Feb. 17, 2007
Coach Poggi congratulated the team on a fine season at the end of the year banquet. Zac Murphy was selected at the team’s Red, White and Blue Award Recipient. Two games were mentioned as most memorable. The game at Northwest was the tale of two halves. The first half was just plain ugly and the Kings Knights went to the locker room trailing by 24 points. Forget basketball, the boys were told at half-time. This is all about your character and what you do in times of adversity. The boys took this challenge to heart and displayed the character of Knights of Excellence. They came back from 26 down early in the 3 rd quarter to win by 2. It was a game that will be talked about for years to come.
Later in January the Knights entertained Turpin at home. Turpin had handed the Knights their only loss in the FAVC and fielded a team of several strong juniors. The Knights trailed by one at half-time and by three at the end of the third quarter. However, with the stands filling to near capacity in anticipation of the varsity clash, the JV Knights put on a clinic in the final quarter, outscoring the Spartans 28-9, and secured first place in the FAVC.
Four additional games were scheduled to allow more playing time for all the players, including valuable minutes for a few freshmen. The Knights finished 20-4 overall, thus becoming the first Kings JV squad to win 20 games in one season. With a strong nucleus of seniors returning to the varsity squad next season and a strong in-coming junior class battling for varsity spots, the future of Kings Knights Basketball looks very bright.
Go Knights !
KNIGHTS TAME TIGERS FOR THE 20th WIN
Feb. 17, 2007
With three inches of snow falling this morning to cover the existing snow and ice covered ground of Kings Mills, the Tigers of Greenfield McClain arrived to provide the Knights with their final challenge of the 2006-07 basketball season. With a victory, the Knights would achieve a 20-win season – something never done in Kings JV Basketball history.
Kings Jr. High School would provide the setting for this afternoon’s clash between the Knights and Tigers. Kings jumped out to an 8-4 lead as both teams seemed to find it difficult to establish any type of offense. The Knights came out firing in the 2 nd quarter and put up 16 points on the board to take a 24-13 lead to the quaint surroundings of the junior high locker room. The Tigers came right back in the third quarter to outscore the Knights, 12-8, and narrowed the Knight lead to 32-25 as the teams went to their respective benches to prepare for the fourth quarter. The Knights responded and outscored the Tigers in the final quarter, 14-11, to take home the 46-36 victory.
The Knights finished the afternoon 10 for 13 (77%) from the line while the Tigers were also draining 10 shots in their 16 (63%) opportunities. Four starters did not dress for today’s game as they have been called up to the varsity for post-season tournament action which begins on Tuesday evening at Lakota West against Anderson. These honored Knights are Nick Bauer, Chris Burton, Derrick Harris and Zac Murphy.
Tyler Smyth led the Knights with 11 points. Hunter Jones finished with 9 while Nick Reany was pouring in 7. Chip Barkett chipped in 6 while Michael Olds was netting 5. Stephen Boster, Billy Bruns and Matt Rumelhart each drained a pair to round out the Knight scoring attack.
With the victory, the Knights bring down the curtain on the 2006-07 season with a 20-4 overall record. Coach Stevens spoke to the team in the locker room following the game to congratulate them on their fine season. With a strong nucleus returning to the varsity next season and a fine group of JV players looking for varsity spots, the future of Kings Knights Basketball looks very bright. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS ELIMINATE EAGLES TO CLAIM FAVCC CHAMPIONSHIP
Feb. 16, 2007
Providing a preview of Senior Night 2009, the Knights hosted the Eagles of Walnut Hills at the K-House on Friday evening. Kings entered the game knowing that a victory would award them the outright FAVCC Championship. A loss would force them to share the title. Although taught to share since pre-school, this was something the Knights preferred to keep for themselves.
The home team jumped out to a quick 16-11 first quarter lead. They continued to expand that margin to 28 - 21 as the teams went to the intermission. The Knights seemed to leave their energy in the locker room at half time and Walnut Hills closed the gap quickly in the early third quarter. Coach Poggi called a time out to re-energize his team and when he didn’t think they got the message quite clearly he called another one very soon after that. The Knights responded to that challenge, but the Eagles continued to hang close. With time winding down and the Knights clinging to a 3 point lead, Derrick Harris hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to double the home team’s lead to six at 40-34. The Knight defense rose to the challenge in the final quarter by not allowing the Eagles to score until 3:42 remained in the game when they hit a free throw. Meanwhile the Knights were allowing their defense to create nice offensive opportunities and built a comfortable 52-40 lead with just under 30 seconds remaining.
However, the Sports Center Play of the Evening was just about to unfold. Derrick Harris stole the ball just in front of the scorer’s table and headed to the rim to throw one down. The slam dunk brought his teammates, coaches and fans to their feet as one. Before they could settle back into the comfortable bleacher seating of the “K-House”, Walnut Hills quickly brought the ball down the court, as the clock ticked toward zero. Michael Olds stole the ball around half court and headed toward the rim. Could it be two thunder jams in a row? Not quite, but Michael took it to the hoop strong and scored the bucket as he got hammered to the floor. That brought the crowd right back to their feet to cheer for the 56-50 Kings victory and the resulting FAVCC Championship.
The Knights finished 16 for 28 (57%) from the Charity Stripe while the Eagles were draining 6 of 11. (55%) Both the Knights and Eagles hit 17 field goals from inside the arc, but the Knights gained their extra points by draining two long distance dedications. Those six points plus the 10 point advantage from the line gave the Knights their 16-point margin of victory. Three Knights scored in double figures: Nick Bauer with 16, Derrick Harris with 15 and Zac Murphy nailed 12. Andrew Winebrenner poured in 5, while Dane Walter and Michael Olds each netted 4 points for the Knights.
