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Blugold, if you're going to respond to my comments on the state of Marshfield girls' basketball, I believe it's only fair that you include my own follow-up comments to my original post, to keep things in perspective:

My ranting post after the SPASH loss must've provided some bulletin board material for the Marshfield girls ..... I sure hope so .....

Big-time road-win for Marshfield as the Tigers' mastery over Eau Claire North in recent years, continues. Improvement in nearly all facets of the game: FT-shooting, defense, consistent, balanced scoring and "finishing."

Keep it going girls! This is what's possible when you focus, play defense, rebound and keep your foot on the gas pedal. You're talented enough ..... you need to keep believing in yourselves and your teammates, don't give up when you get down on the scoreboard, want the game more than your opponent, and close out games like you did tonight.

Marshfield: 18 -12 - 19 - 15 --- 64
at EC North: 15 - 8 - 16 - 5 --- 44

Final Score

Free Throws:
Marshfield: 17-22
EC North: 4-15

Turnovers:
Marshfield: 11
EC North: 14

Rebounds:
Marshfield: 33
EC North: ?

Scoring:
Marshfield: Michaelis 15, Fehrenbach 14, Kummer 14, Molter 13, Zuelke 4, Zimmerman 2, Gilbertson 2

Eau Claire North: Neyens 13, Hazelton 10, Wathke 6, Bethke 6, Quaranta 4, Salm 3, Hoenisch 2

Season Records:
Marshfield 6-5
Eau Claire North 11-3

With EC North senior post-player Kayonna Lee (D-1 recruit committed to Illinois St) out with the fllu, Marshfield sophomore post-player Ellie Fehenbach had a breakout game, scoring 14 pts and pulling down 9 rebounds.

Game Recap, ECN Coach Peplinski Comments:
http://www.leadertelegra...-8991-0019bb2963f4.html

My original post was a rant definitely born out of frustration. However, while some of my comments and opinions may have been a bit harsh, it is my belief they were rooted in reality and not unfair. And honestly, some of the harshness may have been a result of a very conscious attempt on my part to make sure my post didn't sound like I was making excuses for the Tigers girls. To wit, some of my more indicting comments, i.e. immature, needing to toughen up emotionally & mentally, are merely allusions to some of the same weaknesses Coach Michaelis has used to describe her team in broadcast radio interviews following large-margin losses to DePere and SPASH. And while I have only watched this year's version of the Tiger girls basketball team in person once this season (vs Wausau Newman in the Marshfield Holiday Tournament championship game), I have watched video of many of their games, and yes, listened to most of their games courtesy of Gene DeLisio on WDLB 1450 AM. I also talk to and discuss with cronies back in Marshfield, the various Marshfield High School sports teams. I feel I have an accurate pulse on what's going on with several sports within the MHS athletic dept.

The points you make, Blugold "off the top of your head" (which, by the way, are all valid) are pretty much the same points which I raised in my initial post. The only difference, perhaps, is that I attempted to use those points to substantiate, justify or bolster my claims of immaturity, emotional weakness and lack of mental toughness.

I wasn't kidding in my post following the victory over Eau Claire North. While listening to the game unfold on the radio and then listening to Heidi's post-game comments, I would've sworn that my original post was posted on the locker room bulletin board and taken to heart by the both the players and the coaches. There appeared to be vast improvement on the court in the specific areas that I harped on in that 1st post and Coach Michaelis alluded to some of the same points in her post-game comments, i.e. not getting down after North's 1st scoring surge, hitting their free throws, playing tough man-to-man defense and helping each other out, playing with purpose, mental toughness, "finishing" the game when North made a run to begin the 4th qtr. I'm obviously flattering myself, but seriously, those were some of the things she brought up in the post-game interview with Gene, using some of the same terminology I used, and I'm sitting there, chuckling, thinking "did Heidi read my post?"

