[Coachinthestands]

Anyone who watches any kind of high school basketball knows that fouling at the end of a game (leading to free throws) can make the final score very deceiving. Regarding the inability of some players to play certain games whether it be for injury, foul trouble, etc... this is not an excuse for a team winning or losing. Its just part of the game. If all of East's, Ashland's, and Rowan's players (and now West should probably be mentioned in this discussion) were all 100% and not susceptible to fouling out I don't think any one team would dominate the other.

Also the "we were up by...." comment doesn't hold much water with me either. A dominant team doesn't just create a good lead, it protects it. As an example, one post mentions that Rowan was up by 14 to Ashland late in the game and only won by 2. A person could just as easily commend the ability and mental toughness for Ashland to come back and say that the "wheels" were starting to come off for Rowan. Of course, an arguement could just as easily be made praising the ability of Rowan to get such a lead to begin with.

What do I learn from this - most fans are going to spin their version of the truth to best promote their team. IMO there are no dominant teams in the 16th region this year. A lucky bounce of the ball may very well decide the regional champion. What I do know is that this could be a very interesting regional tournament.

Excellent and intelligent post!!