Following the game, the JV Knight Players and Cheerleaders discussed their impressive 19-4 overall and 9-1 conference records, while dining on lasagna which was graciously provided by Woody and Carol Barkett. One final game looms on the schedule as Greenfield McClain visits the K-House on Saturday afternoon for a JV clash. This game will be played in lieu of the Withrow game which was cancelled as the result of three snow days this past week. Tip off for the Greenfield game is 1PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Feb. 9, 2007
While it may be argued that Turpin has become the Knights biggest FAVC rival, there is certainly something still special about facing their backyard rivals from Little Miami. And when it comes to Kings – Little Miami….throw out the records, tighten up the shoe laces, and get ready for a hard fought game. Such was the case on Friday evening as the Knights traveled to Little Miami High School.
The opening quarter was tightly played and the Knights led by a slight one point advantage, at 11-10, as the quarter ended. The Knight defense tightened the screws in the second quarter as the Panthers did not score until nearly 5 minutes into the action. Meanwhile the Knights were knocking down 19 points to jump out to a 30-18 lead. The Knight defense continued to hold fast in the third quarter, holding the Panther’s offense scoreless for the first three minutes. The Knights took care of the basketball nicely such that a traveling call with less than three minutes showing on the third quarter clock marked only the second turnover of the night for the Knights. The Knights translated this into a 17 point advantage and led 39-22 as the clock ran down to 0:00. The Knights continued to do good things on both ends of the floor, in the fourth quarter, and took home a 45-28 victory over the Panthers.
Brian Howell led the Knight offense with 12 points, which came on four long distance dedications from beyond the three-point line. If Dick Vital was in the house last night, he would have had a couple of “It was AWESOME BABY” comments on Brian’s shooting. Nick Bauer hit double digits with 10 points. Michael Olds, Andrew Winebrenner and Chip Barkett each had 4 points for the Knights. Derrick Harris and Stephen Boster each netted 3. Zac Murphy and Tyler Smyth each tossed in 2. Tim Welch rounded out the scoring for the Knights with a free throw for his one point of the evening. The Knights were blistering the nets from the charity stripe as they went 7 for 8 (88%) while the Panthers weren’t quite so proficient at 36% (5 for 14).
Standing at 18-4 overall and 8-1 in the league, and with a 20-win season and a FAVCC Championship clearly within their grasp, the Knights now turn their attention toward the final two games of the season. Tuesday evening, they will board the team bus and journey to Withrow High School. Friday evening they will return to the “K-House” to close out the season with Walnut Hills. Tip off for both games will be 6PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Feb. 6, 2007
Two cancellations due to Snow Days delayed the Knights return to the hardwood until Thursday evening when they took on the Wildcats of Harrison. The last time Harrison visited Kings Mills, in August, they came away with a victory on the gridiron. The Knights were determined to make the Wildcat’s bus ride home a little less enjoyable this time.
As the first quarter drew to a close, the Knights found themselves down by three when Michael Olds hit a trey off a nice assist by Dane Walter. This knotted the score at 14. Both teams exchanged buckets in the second quarter and the Knights went to the intermission holding a slim 25-23 lead. The Knights jumped out to a 9 point advantage in the third quarter, but Harrison clawed back to within 2, at 40-38, as the horn sounded to end the quarter. The Knight defense suffocated Harrison as the Wildcats could only manage 1 field goal during the final period. The Knight offense wasn’t exactly burning up the nets either as they only managed 6 points – Nick Bauer’s three free throws and a trey from Dane Walter. However, the old saying of “Defense Wins Championships” was never truer and the Knights go to 17-4 with a 46-40 victory.
Eight Knights got into the scoring column with none in double figures. Derrick Harris led the Knights with 9 points followed closely by Dane Walter with 8. Nick Bauer and Matt Rumelhart dropped in 7 apiece. Andrew Winebrenner netted 6. Michael Olds tossed in 5. Brian Howell and Chip Barkett finished off the Knight scoring with two points apiece. The Knights finished 11 for 16 (69%) from the Charity Stripe while the Wildcats were hitting 8 of 18 chances (44%).
The Knights will be hopping over the backyard fence tomorrow night as they journey up route 22/3 to Little Miami High School to take on the Panthers. The Knights look to improve on their 7-1 record in the FAVCC as they shoot for the league title and a 20-win season. Tip Off on the Little Miami hardwood will be 6PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Feb. 2, 2007
As the wind chill dipped below zero across the frozen tundra of Wilmington, Ohio on Friday evening, the Knights were heating up the scoreboard in the first quarter at the Hurricane’s gym. Dane Walter tallied 7 first quarter points to help fire the Knights up. The Hurrin’ Hurricane Coach was in such a hurry that he put the wrong numbers down for two of his players and the Knights sank some extra free throws due to the Technical Fouls assessed. The Knights led at the break, 16-11. Wilmington regained some intensity in the second quarter and narrowed the Knight lead to 23-21 as the teams went to intermission. Coach Poggi’s words of wisdom and encouragement were taken to heart as the visitors came out with a new purpose in the third quarter and leaped to a 40-29 lead. The Knight offense stayed as hot as the guitar in the Wilmington Pep Band in the 4 th quarter and the Knights took the victory, 52 – 38.
The Knights were successful on 12 of 25 (48%) free throw attempts for the evening. Unbelievably, Wilmington did not go to the line once in the game. With the final margin of victory being 14 points, the 12 point margin from the Charity Stripe played a significant factor in the Knight victory.
Derrick Harris led the Knight offense with 16. Dane Walter poured in 11. Brian Howell tossed down 9 while Matt Rumelhart was nailing 7. Chris Burton lit up the scoreboard with 5 points while Michael Olds and Nick Bauer were rounding out the Kings scoring with 2 points each. Nick Reany and Tim Welch contributed solid minutes in the backcourt. Andrew Winebrenner pulled down several significant rebounds. Tyler Smyth, Stephen Boster and Hunter Jones also played a role in this team victory at Wilmington. Zac Murphy and Chip Barkett did not play due to illness.
