Two very, very different games. Here are some takeaways, first for girls:
- It’s Clatskanie’s championship to lose. Thy run the floor better than just about any team in the state 2A-4A, play defense better than just about any team 2A-4A, and have mabye the best player in 2A-4A.
- Amity is in a world of hurt in the post Keeley Graham/Alyssa Plummer era. They have real talent in their starting 5, but lack a true ball handler. One is going to have to emerge, or they’ll be zoned and pressed to death. If they can find one, they’re a legitimate contender for the PacWest title.
- One thing that really confused us…why was Shelby Blodgett still in the game while up 40 in the 3rd quarter, or when up 50 in the 4th? I’m sure there was a good reason, just was perplexing.
- Not a whole lot to analyze, Clatskanie was an absolute mismatch.
Now, some boys thoughts:
- Clatskanie can play really good defense. They’re physical, have good guard to hold the top of the zone, and have just the right amount of energy to rotate without over rotating. It’s impressive to watch, they held Josh Wart in check pretty much the whole game.
- With that said, they need to get better on the offensive end. Amity is a good defensive team, but Clatskanie is just a step behind. Which is made even weirder, considering whenever they got into the dribble drive they were always had a quicker first step than the Warriors could handle.
- Amity needs time to cook. All the ingredients are there, they’ve been concocted and assembled in the right order, they just need some time to mature together. They’re incredibly young, only featuring one senior in the normal rotation (Jacob Bernards).
- With that said, zone offense is a work in progress. For now, the blueprint is there is you want to challenge amity: zone pressure, run the floor, shoot efficient shots. A good zone defense can take away Wart in the post apparently, coaches will take notice of that.
- With that said, going back to Clatskanie’s D, they had the length to pull off the 2-3, and be lax with their perimeter coverage while intense in the paint. They have guys that can cover the perimeter allowing the under 3 to just focus on a Josh Wart, most teams don’t. That will make Clatskanie competitive in almost every game they’re in.
- Home openers carry a certain energy to them. Clatskanie played like it was their home opener, was fun to watch.
- Amity is a real championship contender, and has an argument to be #1 in the state right now.
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