Gramps Braggin Rights Missouri Class One Girls Basketball ratings - 01/13/2022
It is that time of year. Time to fish or cut bait. Time to revisit the team makeup and make adjustments.
Some teams don't need adjustment. Everything is working and the team is performing up to expectations. Even if the team is performing well, you want to give some younger kids some varsity experience and a taste of what it will be like in the next few years.
For some other teams, the squad might have a 6-10 or 8-8 record, when you started the season like gangbusters and you had thoughts of a 25 win season. Reality sets in and you realize the kids on the court or on the bench are not plus players, but zero-minus performers. You put them into the game and hope and pray you still have a lead when the starters go back in. You work to get these guys productive when they do play but it's that time of year where some changes in rotation or personnel might give your team a lift.
Sometimes, that's when you look at the junior varsity to see if there are any kids that could stir things up and lift the team. Sometimes, because of injury or illness, you have to pull kids up from JV whether they are ready or not.
That happened four years ago for a grandson, Nate Parker, and the guy he replaced was none other than Hassan Haskins, the star running back for the Michigan Wolverines. Hassan, a starting power forward and one of the nicest young men you would ever meet, wasn't hurt or ill though. He forgot his jersey and Nate took his place on the bench. I don't think Hassan would be embarrassed by me bringing this story up. When it happened, he was one of the first off the bench to celebrate Nate's contributions. He is a gracious young man and I wish him continued success on and off the field.
I documented that game on YouTube because Nate, a freshman on the JV squad, got into the game in the fourth quarter and never came out. He, amongst other team members, helped overcome a 39-31 Mehlville lead to outscore the Panthers by 19-2 in the fourth quarter. He had seven points for the game and three steals in just that quarter. Nate went on to help the team in a handful of other games before injured players came back and the playing time diminished but he helped spark the team when they needed a lift.
It was an auspicious start to a solid high school career but it took a coach that was willing to risk a little to give a freshman kid a chance to help the team. You may see that happening around town, and around the state, as promising underclassmen start to get the opportunities in January to make a difference down the stretch. It's just that time of year.
I have spent the last few days pouring over class one girls' scores. It is a grind, going through 10 or 15 game scores for ninety-plus teams. There are some outstanding teams in Girls class one and it will be interesting to see how the season and state playoffs evolve. The top class one girls' teams continue to be South Iron, Delta, Leeton, and Platte Valley (or South Nodaway/Jefferson/Conception Junction or whatever you want to call them). I saw a score where Scott County Central trounced Delta but I am not sure I believe it. If you have more info, give me a hollar.
You can find other classes in the links below, but remember, these ratings are yesterday's news. The ratings change daily, but I just can't keep up unless someone has time to crunch some numbers for me.
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