The Knights will be up early on Saturday morning to join the Varsity and Freshmen Teams, at Hope Church, for a Super Bowl Breakfast sponsored by Athletes in Action. After the Wilmington victory, the Knights overall record stands at 16-4 and 7-1 in the FAVCC. Their dream of a 20-win season remains alive as long as they win out over the remaining 4 games on their regular season schedule. The Knights will return to the “K-House” hardwood on Tuesday evening as the Wildcats of Harrison, from the FAVC Buckeye Division, come to visit. Tip off for the JV clash will be 6PM.
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS EXTINGUISH COMETS
Jan. 29, 2007
Kings vs. Mason. What more really needs to be said? Neither team wants to lose to the other, no matter the contest. The Knights traveled over Tylersville Road on Monday evening to take on the Sophomore Team at the Mason Arena. The Knights came out with great intensity and jumped out to a quick lead at 15-12. The Knights continued to pull away and took a 25-18 lead to the locker room. Unfortunately, the Knight offense went as cold as the frigid January air outside in the third quarter and the Comets closed the gap to one, at 32-31, as the teams went to the final quarter. Once again, just like Friday evening, the Knights were impressive from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, going 13/18, as they took the victory 47-41.
Chip Barkett led the Knight scoring attack with 11 and Matt Rumlehart poured in 9. Both of these big men displayed their 3-point shooting abilities as each drained a trey during the game. Brian Howell tossed in 8 for the Knights. Tim Welch netted 5 and Spencer Berlekamp sank 4. Michael Olds, Tyler Smyth and Andrew Winebrenner each had 2 points for the visitors. The Knights went 17/26 from the charity stripe while the Comets were draining 9 of 11.
The victory brings the Knight’s record to 15 wins and 4 defeats. With 5 games remaining on the schedule, the challenge is there for the JV Knights to finish with a 20 win season. Something never done in Kings JV Basketball history! (OK, they added four games to this season’s schedule, but who’s counting?)The Knights will enjoy a rare, but welcomed, night off of practice on Tuesday evening before they begin preparations for Friday evening’s return to FAVCC action with the Hurricane of Wilmington. Tip off at Wilmington is 6 PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Jan. 27, 2007
The Knights had an early morning wake up call as they were right back to the Kings hardwood to host the Thunderhawks of Lakota East on Saturday morning. All the ingredients were in place for a Knight letdown following an emotional win on Friday evening, an early Saturday morning game, Lakota East bringing their JV team rather than Sophomore team, and Coach Poggi electing to rest three starters.
However the Knights didn’t want any part of that as they jumped out to an 8-3 first quarter lead. The Thunderhawks battled back as they continued to substitute another group of five players each time and the Knights went to the locker room up two, at 16-14. Dane Walter opened the third frame with two quick baskets which prompted a quick time out from the Lakota East bench. It didn’t do much good as the Knight scoring machine was in full gear and bolted out to a 34-20 lead as the teams closed out the quarter. The Knights continued to pull away and took a 53-34 victory over this GMC school.
Freshman Hunter Jones led the Knights with 10 in his Junior Varsity debut. Nick Reany knocked down 9 while Chip Barkett was tallying 8. Tyler Smyth netted 6 points for Kings. Michael Olds and Spencer Berlekamp each scored 5. Brian Howell and Dane Walter rounded out the Knight scoring attack with 4 points each. The Knights finished 4 for 8 from the free throw line while the Thunderhawks were going 6 for 14.
The Knights stand at 14-4 overall and 6-1 in the FAVCC. They will cross over the back yard fence, on Monday evening, to play the Sophomore Comets from Mason. Tip off is at 7:30 PM at “The Palace”. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS WHITE OUT SPARTANS
Jan. 26, 2007
The Knights hosted the only team to defeat them in FAVCC play this season, on Friday evening at the “K-House”, when Turpin came to visit. The Knights didn’t waste any time in jumping out to a 15 – 11 lead in the first quarter. However, on an evening when all of Knight Nation dressed in white, it was the Kings offense that got erased in the second quarter. Turpin didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in putting up 6 points, but Matt Rumlehart’s free throw, with 2:04 left on the clock, proved to be the only tally for the Knights in these seven minutes of action. The Spartans left the floor leading by one at 17-16.
Each team was able to make some adjustments to their offense in the third quarter as the Spartans outscored the Knights, 16-14, and took a 33-30 lead to the final quarter. As the stands began to fill in anticipation of the varsity game, the fans were treated to a strong exhibition of clutch foul shooting by the Knights in the final quarter. After only going to the line 4 times in the previous three quarters, the Knights went to the Charity Stripe 20 times in the final quarter and successfully drained 18 of those opportunities. Meanwhile the Knight defense was applying some white out to outscore the Spartans 28-9 in this seven minute span and come away with a 58-42 victory.
Derrick Harris led the Knight scoring with 18. Nick Bauer and Zac Murphy were also in double digit scoring with 12 each. Michael Olds nailed 5 points while Chris Burton was netting 4. Matt Rumlehart sank 3 points for the Knights followed closely by Andrew Winebrenner and Chip Barkett rounding out the home team’s scoring with 2 points each. The Knights finished 19 for 24 from the line for 79% while the Spartans were going 6 for 14 for 43%.
The Knights go to 13-4 overall and 6-1 in the FAVCC to take over sole possession of first place in the league. The Knights are clearly in control of their own destiny as they set their sights on the FAVCC Championship. Kings will return to the Kings hardwood tomorrow morning to meet the Thunderhawks from Lakota East. Tip off is at 10 AM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Jan. 24, 2007
The Knights visited Fairfield Arena tonight for their latest challenge against the highly regarded Fairfield JV team. The Knights jumped out to a slight 10-9 lead in the opening quarter. The Indians battled back and built a slight lead in the second quarter, but the Knights fought back to close the gap. Nick Bauer’s aggressive play brought the game to a halt, literally, with 34 seconds remaining in the half. Nick dove for the ball by the scorer’s table, which pushed the table back knocking lose an electrical connection to the scoreboard and tripped the circuit breaker. The final 34 seconds were played without a clock with time being kept on the sideline. Fairfield used this to their advantage as they hit a bucket just before the “buzzer” to take a 24-22 lead to the locker room.
