is the only under classman in the starting line up.  In his first start he showed the exact same mentality he did on the football field.  A willingness to take care of the basketball and limit mistakes.  He also appears to have a nice spot up jump shot and toward the end of the game some ability to get to the rim.  As he matures he could become a second or third option in this offense.

Coach Andrew Price went fairly deep into his bench.  Jourdaine Smallwood was very steady off the bench backing up Watson.  Ivory Elijah showed some burst in the game as well.  I really got the impression that Coach Price was evaluating what he has available to him.  I am not a huge fan of 10 man rotations so we will have to see how this plays out over the season.

Defensively I was very impressed with the different looks they gave.  They played a match up zone, showed some press and a very effective half court trapping defense.  There were a few instances that these defenses took them out of rebounding position but we will see how this progresses during the season.

Offensively Bonner was heavily reliant on Watson.  Williams, Stuart and JJ Jackson will have to pick up some of the scoring slack.  I can see some teams going box and 1 on Watson to force someone else to create.  The offensive sets were very good and play well to the 3 guard look they are playing.

I will be watching closely the development of Tyler Howell.  A legit 6'7" C would prove invaluable for a team of shooters.  This will be the challenge for Coach Price in terms of getting him to use his size and strength to dominate down low.

I am aware of this being the first game but these are my inital impressions and what I will be watching for when I see Bonner later in the year.

Congrats to the Braves on their first win.

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Lansing thumps Bishop Ward 60-25

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Just as their 4A counterparts from Basehor-Linwood did, the second-ranked 5A team from Lansing, Kansas put on an early clinic to begin the season.

Izaiah Grice's 16 points were a game-high as Lansing cruised to a 60-25 victory against the Bishop Ward Cyclones Friday night. Sophomore Khalil Bailey added 10 points for the Lions.

Ten different Lions scored in the game that featured very little drama.

The Lions led 20-8 after one quarter and after holding Ward to just two second quarter points, Lansing took a commanding 39-10 lead into the break.

Ward was led by senior C.J. Vallejo. Vallejo was the only Cyclones to crack double figures with 10 points.

Evan Brull added six points for the Cyclones.

One big difference in the game came from the three-point line. Bishop Ward was unable to hit one shot from three, while Lansing hit eight three-pointers in the game.

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B.J. Watson explodes for 29 points as Bonner survives game effort from Piper

 By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

The first game for the Piper Pirates under new head coach Steve Wallace ended up a loss.

However, the effort was there and it's clear this Piper team will be improved from last year's squad.

Piper fell 61-51 against Bonner Springs to open things on the road.

After putting up a strong effort in the first half, the Pirates just could not contain the senior combination of B.J. Watson and Stevie Williams.

Watson and Williams combined for 39 points Friday night, but it was the guard Watson who played the best game of his career points wise.

The brother of Sumner Academy Sabres great Neil Watson proved that he's building his own legacy.

Watson scored 29 points, hitting two three-pointers in the game. The 29 points are a career high for Watson.
Williams, meanwhile, added 10 points.

In a sloppy game throughout, the Pirates led a majority of the first half.

Piper took a 16-11 lead into the second quarter and led at the half 29-28.

However, Bonner's advantage in experience shined in the second half, as Bonner outscored Piper 33-22 in the second half.

Tyrone Jennings scored 11 points for Piper, leading the way. He was the only Pirate in double figures for the night.

Daryl Stewart and Colton Beebe both scored nine points in the game.

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Watson Too Much for Piper

By David Brox, davidbrox@shukc.com

It was a game of runs tonight at Bonner Springs as the Braves beat the Piper Pirates 61 - 51 in the home opener.  BJ Watson was dominant scoring 29 points including a 60 footer at the end of the 3rd quarter which gets my KCK Preps play of the game.

The game started as you would expect with Bonner jumping out to an early lead 8 - 2 behind a strong open by Stevie Williams who finished with 10 points.

Piper behind the solid play of Junior PG Calvin Johnson answered the opening charge with a  14 - 3 run to close out the first quarter.  I was very impressed with his ball handling in the face of Watson's aggressive defense.  He distributed the ball well.  Throw him into the mix of solid point guards the city has this year.

Bonner took that punch and opened the 2nd quarter with a 9 - 0 spirt to take a 20 - 16 advantage.

Piper closed the half with a 13 - 8 run and had a 1 point advantage at the half 28 - 29.  The play was extremly sloppy but that is to be expected in the first game of the year.

The second half started just like the first with Bonner jumping on the Pirates 8 - 1.  I was however very impressed with the fight that Pirates showed.  Junior guard Tyrone Jennings lead the Pirates with 11 points.  The Pirates were very balanced on offense with 5 players scoring over 7 points.  Piper responded with a 6 - 0 run to pull even at 36.