1/15:

Wausau East 23 @ Merrill 41

Merrill ties DCE and SPASH for first place in the WVC at 4-1 but lost all-conference forward Renee Sladek with a knee injury in the first quarter. She was shown on crutches after that.....obviously would be a huge blow for the Blue Jays if she is out for any significant time.

Wausau West 56 @ DC Everest 44

With only 7 players in uniform, West goes to a zone and hands DCE their first WVC loss. Jasmin Samz scored 19 of her game-high 21 in the first half while Caity Coleman, Anna Brown, and Katy Cihlar each had 10 points as West stays in league title race in must-win game. Everest had only 6 two-point baskets as zone kept DCE from the lane...Everest hit 9 three pointers but never got closer than five in the second half. DCE hosts SPASH in first place showdown on Friday.

Wausau East @ Wausau West.......girls/boys DH......girls at 6 p.m. on 1230 WXCO-AM and www.1230wxco.com

Merrill's Renee Sladek has torn ACL

http://www.wausaudailyhe...orn-ACL-sidelines-Sladek

I certainly hope Marshfield gets a fair shake at Wausau West on Friday night.....7 p.m. pregame, 7:30 p.m. tip on WXCO-AM 1230 and online at www.1230wxco.com

I understand the principles that determine whether a call is charging or blocking. I've been around the game as either a player, coach or fan for 50 years. I comprehend the concepts of the defender establishing his/her position. I undrstand the concept of which player got to a spot first. I also understand that a defender cannot impede an offensive players momemtum by stepping/sliding in front of that player with out allowing the offensive player his/her next step. The defender also cannot undercut a player in the air, i.e by moving in under a player driving to the basket. And, a defender cannot hip-check a player driving past them.

In my initial post, I referred to the calls as questionable. I did so very consciously, realizing that no matter the call, the official always has the best view of what actually happened. However, my private opinions were only confirmed when the Marshfield coach voiced her displeasure with the calls in her post-game radio comments, which I caught when I reached my vehicle after the game. 4-6-point swings on 3 similarly questionable calls, which also puts your starting guards (who ended up scoring 40 pts between themselves) on the bench with 4 fouls apiece for about 7 minutes is a lot to absorb. I understand the reference to the penalized team's fans and coach being biased. However, understand that Marshfield was in control with an 11-pt lead when the controversial calls ocurred and that Coach Michaelis is one of the most respected girls high school coaches in the state, very even-keeled emotionally, very credible, tons of integrity and high-profile in the sense that she has been one of the color-commentators for several years on the state tournament TV broadcasts. For her to openly question the officiating, publicly on the radio, following the game, is so out of character for her but enough to reinforce my opinion.

The officiating crew was very young. Looked like college kids. Now, I don't automatially equate youth with incompetence but I do equate youth with inexperience. One half of this officiating crew was very professional, very confident in his calls and went out of his way several times to check in with both coaches as to why certain calls were made. His counterpart was shaky before before the 3 questionable calls. He was hestitant, and somewhat retiring before the 1st waved off basket+1 call. After absorbing the crowd's reaction and Coach MIchaelis' dismay, it almost seemed as if the official in question became defiant. His body language changed and he took on a look of fire in his eyes. 2 more similar calls followed quickly. He also didn' have the decency to explain his calls to Coach Michaelis when she protested. He left those duties to the other more composed, professional official (not that either official has to explain anything).

My initial post wasn't born of sour grapes. Marshfield won. The Tigers played well. Chippewa Falls has some talented players, is very well-coached and plays very hard. Marshfield did a good job of taking Chi-Hi's best player, Kayla Hanley out of the game, offensively, limiting her to 7 points. My primary objective in portraying the questionable charging calls was to explain how a game in which Marshfield was seemingly in control, suddenly got out of hand. One cannot deny the three 4-6-pt swings because of turnovers. And one cannot deny the fact that those turnovers were 3 charging calls that could've and probably should've been 2 pt baskets +1 for Marshfield. And one cannot deny that those calls cost Marshfield the services of its starting guards for about 7 minutes. That's all.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. There was a photographer from Chippewa Falls with 3 cameras hanging around his neck moving around the Marshfield Fieldhouse during the game. I know this because at one point he came into the bleachers where I was sitting and introduced himself to a couple of high school scouts who were sitting in front of me. After the game, as the officials were exiting the court, the photographer and the official in question, upon seeing one another, exchanged a big high-five. I found that kind of odd.

