I have seen a couple of games

I have been to two Foley games 1 boys and 1 girls in the past 3 days. I left feeling disapointed both times.

The Falcon boys have started this season right where we left off last year. Cruising and beating a lot of teams they are supposed to. They ran into an EV-W team the other night that isn't as talented, so I expected a 15 point win. Saying Eden Valley's guards aren't very good is like saying the Minnesota Timberwolves aren't very good. So I expected some run and jump, and full court play. The one thing EV-W has is big Dave Stommes who is a house down low.


Game starts off slow, no ball pressure from the falcons, allowing EV-W to run their sets like they woul din their shoot arounds. EV-W leads the whole 1st half. Bright spot for the falcons this year has been the play of Eric Oiness who has increased confidence and range on his jump shot. Oiness and Sr Matt Feuling keep it close.

Second half EV-W opens up by 10 midway through the half, but that's when the Falcons come with their pressure against EV-W bad guards, layups by Laine Nelson, and Nick Jansen cut the Eagles lead to 2. We go back and forth from there, until 27 seconds remain, falcons down 2, they dribble the clock down disorganized until the 11 second mark, and then call a TO. Mercifully putting Feuling back in the game at the TO(two coaches asked me after the game how Feuling wasn't on the floor for the crucial last few possesions, I couldn't honestly answer the question). Sr Laine Nelson who has been on fire, attacks the lane out of a TO off a brush screen from Feuling, finds Feuling on the roll, and as the shot goes up, big Stommes goes for the block. Maybe there was contact maybe not, but no call is made(as it should be at the end of games) and the Falcons lose their 1st game if the year.

My thoughts were that I hope that game doesn't affect the falcons seed for playoffs, and also that it might have been the best thing for the kids, staff, etc...Foley up until now hasn't really played anyone, and only one team with a winning record, and they were class 1A. Almost all of their games have been at home, and now the kids will listen better at practice, and be prepared for what will be a stiff test Friday night versus NL-S. They are a very dangerous team, who like I predicted will challenge for the conference and section titles.

I saw Foley/Albany girls last night and for a half it was a good game. if not for A couple ill advised possesions late in the first half including a 17 footer from Katie Kotsmith with 15 seconds left in the half, which led to a 3 pt play the other way, and a 13 point defecit and possibly not an 8 point defecit, and we really could of had a battle. Katie had a great scoring half, as did Hannah Hylla of Albany who had 15 at the break. 40-27 Huskies at the half.

Second half was as hard of a half to watch as I have seen in awhile. Albany comes out in their stapled 1-3-1 zone and promptly scores the next 21 points. Now we are in blowout mode, and to be honest I checked out. Foley has a nice team, and more talent this year then they project to have in awhile. I root for them to get better in practice and give Albany a better game at home.