During intermission, the Fairfield officials found the electrical box and restored juice to the scoreboard. The Knights took advantage of their half time discussion and achieved a 15-14 scoring advantage to narrow the gap to one, at 38-37, at the end of the 3 rd quarter. Unfortunately, the Knight offense lost all of its electricity in the final quarter as the Indians went on a 21-6 run to hand the Knights their fourth loss of the season, 59 – 43.
The Knights finished the game 5 for 10 (50%) from the line while the Indians were draining 9 of 13 attempts for 69%.
Derrick Harris finished the night with 18 points to lead the Knights. Zac Murphy tossed in 6 for the visitors followed closely by Mike Olds with 5. Chris Burton and Andrew Winebrenner each contributed 4 points for Kings. Nick Bauer tossed in 3, Dane Walter 2, and Matt Rumlehart rounded off the scoring with one point. Three players from Fairfield combined for 45 of their 59 points by scoring 18, 15 and 12 points respectfully.
The Knights go to 12-4 overall and remain 5-1 in the FAVCC. The Knights will now turn their focus to the next two afternoons of practice as they begin to prepare to entertain the Spartans of Turpin on Friday evening. The Spartans handed the Knights their only FAVCC loss earlier in the season. A win by the Knights will vault Kings back into a first place tie with Turpin (9-3). The Kings Firecrackers will be in the “K_House” during the varsity halftime to light up the crowd. Get their early to root on the JV Knights to a victory and then stick around to watch the Varsity Knights widen their first place lead in the FAVCC over second place Turpin. Make your plans now to take in what promises to be a very exciting night of high school basketball. Tip off for the JV contest will be at 6PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Jan. 20, 2006
Less than 16 hours after leaving the court, the Knights were right back at the K-House on Saturday morning to face the Sophomore Aves of Sycamore. The Knights jumped out to a 12-7 lead to end the first quarter. They widened that gap in the second stanza and went to the locker room with a 22-11 advantage. The Aves narrowed the deficit in the third quarter and only trailed by 6, at 33-17, as the teams began the final seven minutes of action. The Knights left their offense off the court as they could only manage 2 points, from Brian Howell, during the entire fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Aves also left their offense on the bench as they could only find 3 points of their own and the Knights finished off the Aves, 35 – 30, to sweep the season series.
The Knights scored 11 of their points from the foul line as they sank 11 of 17 attempts for 64%. The Aves actually shot better at 66%, but could only manage 2 points from the line in their 3 attempts. Knight Assistant Coach, Terry Jenkins, had already been at two other basketball games by the time he arrived at the 11AM game. The life of a KBA parent!
Freshman Spencer Berlekamp led the Knight scoring with 6 points. Tyler Smyth and Chris Burton each tossed in 5 for the home team. Nick Bauer and Chip Barkett each contributed 4. Michael Olds netted 3 for the victors. Brian Howell, Zac Murphy, Andrew Winebrenner, and Freshman Billy Bruns, who was making his junior varsity debut, each tossed in 2.
The Knights (12-3 overall and 5-1 in the FAVCC) will travel to Fairfield, on Tuesday evening, to take on another GMC opponent. Tip off for the JV contest will be at 6PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS BOUNCE BACK TO BEAT BARONS
Jan. 19, 2007
The Knights faced arguably their most important game of the season so far as they faced the Barons of Amelia, on Friday night, following a less than impressive performance against Milford earlier in the week. Two days of intense practices brought a renewed focus, to the floor of the K-House for the Knights, and they didn’t waste any time in jumping out to an 18-4 first quarter lead. The Barons settled down and actually outscored the Knights in the 2 nd quarter, but the home team still led at the break, 28 – 16. The Barons narrowed the gap even further to trail by only eight as the teams ended the third quarter, 38-30. The Knight defensive pressure stepped up in the final quarter and held Amelia to a measly four points - 2 free throws and a garbage bucket at the buzzer. Meanwhile, the Knights were tossing down 10 points in that quarter to solidify their victory, 48-34.
The Knights continue to struggle from the line as they went 5 for 12 for 42%, including 0 for 4 in the final quarter. Fortunately, the Barons were not any better as they shot a frigid 36% from the Charity Strip going 5/14 including a 2 for 8 effort in the final quarter. The home team dialed in 7 long distance dedications from beyond the 3-point line while the visitors could only connect on 1 successful request.
Chris Burton led the Knights scoring with 15 points including a 5 for 9 evening at the foul line for the entire Knight scoring from the 15-foot mark. Derrick Harris tossed in three treys for his 9 points. Zac Murphy added 6 to the Home side of the scoreboard while Nick Bauer was tacking on 4. Mike Olds and Dane Walter each contributed 3 points. Rounding out the scoring for the Knights, with two points each, were Brian Howell, Tyler Smyth, Andrew Winebrenner and Chip Barkett.
The Knights (11-3 overall and 5-1 in the FAVCC) will be right back on the Knight Hardwood, on Saturday morning, for an 11 AM contest with the Sycamore Sophomore Team. Amelia leaves with a 5-8 record and 2-4 in the FAVC Cardinal Division. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Jan. 16, 2006
If you Google the word “ugly”, a tape of Tuesday night’s game at Milford just might come up on the screen. Both teams had difficulty generating any offense in the opening quarter as Milford jumped out to an 8-4 lead. However, the Eagles offense exploded in the second quarter while the Knight offense was imploding and Milford led at the half, 20-8. The fans were hopeful of another “Northwest 2 nd Half Miracle”, but it was not to be on this night. Milford’s offense posted 17 points in the third quarter while limiting the Knights to just 9 as the Eagle lead continued expanding to 37-17 at the completion of the third quarter. The Eagles still were firing on all cylinders in the final quarter and took a convincing 53-30 victory over the visitors from Kings Mills.
