Opening night and a win

“That was an exciting game to watch,” Marisa Hendrickson said as she waited to enter the weight room following Corvallis High’s 56-49 season-opening victory over McKay.

The last three or four minutes were pretty exciting for the Spartans, as they rallied with a 15-0 run to close the game to help give first-year coach Joe Williamson his first victory.

Katie Schrock (not Nicole like it said in the paper. I swear I said Katie when I called it in.), came off the bench to give the Spartans a spark, keying the run with some solid defense and a couple of layups.

Gabe Johnson also shined for the Spartans, leading the way with 22 points.

While the win was nice, the Spartans know they have a lot of work to do if they want to be the best team they can.

That was the message following the game.

Sometimes its hard to think of a win as a loss, but sometimes you win when you don’t deserve to. And there are times when you lose when you deserve to win.

While the Spartans looked out of sync and a step slow at times, they came on down the stretch and got the job done.
The Spartans showed what they are capable of during that 3-4 minute span in the fourth quarter. Listen to the coaches, sell out and good things will happen.

They failed to meet a couple of pregame goals, but may have gained some confidence with the finish.

It’s a long season, one that could be filled with ups and downs. It is also one that could produce the type of season the girls are hoping for.

The first game is in the books. Today’s practice (filled with running I hear) may not be all that fun, and the film session may be even less fun.

Want to get better? You have learn from mistakes and correct them for the next game.

Gabe said she wasn’t looking forward to all the running, but knows it is what is needed.

What is also needed is continued bonding. Sometimes its hard to enjoy a win when you aren’t out on the court playing. Who is out there at the end could change each game so players need to remain focused on getting better each day and earn the right to be on the floor. And when they aren’t out there, they need to cheer on their teammates, something that happened during
that final stretch.

One game down, the rest of the season to go.

Next game: Saturday at home against Springfield.