Watson however closed the deal at the end of the 3rd quarter.  With 2.1 seconds left BJ's dad let him know he had 2 dribbles to get off a shot.  Well he decided to use just one before tossing up the 60 footer as time expired.  It is awesome to see the solid bond with his dad as he immediately turned to him with his hands raised.  Good moment.  That closed the quarter 19 - 11 and a 47 - 40 lead after 3 quarters.

Piper was not able to mount another rally but definitely showed a lot of fight tonight.

I think the huge runs are a clear sign of inconsistency that these teams will have to address as the season progresses.  BJ Watson is without doubt the player of the game.  I will work on acquiring some film of his performance.

NOTES:

Bonner's girls won 36 - 26 behind Erica Wilson's 12 points.

Stevie Williams went down in the second half with severe cramps.  He later returned to the line up and hit some key free throws.

Coaches from Schlagle were spotted as they prepare for Piper Monday night in Eudora.

Team unity appears to be strong as the Sumner Sabres boys team was at the game.  They play Hogan tomorrow night.

Kudos to the Pirate and Bonner student sections.  I really like to see the organized chants.  I have to give the edge to Piper in regards to crowd noise.  We will have to see which student section in KCK will win the KCK Preps award.  Get creative and definitely be organized.

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Bobcats "Big 3" dominating as Basehor opens with 35-point win

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

There was no sign of first game rust for the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats basketball team.

Basehor put on a road clinic against Tonganoxie, prevailing 74-39 on opening night in the Kaw Valley League.

Ryan Murphy, Colin Murphy and Ben Johnson displayed why Basehor was ranked #2 in the preseason coaches poll at the 4A level.

The Murphy's combined for 33 points in the game, led by Ryan's 19 while Colin added 14.

Johnson, the big man inside, had 14 points. He also hit a three-pointer in the game, displaying why some fans think Johnson could be the breakout star of the Kaw Valley League this year.

Basehor led by just six points after the first quarter, but began dominating the game in the second.

The Bobcats put up 46 points over the next two quarters to help extend their lead to 61-33 as fourth quarter play began.

Basehor hit five threes in the game.

Lane Younger's 10 points put the number of Bobcats who scored in double digits to four. Basehor's defense only allowed one player from Tonganoxie to score in double figures.

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Sophomore guard Custer rips apart Harmon as Hawks fall 72-43

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

History will tell you that General Custer did not have a good day at the Little Big Horn.

The present will tell you that Blue Valley Northwest sophomore guard Clayton Custer had a very good day against the Harmon Hawks.

Custer poured in 26 points as the Blue Valley Northwest Huskies breezed to a 72-43 victory against the Hawks on opening night.

The Hawks trailed early in the game and could never recover from a nine-point first quarter.

Blue Valley Northwest led by 13 after one and were never really threatened from there. Harmon battled in the second quarter and limited the damage to 14 points at the half, trailing 34-20.

However, another weak quarter offensively put the Hawks down by 24 after the third quarter.

Darrin Hawkins led the way with 12 points for Harmon.

Blue Valley Northwest, who torched Schlagle last year with 16 three-pointers, did not need as many Friday night against Harmon.

Custer's three led the way, while Harmon just hit two shots from behind the arc.

John Giess added 10 points for Blue Valley Northwest.

Harmon started last year 8-0. With the loss, Harmon starts the 2011-12 season 0-1.

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Lady Sabres Drop Opener on the Road

Home court advantage in sports is very real. There is definitely something to having the adrenaline pumping and having your fans cheer you and your team mates to perform at a high level.

Sumner lost a close game last night against Ruskin 38 to 33 and their home crowd played a big role.

Coach Torrence Allen described it this way. "Ruskins home crowd was a major factor in the game, it was one of the best atmospheres we have played in and they did not have a band.  Great team spirit. There gym is exactly like Washington's but blue and gold. It was so loud we could not hear and it rattled my young players at times."

Allen also talked a bit about the keys to the game.

"I needed to get my girls experience at the varsity level. We wanted to keep our composure which I thought we did well. We also wanted to finish plays which we did not do very well. We also wanted to take care of the basketball, which we did a poor job of.  We are a work in progress and we look forward to getting better."

This was valuable experience for coach Allen's squad.

"We gotta get better on the offensive end, finishing plays and taking care of the basketball. There is no substitution for experience. Last night was the first time 6 of my players (3 of whom started) played meaningful minutes on the varsity level."

This experience will prepare this team for the Olathe South tournament starting on 12/6.

Junior point guard Janicka Burgess led the way for the Sabres with 10 points.