The Knights were not able to generate much offense from the Charity Stripe either as they went 3 for 5 for 60%. The Eagles shot slightly better, at 65%, but they were connecting on 15 of their 23 attempts. Several of the Knights spend significant time on the bench due to foul difficulties. The Knights certainly had a rude introduction to the GMC.
The good news on the Knight scoring was the balance. The bad news was the scarcity of the points. Tyler Smyth led the Knights with 6 points. Dane Walter buried 5 while Chris Burton was netting 4. Matt Rumlehart tossed in 3 points for the Knights. Nick Bauer, Tim Welch, Brian Howell, Derrick Harris, Zac Murphy and Andrew Winebrenner each contributed 2 points.
The Knights (10-3 overall and 4-1 in the FAVCC) will return to the friendly confines of the “K-House” on Friday evening, to take on the Barons of Amelia, as they begin their second tour of the FAVCC. You might recall that the Knights won a thriller, at Amelia in early December, by a score of 44-42. According to unnamed sources, the Knights held an intense practice on Wednesday afternoon as they now focus on the final part of their season and their march towards the FAVCC Championship. Tip-off is at 6PM. Go Knights!
Jan. 12, 2006
Rumor has it that Gene Hackman may have been walking out of the locker room on Friday night at Walnut Hills. At least it might have been a gym that “Hoosiers” was filmed in. A great “old-school” setting for basketball as the Knights took on the Eagles. The Knights had their shooting shirts on in the opening quarter and jumped out to a 16-11 lead. Walnut Hills found their shooting touch in the 2 nd period and closed the gap to a bucket, at 25-23, as the teams retired to their respective locker rooms. The Knight defense clamped down in the third quarter and they widened their lead to 33-27 in the third frame. The Eagles mounted a small comeback in the final quarter, but the Knights responded by hitting 7 of 9 free throws and took a 46-39 victory at the “Nut House”.
Corey Parker, who coached these Knights as freshmen last year, was in the house. Corey is the current Assistant Athletic Director at Walnut Hills. Corey watched, along with those present from Knight Nation, in amazement as the visitors torched the nets, from the foul line, by going 14 of 17 for a blistering 82%. The Eagles only managed to hit 4 free throws of their 6 attempted for 67%.
The Knights had a nice balance of scoring from several contributors in a nice team effort. Zac Murphy led the scoring attack with 9 points with 8 coming in the opening quarter. Nick Bauer, Brian Howell and Tyler Smyth each contributed 7 points. Andrew Winebrenner and Chip Barkett each netted 6. Nick Reany and Derrick Harris each tossed in a bucket to round out the scoring for the Knights.
The Knights (10-2 overall and 4-1 in the FAVCC) will continue their “Battle the Eagle Week” as they travel to Milford, on Tuesday evening, to take on the Eagles of Milford. Last year’s freshmen contest, under the direction of Coach Parker, was won by the Knights in overtime. Tip-off is at 6PM. Go Knights!
Jan. 9, 2007
The Knights took a break from Final Exams, on Tuesday evening, to host Mt. Healthy at the “K-House”. However, the Owls provided another kind of test for Kings. Derrick Harris was on fire in the opening quarter as he buried 3 treys to help the Knights jump out to a slight 12-10 lead. The second quarter was evenly played and the teams went to the locker room with the Knights still holding onto a 2-point lead at 19-17. The Knights were able to widen their lead to 3 in the 3rd quarter as both teams continued to play hard aggressive basketball. The Owls showed they were going to hang around and the Knights could not put them away. With only 19 ticks remaining on the clock, the Owls trailed by three and had the basketball, but the Knight defense held. A made free throw by Zac Murphy widened the Knight lead to four and that provided a slight bit of breathing room as the home team prevailed, 44-41.
Sean Miller states, for those Xavier fans among you that a goal in each game is for his team to make more free throws than the other team attempts. Despite a less than impressive free throw percentage, the Knights were able to accomplish Miller’s goal tonight. Kings sank 11 of 25 (44%) while Mt. Healthy only attempted 7 shots from the charity stripe where they connected on 3 for 41%. However, in the end, that 8 point advantage from the line for the Knights turned out to be critical for their victory. The Knights finished 8 for 16 from the free throw line in the 4th quarter.
Derrick Harris led the scoring with 14 points followed closely by Zac Murphy with 13. Nick Bauer contributed 7 for the Knights. Chris Burton drained 4 and Andrew Winebrenner netted 3. Tim Welch and Chip Barkett each scored a bucket in a Knight victory in which every basket was important.
The Knights (9-2 overall and 3-1 in the FAVCC) will celebrate the conclusion of their final exams, with a final exam of the basketball variety, as they travel to Walnut Hills on Friday evening. This marks a return to FAVCC play for the Knights. Tip-off is at 6PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
Jan. 5, 2007
Backyard bragging rights were on the line, Friday evening, as the Knights welcomed the Panthers of Little Miami to the “K-House”. The Knights jumped out to a quick lead by implementing the same impressive full court pressure that served them so well in the second half of the Northwest game. The Panthers clawed back at the end of the quarter, but the Knights still led at the break, 10-7.
The Knights widened their lead slightly, in the second quarter, to take a 22-16 advantage to the locker room at the half. Ten minutes later, as the third quarter began; both teams demonstrated they had made adjustments to their offensive strategies. The Knights and Panthers, scoring 18 and 16 points respectfully, allowed the Knights to widen their lead to eight, at 40-32, as the third quarter ended. The final quarter saw the Knights outscore the Panthers, 13-8, and take a nice “lunch bucket win”, as Marvin Lewis would say, 53 – 40.
