[Stardust]

GLASGOW — Anything can happen in an athletic event. Teams that haven’t won a game all year can rise up and beat an undefeated team. Players can have unbelievable games and no one – no one – is guaranteed a win.

Well, Steve Kirkpatrick, the boys’ head basketball coach at Monroe County High School, is hoping lighting will strike for him and his team as they prepare for next week’s Boys’ District 15 Basketball Tournament.

The Falcons, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, will open play on Tuesday against the No. 1 seed Glasgow Scotties. The game is set for 6 p.m.

If you look at all the number on paper, Tuesday’s game shouldn’t even be close, but, just like the old sports adage says, they don’t play games on paper.

“You always have to be leery of an upset, but Glasgow has all the tools,” said Kirkpatrick. “They have quickness, size, strength. They have a bench and coach (Jeff) Hall has done an excellent job this year. They have good chemistry. They have something special this year.”

The Scotties knocked off the Falcons in each of the regular-season contests, but in tournament time, the regular season doesn’t mean much. Kirkpatrick said those games are behind them.

“At district tournament time, you can throw all the records out. It is 0-0 now, a new season,” Kirkpatrick said. “You have to go out and play your best and hope you can make your shots. Against Glasgow, you have to get some rebounds.”

Kirkpatrick said one of the things that makes Glasgow such a difficult matchup problem for teams is their size and athletic ability. He said the Scotties are a force on the boards.

“You can’t let them get easy second shots,” the coach said. “You always have to take care of the basketball. Their defensive pressure is tremendous, but we have to limit the turnovers.”

And the Falcons are hoping their own defensive pressure will pose problems for the Scotties.

“With all those weapons, you have to do a good job of finding their shooters. The thing with them is even a big kid like Hunter Bowles can step out and shoot the 3,” Kirkpatrick said. “We can’t give open looks. You can’t really key on one player. If you concentrate, say, on Quentin Ellis, he will find the open man. They’re very unselfish.”

So Kirkpatrick said his team is ready to go and will come out Tuesday with all guns firing. Look for Chad Wilson and Jordan Deckard to lead the Falcons into battle.

“Toward the end of the season, we are playing some of our better basketball. And that will help us prepare for the tournament,” Kirkpatrick said. “Glasgow will probably focus on Chad Wilson, but he does a good job of finding his teammates. He’s a kid every coach loves to have.

“We have our program going in the right direction. We went to the regional tournament in each of the last two years. We want to keep building on our success and a victory over Glasgow would help keep the program heading in the right direction.”

http://glasgowdailytimes.com/sports/x471...th-Glasgow