Support your local school teams. I will be making every effort to attend a home game for each of the KCK schools. I want to find out which school has the best support for their teams. Rally behind the Lady Sabres this year and help make their home court a real advantage.

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GardnerEdge/KCK Preps Interview: Bubba Starling, Kansas City Royals

By ADAM DROVETTA, GardnerEdge.com

After a summer spent weighing the options of a pro baseball career or the life of a two-sport athlete in college, two months in Arizona, and a quad injury, Kansas City Royals first-round pick Bubba Starling is settling into his first off season as a professional athlete.

"When I'm not working out, I'm with my dad usually hunting. I can't fish anymore because of the weather but I'm outside quite a bit, I just went hunting last weekend out in Western Kansas.

Basically just a lot of outdoor things and being with the family. It's nice being with them because I'm not going to be able to see them very much next year," said Starling about how he's spending his time off.

Starling added that he's also spending time travelling. His family went to Los Angeles earlier this fall and is also planning an upcoming trip to Jamaica.

The 19-year-old outfield prospect has spent a lot of time around his hometown, as well.

Starling said he is doing his workouts at Anytime Fitness in Gardner and has also taken in some Gardner-Edgerton football games since returning home.

The former Trailblazer was also on hand to help light the lights for the opening of Christmas in the Park in Gardner.

Starling says he's enjoying his workout routine because it's designed specifically for baseball and gives him the chance to focus on the things he hopes to improve.

"There's a lot of different qualities [to the workout]," Starling said, "Definitely speed and strength and just all of those little things. I'm not looking to get big or anything. I'm just trying to keep my strength..
[Coaches] definitely want me to work on my flexibility. That's obviously an issue for me. I need to work on that in the off season. Putting on [weight] in my lower half so I can use more of my legs when I'm swinging. It's going to help out quite a bit if I can do that."

There are also adjustments Starling is hoping to make at the plate, mainly adjusting to the different types of pitches he's seeing at the professional level.

"It's definitely the off-speed, breaking balls, stuff like that. I have to work quite a bit on getting my foot down so I can read that off-speed pitch. Just little things like that will help me out a lot with my swing," he said.

Starling's first season in the Instructional League was punctuated early by a quad injury.

He said he believes he would've finished strong if not for the injury and before it happened, he had certainly found his stride. At one point, he went 4-for-7 with a home run, a double, six RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base in just two games.

He said it was a slow start, however.

"Right off the bat I was struggling pretty bad and finally got some confidence and I was working with the hitting coach. He kind of fixed a few things with my hands and my bat level and I just got some confidence on my first hit and it just kept going from there," he said.

The memory of his first professional home run is still fresh enough in Starling's mind that he's able to recall seemingly every detail of the at bat.

"It felt great," he said, "It happened to be my third hit of the Instructional League. I kept fouling pitches off and it ended up going to a 3-2 count. Then I got a fastball at 93 mph and just hammered it over the left-center field fence. It just felt really good."

Along with his early trouble at the plate, Starling admitted to feeling a little homesick early on during his time in Arizona, something he said was helped by his teammates and playing the sport he loves.

"Right off the bat there it was kind of tough for me because I was with my family for the past 18 years and it was tough to be out on my own but all of the guys welcomed me, they were all pretty nice and it just kind of made me feel like that was my home out there. I missed being here but I guess I'm just going to have to get used to that for the future," he said, "But I love baseball so much just getting to go out and play baseball for my job is big for me. That's actually what takes my mind off of missing my parents is just playing baseball. It just kind of takes my mind off of all of that stuff."

There were a few familiar faces for Starling when he got to Arizona, he said, including the Royals third-round pick, right-handed pitcher Bryan Brickhouse from The Woodlands, Texas, who played with Starling on the Under-Armour All American team in the summer of 2010.

Starling also said he saw some of his teammates from Team USA playing for other Major League organizations.

"Just going back and forth with different guys I played with at different levels it's been pretty cool getting to meet them and see how much they've grown as baseball players and how they're playing," he said.

Starling admitted there are moments when he thinks about if he'd chosen to play football at Nebraska rather than going right into pro baseball, but he said he doesn't regret the decision he made at all.

"I'll think about it when I'm watching them on TV...but I'm happy where I'm at. I wouldn't change my decision if I could do it over again. I love where I'm at," he said, "I'm getting to focus on one sport and just practice that the whole time. It's definitely helping me out. I'm not as stressed as I was last year. I just felt like I'd do one sport and then be on to the next sport and I'd be stressed about if I'd play good, since I hadn't spent much time practicing. This kind of just relieves a lot of stress. I'm just excited because I think it'll help me out a lot and I'll be a better player."

After his off season, Starling will be back in Arizona in late February for the minor league Spring Training sessions.

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