Derrick Harris led the Knight scoring with 13. Chris Burton tossed in 9 while Nick Bauer was contributing 7. Matt Rumlehart netted 6 followed closely by Nick Reany, Dane Walter and Andrew Winebrenner with 4 points each. Michael Olds, Tim Welch and Zac Murphy had 2 points apiece to round out the Knight scoring attack. Also vital to the Knight victory was the return of team manager, Nicholas Jenkins, to the bench after a one game absence. Kings finished the contest with 20 field goals compared to Little Miami’s 12. Kings sank 7 of 13 from the Charity Strip for 54% while the Panthers weren’t doing any better as they struggled to hit 4 of 9 free throws for 44%.
The Knights (8-2 overall and 3-1 in the FAVCC) will conclude their brief two-game home stand as the Owls of Mt. Healthy travel to Kings Mills, for a 6PM showdown, on Tuesday evening. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS WIN A TEST OF CHARACTER
Jan. 3, 2007
If ESPN ever decides to show a JV Basketball game on its network, it couldn’t go wrong in showing a replay of Wednesday evening’s classic game with the Knights of Northwest. It was truly the tale of two halves and as a famous author once wrote, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” For the Kings Knights, the first half was the worst of times.
Kings started slowly and found themselves trailing 14-9 at the end of the first quarter. No problem, the Knight fans surmised. They had seen slow starts from this team before. However, the Northwest scoring machine kicked into overdrive in the 2 nd quarter as they outscored the visitors 25-6 to take a commanding 39-15 lead to the locker room. Northwest was back on the floor quickly while Kings stayed in their locker room for much of their allotted time to discuss the finer points of what type of character these young men had. Determined to show what real Knights are made of, Kings took the floor in the second half with a real sense of purpose. The second half would become the best of times and a true demonstration of being a Knight of Excellence for the young men from Kings Mills.
When the third quarter began with a Northwest bucket, the deficit was suddenly 26. However, it was time for the Knight machine to ignite. Suddenly the Knights of Kings hit on all cylinders offensively by stepping up their defensive intensity to outscore the home team 22-13 and cut the margin to 15 at 52-37. Although they were still down 15 at the start of the fourth quarter, the young Knight Warriors from Kings Mills would not be deterred from accomplishing their goal. Kings continued to apply the defensive pressure and Northwest was feeling the heat. The visitors cut the lead to seven with just under 3 minutes remaining on the clock. Derrick Harris, aka “D-Money”, hit a clutch 3-point shot and the Northwest lead was now down to 4. Andrew Winebrenner converted a three point play the old fashioned way and the Knights trailed by one, at 52-53, with just over two minutes to play. Zac Murphy was fouled and calmly sank both of his free throws to give Kings their first lead of the night, at 54-53, after trailing by nearly 30 points in the early 3 rd quarter. Northwest scored a bucket on their next trip down, but Kings quickly answered with a bucket from Nick Bauer to regain the lead for the Knights in red. Michael Olds converted on one of his two free throws and the Knight lead grew to 58-55. Nick Bauer drained a free throw to push the lead to 5, at 60 – 55, with just 39 ticks remaining on the clock. After two missed free throws by Northwest, Zac Murphy secured the rebound and was quickly fouled. “Murph” hit both opportunities from the charity stripe to widen the Knight lead to 62-55 with just 28 seconds showing. However, Northwest wasn’t ready to hit the showers just yet as they hit a trey with only 16 seconds left to narrow their gap to 4 at 62-58. Zac hit another free throw and the lead was back to 5 for Kings, with just 11 seconds remaining. Northwest hit another trey with 7 seconds remaining, but Kings got the ball back in and took care of the basketball as the horn and applause of the Kings faithful filled the gymnasium for the Kings Knights 63-61 victory.
Northwest finished 10 for 21 (48%) from the free throw line while Kings was converting on 21 of 33 (64%) chances including a strong 10 for 14 in the final quarter.
A total team effort was the hallmark of this contest. Chris Burton led the scoring column with 11. Zach Murphy tossed in 10. Matt Rumlehart drained 9. Nick Bauer contributed 8 for the victors. Andrew Winebrenner powered in 6 while Michael Olds was netting 5. Nick Reany and Derrick Harris each had 4. Tyler Smyth and Dane Walter contributed 3 points each. Tim Welch and Brian Howell contributed critical defensive pressure to aid in this Knight victory. Chip Barkett missed the game due to illness, but was kept updated via a satellite hookup with the Knight broadcast team. He’ll definitely want to see the replay of this game on ESPN Classic!
These young men have much to be proud of in how they dug deep and responded to this test of their character and determination. Many important lessons were gained from this experience. More importantly, the entire Knight Family would like to express their condolences to Coach Poggi and the Poggi Family in the death of his father earlier today. It was truly a night of Knight basketball that will be remembered for many years to come.
The Knights (7-2 overall and 2-1 in the FAVCC) will return to the friendly confines of the “K-House” on Friday evening as they take on the Panthers of Little Miami. Tip off for the JV game is at 6 PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
AVES PLANS FOR UPSET RUN AMUCK
Dec. 23, 2006
The Junior Varsity Team didn’t have much time to celebrate Friday night’s victory over Wilmington before it was time to load the bus Saturday morning and head to Sycamore High School for an early morning contest with the Sycamore Sophomore Team. The trappings were all there for a letdown as the game site was changed at the last minute to the Gregory Center where we believe the Gregory’s may store their extra Montgomery Inn Ribs since it was cold enough in there to be a meat locker. The crowd was limited to parents and even they were subdued. It’s tough to clap your hands and yell when you have to wear gloves and you can see your breath! To top the morning off only one referee showed up.
All of these items contributed to a slow start as the Knights held a slim 8-7 lead as the clock ran down to 0:00 to end the first quarter. The Knights found some offense in the second quarter, but Sycamore continued to hang in there as the Knights took a slim 22-17 lead to the locker room. The Knights turned up the defensive intensity in the third quarter and doubled their lead to 10 as the third quarter closed out. The Knights offense clicked into gear in the final quarter as the visitors lit up the scoreboard with 19-6 edge and took a commanding 53-30 victory. The Aves finished 2 for 6 (33%) from the Charity Stripe while the Knights were tossing in 8 of 13 (62%) attempts.
