Are the Lady Warriors the most dangerous floater in Region 7A
The St. Francis girls basketball team takes on Pine Ridge Tuesday in the season opener for both teams.
Can ya just feel the intensity racheted up a notch across social media sites as young people across South Dakota are just chomping at the big to get out and play THEE sport, basketball. Everyone is undefeated, everyone has high hopes and the madness is about to begin...WHEEEEEOOOOWWW!
Love season openers and love em for a lot of reasons. It's the first time we get to stop talking about last year, and pondering over who's back, who's improved, who's good and who's going to be good.
Gotten a lot of mileage out of the St. Francis losing to Winner in the first-round of the Region 7A tournament a season ago. St. Francis, playing their best basketball game of the season, went to Winner, and laid a beating of a lifetime on the Lady Warriors of Winner...for a half. It's been well documented how Winner came back in that game, and went on to finish second in the state tournament.
One thing that hasn't been talked about much is just how tuff St. Francis was after Winner came back and tied the game, and took the lead heading into the final quarter. Have seen a lot of teams over in St. Francis from 2006 until now and I gotta say, a lot of those teams would have crumbled the moment Winner took the lead. On the road in front of that Winner student section, having all kinds of emotions about letting the game get away...most teams would have crumbled right then and there.
But, St. Francis didn't go away, they didn't shrink from the moment...They battled!
St. Francis took the lead back in that fourth quarter and they hung around and hung around and not until the final minute did Winner put that game away.
2015 Region 7A tournament game...Officially retired!
So, I'll be attending the Bennett County @ St. Francis game on Tuesday, but I'll be keeping tabs on the Lady Warriors as they travel to take on what always seems to be a good Laura Big Crow coached team. In years past, I've dreaded this game, usually because Pine Ridge is just so much better, especially early in the season cuz they'll trap you and press you and turn you over and eventually they'll bury you.
St. Francis has some players in Matilda Anderson and Hayelee Quick Bear that won't let anyone in the state bury them. You might beat them but not without a fight.
Visited with St. Francis coach Merle Anderson earlier this week and I asked him what this team needs to do, to work on, to improve on if they hope to be competitive in Region 7A.
"Be tougher," Anderson said. "Gotta help Matee on the boards and play defense with intensity."
Can't wait to see Sunshine Arcoren on the court this season. At times the senior looks a little timid on the court but she's good and seems to know her role on the team and she'll be a big part of what St. Francis hopes to accomplish this season.
Oh, and her sisters of course...Charlize and Jazlea....Good playes that can handle the ball, shoot, are experienced and bring a nice mix for St. Francis.
Keep an eye on Cayliah Brady and Kaia Sharkey as Anderson said they'll be handling the rock quite a bit this season.
Big, talented, sophomore class over at St. Francis. Lanie Crazy Bull showed some athleticism and overall athletic improvement in volleyball and she'll need to be a factor in the post for St. Francis to be tuffer, as Anderson intimated.
Can't wait to see the score on Tuesday for several reasons.
1. How good will Pine Ridge be again and who steps forward for them
2. Can St. Francis win this, can they keep it close, how did the game unfold.
Lni team: Red Cloud #5 vs. #12 St. Francis - Yes please
St. Francis is the lowest seeded LNI team from Region 7A, but don't sleep on em, something's brewing over there.....Stay tuned!