In response to the IM I received......Mick feel free to bring up anything you want. You seem to feel like I'm coming after you and that's not the case. When I post something I tend not to just come on and say...."everything you said is right Mick...." I tend to respond to things I disagree with and find that more interesting.

I thought a message board was for give and take. I don't think anything I've posted has gone after you in a personal way.....and if you find my tongue-in-cheek response to your critique on the science of calling the charge to be too much that's on you. It wasn't to infer or imply they won't get a fair shake on Friday....it was a joke. I should know by now you don't respond well to jokes and take it all seriously. You wrote one sentence on Molter's big game and two long paragraphs on the officials. That's why I wrote a short jab. Beating Chippewa Falls is a big thing for Marshfield and you spend nearly all the time complaining about the officials. I'm not a big fan of hearing long responses on the shortcomings of the officials. I know they happen.....more often than anyone would like, but it is what it is.

I appreciate your passion for high school sports and wish more people had it and talked about it..... and want you to say everything on your mind. But don't take responses personal if they disagree with yours. When you click "post" and put things out there, you are inviting responses and judgement on what you said. People disagree with me all the time and frankly I don't care....I trust my judgment. Trust yours and whether or not I or anyone else agrees it won't matter and it won't bug you.

Not real happy Blugold that you chose to respond to a p.m. from me to you in a public fashion There's a reason I conveyed my concerns in the form of a p.m. ...... to keep the discussion between you and me, and thereby avoid any potential fallout or dirty laundry from being aired in public. I felt my concerns were between you and me .... not between you, me and the WSN nation, which is why I attempted to discuss them privately.

That's as far as I'm going on this forum. I wll send you another p.m. (which is an abbreviation for personal message) to reply to your public response to my original p.m.

at Wausau West 64
Marshfield 54

Final Score

Marshfield comes back from 19 down to make the final score somewhat respectable (depending on one's perspective).

Marshfield Head Coach Heidi Michaelis was ejected in the 3rd qtr after incurring double technical fouls.

Scoring:
Marshfield: Ellie Fehrenbach 14, Ellie Kummer 11, Darian Molter 11, Caitlin Michaelis 8, Natalie Zuelke 4, Kailey Hubler 4, Gilbertson 2

Wausau West: Jasmin Samz 25, Caity Coleman 14, Anna Brown 12, Katie Cihlar 8, Keirra Kohlbeck 6

Personal Fouls: Marshfield 22, Wausau West 10

Free Throws: Marshfield 6-6, Wausau West 23-27

Turnovers: Marshfield 4, Wausau West 12

Records: Marshfield 9-6 Overall, 3-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference. Wausau West: 10-6 Overall, 6-2 WVC

Your right those are the facts.....but it had nothing to do with Marshfield sitting outside the whole first half taking three-pointers that never fell or having no inside game while West was going to the basket? Doesn't matter what style you play, fouls and free throws should always be equal right?

West came out there and took it to Marshfield on this night.

Game is online at http://wiaa.playonsports.com/events/37918 . Ejection happens around 52:00 mark. Don't know what was said, but the 2nd T was ridiculously quick.

Can't leave out Memorial came just about as close to beating superior as possible. When Gruber and Novak are on this a dangerous team. Outside superior at the 1 the seed meeting in self should be interesting. Marshfield is 2-0 vs BRC but 3-5 in WVc and the WVC is balanced at the top.