Tyler Smyth led the Knights with 11. Chris Burton was right on his heels with 10 of his own. Chip Barkett tossed in 8 for the Knights while Michael Olds was contributing 5. Nick Bauer, Brian Howell, and Zac Murphy each had 4. Dane Walter and Nick Reany both scored 3 and Spencer Burlekamp, making his debut in JV action, tossed in a fourth quarter free throw for his one and only point of the morning.
The JV Knights (6-2 overall and 2-1 FAVC-Cardinal) will take four days off to spend time with their families and friends over the Christmas Holiday. They will return to practice later next week and then begin the 2007 portion of their schedule on Wednesday, January 3 rd when they travel to the great northwest to take on the Knights of Northwest High School at 6 PM. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS HAMMER HURRICANES
Dec. 22, 2006
The Kings JV Boys Basketball Team took to the “K-House” hardwood on Friday evening already knowing that the Freshmen Team had knocked off the Wilmington Freshmen Team in the early game. To paraphrase the Ole’ Left Hander, Joe Nuxhall, you can’t sweep the Hurricane if you don’t win the freshmen and JV games.
The early going showed that it would be a physical battle as each team went to the free throw line six times in the first quarter. The Knights jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the opening quarter and continued to expand that lead in the second quarter as the teams left the floor at half time with the Home team on top, 24-15. The Knights continued to play hard, despite a continued team wide shooting slump, and held a 33-25 lead at the end of the third quarter. Wilmington wasn’t ready to board the buses yet and battled back to within four as the quarter reached its midpoint. With the gym filling in anticipation of the varsity match up, the Knights were faced with responding to the challenge in front of a Prime Time Audience. The Knights did respond and pulled away with a 47-33 victory.
Derrick Harris led the Knight scoring attack with 16 while Nick Bauer was cashing in for 13 of his own. Michael Olds fired in 4 points, which was followed by Tim Welch and Chip Barkett with 3. Nick Reany, Chris Burton, Zac Murphy, and Andrew Winebrenner each scored a bucket to round out the scoring. The Knights finished the contest 15 for 24 from the free throw line while the Hurricane Team connected on 14 of 29 opportunities.
The varsity completed the sweep of the Hurricane in the final game of the evening to finish off an exciting night of basketball at the K-House. The JV Knights (5-2 overall and 2-1 FAVC-Cardinal) will close out this busy week of basketball by traveling to Sycamore, on Saturday morning, to take on the Aves. Wilmington (4-2, 1-2) will regroup and be ready to give the Knights a battle when they host Kings, at the Hurricane Arena, on February 2 nd. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
The Kings JV Boys Basketball Team returned to the “K-House”, on Tuesday evening, to host the Pirates of West Carrollton. The Knights played strong defense in the first quarter and the scoreboard read, at the buzzer: Derrick 11 Visitors 4. Actually Derrick’s name has not been added to the scoreboard, but it could have been tonight as he accounted for the entire Knight offense in the opening frame. Other Knight players joined in the fun during the second quarter and the home team was pulling away 23-12 as they left the court at half time.
The third and fourth quarters were an even battle between the Pirates and Knights. Both teams tossed in 12 third quarter points as the Knights continued to lead 35 – 24 at the break. Again the scoring was even in the final quarter, as each team dropped in 11, which allowed the Knights to take a 44-33 victory. The Knights played well defensively, especially in the first half, and had perhaps their best rebounding effort of the short season tonight.
Kings was led in scoring by Derrick Harris with 15 points. Chris Burton also reached double digits in the scoring column by knocking in 10. Zac Murphy tossed in 6 for the Knights. Nick Bauer netted 5 points while Chip Barkett and Matt Rumelhart each had 4 points. The Knights shot well from the charity strip and finished the game 10 for 13 (77%) from the Charity Stripe while the Pirates were completing 11 of their 19 (58%) attempts.
The Knights (4-2 overall and 1-1 FAVC-Cardinal) will continue this holiday home stand as the Hurricane of Wilmington come blowing into Kings Mills on Friday evening for a 6 PM tip-off. The following morning, the Knights will travel down I-71 to take on the Aves at 11 AM at Sycamore High School. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS SPUTTER AGAINST SPARTANS
Dec. 15, 2006
The Knights traveled to Turpin, on Friday night, for an early season clash of the two heavy weights in the FAVC Cardinal Division. The Spartans jumped out to an early 14-12 first quarter lead and expanded that lead to 23-18 as the teams went to their respective locker rooms. The Knights discovered their offense in the 3 rd quarter as they tossed in 13 points, but unfortunately the Spartans nearly matched that with 12 of their own and the teams went to the fourth quarter with the home team in front by four at 35-31. The Knights could only manage 5 points in the final quarter while the Spartans were scoring 10 of their own, by going 8 for 13 from the free throw line. In the end, the Spartans pulled away and took the victory, 45-36.
The Knights were led in scoring by Derrick Harris with 12 points. Nick Bauer netted 8 points while Michael Olds tossed in 6. Zac Murphy contributed 5 for the Knights, Chip Barkett had 3 and Tim Welch rounded out the scoring for the Kings with 2. The Knights finished the game 6 for 11 (55%) from the Charity Stripe while the Spartans were completing 11 of their 22 (50%) attempts.
The Spartans dressed 7 juniors for their JV team, three of which also dressed for the Varsity game. Interestingly, these three juniors were the top three scorers for the Spartans in the JV game as they combined for 35 of the Spartan’s 45 points. Mark your calendars now for the Friday, January 26 th rematch at Kings High School.
