Tate’s Notebook: Week 8 Takeaways

<p>This past week, I attended the Forest Hills Eastern-Kenowa Hills game and the Comstock Park-Sparta game. Check out my thoughts on each game below.</p> <h5>Forest Hills Eastern 52, Kenowa Hills 45</h5> <p>Forest Hills Eastern and Kenowa Hills met this past Tuesday as two teams off to strong starts to the season hoping to grab a pivotal win in league play. It was Kenowa Hills’ first game since January 4th due to COVID cancellations. The Knights raced out to an early lead fueled by a 12-point first quarter from Javeon Otten. However, Forest Hills Eastern would settle in during the second quarter and regain the lead right before the half. The Hawks wouldn’t relinquish the lead the rest of the way as they went on to pick up a home win to improve their record to 8-3. Kenowa Hills fell to 4-2 following the loss.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1213127" first="Javion" last="Otten"], 6’4 G, Kenowa Hills 2023”</strong><br /> Javion stood out as the best and most impactful player on the floor on Tuesday night, finishing with 26 points. Javion’s quick first step allowed him to blow past his defender on numerous occasions to get high percentage looks in the lane and at the rim. His finish and touch around the rim allowed Javion to finish several contested shots, many of which he was off-balance but still found a way to convert. Javion picked up a couple of quick fouls in the second quarter, which ultimately led to Forest Hills Eastern going on a transition-fueled run to regain the lead. Defensively, Javeon stole a number of passes thanks to his quickness and ability to read where the pass was going to go. Overall a great showing from Javion despite the tough loss.</p> <p><strong>Jacob Pallo, 6’2 G, Forest Hills Eastern 2023”</strong><br /> Jacob spearheaded the Hawk’s second-quarter run with multiple steals that he capped off with transition finishes. Jacob’s energy was infectious and seemed to have a positive impact on the Hawk’s half-court offense. Jacob also flashed a dribble drive where he made a move to beat his man, took contact in the paint, and finished a contested shot near the rim. His 14 points were a team-high for Forest Hills Eastern.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1067859" first="Owen" last="Hardy"], 6’10 F, Forest Hills Eastern 2022”</strong><br /> Owen had a strong showing, scoring 10 points while dishing out a handful of assists and cleaning up the glass on both ends of the court. Owen’s passing ability out of the high and low post stood out to me as clear strong suits to his game. He made a number of great passes that led to easy buckets from both spots on the floor.</p> <h5>Comstock Park 54, Sparta 52</h5> <p>Comstock Park and Sparta clashed this past Friday in an OK Silver rivalry game that offered one of the best atmospheres I’ve witnessed this season. The game went back and forth with Sparta’s Jax Wilson and Comstock Park Donovan Cummings trading big-time baskets down the stretch. The Panthers used a 14-7 4th quarter surge to escape with the victory, bringing their record to 3-8 on the season. Sparta losses its fifth-straight game, bringing their record to 5-6.</p> <p><strong>Jax Wilson, 6’0 G, Sparta 2023”</strong><br /> Jax had a game-high 26 points which came from a healthy mix of perimeter jumpers, mid-range looks, and short-range finishes in traffic. Jax displayed good balance and an ability to make shots in a crowded lane. He isn’t the most physical guy on the court, but Jax does a good job of knifing through defenders to get his shot off. I was equally impressed with Jax’s ability to pull up and knock down quality looks in the mid-range. Jax gets good lift on his jumpers, allowing him to make shots over a good closeout and contest.</p> <p><strong>Donovan Cummings, 5’10 G, Comstock Park 2024”</strong><br /> At times, the sophomore guard offered an overwhelming veteran presence for the Panthers, knocking down pull-up jumpers from the perimeter, often time with a hand in his face. Donovan has a good handle and a good mix of isolation moves he uses to get his shot off. He showed great poise when Comstock Park needed a bucket to counter Sparta. His 21 points were a team-high for Comstock Park.</p>