The Knights (3-2 overall and 1-1 FAVC-Cardinal) will have a busy week ahead as they enjoy some home cooking on Tuesday night as West Carrollton visits the “K-House” and then again on Friday night as Wilmington comes to Kings Mills. Both games begin at 6 PM. Then to top off the week, the Knights will travel down I-71, on Saturday morning, to take on the Aves at 11 AM at Sycamore High School. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS BYPASS BARONS UPSET BID
Dec. 11, 2006
The Knights hit the road for the always exciting journey to Amelia to meet the Barons on their home court Friday night. The Knights came off the bus shooting and streaked out to a 14-10 first quarter lead. The second quarter saw both teams tighten up their defenses and the Knights held a slight 20-17 lead as the teams retired to their respective locker rooms for half time refreshments. Those refreshments did the trick for the Knights as they roared out to a 35-21 lead to finish out the 3rd quarter.
However, this game was far from being over. The Barons came back thanks to tenacious hustle and favorable refereeing to close to within one with less than a minute remaining. Clutch free throws by Nick Bauer and Michael Olds made the difference for the Knights in the final minute of the quarter. Despite outscoring the Knights 21-9 in the final quarter, the Barons were not able to gain the lead as the Knights responded to the challenge and came out victorious 44-42.
Derrick Harris led the Knights with 16 points. Michael Olds, Nick Bauer, and Chris Burton each tossed in 6 for Kings. Zac Murphy and Matt Rumelhart netted 4 apiece while Tyler Smyth rounded out the scoring with 2 of his own. The Knights finished 12 for 26 (46%) from the free throw line, but fortunately the Baron’s fared even worse at 11 for 27 (41%), including 8 out of 17 in the final quarter. The whistles were kept busy as 42 fouls were called during the game.
The Knights (3-1 overall, 1-0 FAVC-Cardinal) will hit the road again on Friday evening as they travel to league rival Turpin for a 6 PM battle with the Spartans. Go Knights!
- Scooter Knight
Dec. 7, 2006The Knights met the Tigers of Loveland in the home opener, at Kings High School, on Tuesday evening. The Tigers pounced on the Knights early and established a 9-4 first quarter lead. They widened it to 20-11 at the half. The scorekeepers took a break in the early third quarter as neither team scored for nearly 4 minutes. Then the Knights caught fire and went on a 13-2 run to take a 24-22 lead to the final quarter. The Knights continued a solid defensive effort in the final quarter, which included a nice 8 for 10 effort from the free throw line, to put the Tigers away by a final score of 34-28.
Derrick Harris led the Knights with 19 points including an 8 out of 9 effort from the Charity Stripe. Tyler Smyth tossed in 4 points while Nick Bauer and Chris Burton each contributed 3. Chip Barkett and Matt Rumelhart scored two points apiece, while Zac Murphy rounded out the scoring with one point of his own. The Knights finished 15 for 20 (75%) from the free throw line
The Knights (2-1) will hit the road again on Friday evening as they travel to Amelia for a 6 PM battle with the Barons. Go Knights!
-Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS TEAMWORK DOWN THE MIDDIES
Dec. 2, 2006
The Knight’s met the Middies of Middletown in the Consolation Game of the Union Centre Mortgage Tip-Off Classic at Lebanon High School on Saturday afternoon. Both teams had difficulty establishing any offense in the first quarter with the Knights holding a slight 8-5 lead. Kings expanded that lead to 19-11 at halftime. Unlike Friday night, the Knight offense showed up in the third quarter, and they took a commanding 34-19 lead to the bench at the end of three. Kings continued to play solid defense and won in a nice effort, 48-27.
The Knights gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the first quarter, but responded to their coach’s challenge by only allowing 3 the rest the contest. Kings committed 10 turnovers in the first half, but took much better care of the rock in the 2 nd half as they only turned it over 4 times.
Each Knight who played scored, led by Chris Burton with 11. Nick Bauer tossed in 6 while Zac Murphy and Chip Barkett were each contributing 6. Tyler Smyth knocked down two buckets, including a long distance dedication trey, all in the fourth quarter, for his 5 points. Derrick Harris netted 4 points while being hindered with foul difficulties. Michael Olds, Tim Welch, Dane Walter and Matt Rumlehart each scored two points. Andrew Winebrenner rounded out the scoring with one point of his own. The Knights finished 14 for 20 from the stripe for 70%. Nick Reany and Brian Howell continue to rehab from injuries and provided valuable encouragement to their teammates from the sidelines.
The Knights (1-1) will have their home opener on Tuesday night as they face the Tigers of Loveland. The JV contest will begin at 6 PM. Go Knights!
- Scooter Knight
KNIGHTS BLOWN AWAY BY COMETS
Dec. 1, 2006
The Kings Knight’s JV team opened their 2006-07 season in a clash with backyard rival Mason, in the Union Centre Mortgage Tip-Off Classic at Lebanon High School. As the first winter storm front of the season howled outside the shooting, inside the Lebanon High School gym seemed just as cold.
The Knights jumped out in front 10-7 in the first quarter and widened that lead to 20-15 as the teams retired to their locker rooms at halftime. The Knights forgot to bring their offense back out in the 3 rd quarter as the Comets outscored them 13-3 to take a 28-23 lead into the final stanza. Still not much offense in the final quarter and the Knights were forced to foul in hopes of getting the ball back. That strategy worked soundly as the Comets went 4 for 16 from the Charity Stripe in the quarter, but the Knights couldn’t capitalize and ended up on the losing side of the scoreboard, 38-29.
The Knights were lead in scoring by Derrick Harris with 10 points. Zac Murphy tossed in 6 while Michael Olds and Chip Barkett each contributed 4. Nick Bauer netted 3 and Matt Rumelhart rounded out the scoring with 2. The Knights were 6/10 from the free throw line (60%) while the Comets finished 8/26 for 31%. Sean Decker led the Comets scoring with 9.
With the pressure of a perfect season now off their backs, the Knights (0-1) will quickly return to action in the Consolation Game of the Tip-Off Classic, on Saturday afternoon, to face the Middies of Middletown.
-Scooter Knight