By Steve Dunford
From conversations on the Saturday Morning talk shows on the radio, most have this game circled for being the best one of the day.
Both teams will come in hungry today, because the Appleknockers and the Tigers let their last games slip away from them. Cobden led the whole game against a very good Goreville Blackcat team, before Braden Webb flat out took over, as Goreville won 71-68.
Thompsonville on the other hand, squandered an 11 point lead with four minutes to go down at Century to lose the game in overtime 74-71. The Appleknockers defeated Century 65-45 in the Vienna Classic.
Some other common opponents. The Tigers defeated Carrier Mills 64-37 and Elverado 52-51. Cobden defeated Carrier Mills 75-53 and Elverado 48-43.
Three to watch for the Appleknockers tonight is 6′ 3″ Clayton Eck, who has a very good inside outside game. Their point guard John Russell seems like he has been in high school for seven or eight years now. Noah Franklin a 6′ 4″ freshman was giving Goreville fits on the inside on Tuesday night.
For Thompsonville, 6′ 2″ Sophomore guard Corbin Fitch has turned into a scoring machine, averaging 15 + points a game for the Tigers. Reed Raubach a 6′ 5″ junior can fill it up from the outside, 6′ 7″ junior center Anthony Darge has been getting double doubles night in and night out, and 5′ 10″ junior point guard Tyson Kessler has been open for more points as of late, as teams are not keying on him as much. He was the Tigers biggest scoring threat last year. He is very unselfish, and been picking up five or more assists in most games.
Thompsonville has played a 2-3 zone most of the year, and on occasion go to a 3-2. Eck and Russell might cause them to go man to man because both are shooters.
Cobden was running a half court trap against Goreville. That can work either for or against the Tigers.
In the paint Franklin might cause the Tigers some problems, because he is a little more physical than Raubach and Darge. However the duo from Thompsonville, especially Darge could pick up some blocked shots.
Over the last two years, these squads have been each others nemesis. Two years ago Cobden won on last second shots twice. Last year Thompsonville went to Union County and picked up a nice win over the Appleknockers.
Being a T’ville guy, what scares me about Cobden is the opponents they have played with. They caused Goreville some problems last Tuesday night, in a game that I watched on Black Cats Network. They also gave Anna-Jonesboro a good scare as well.
The Tigers have yet to put together a complete 32 minute game this year. When they do, they can be a very dangerous ball club. They have struggled at the free throw line, and turnovers have plagued them.
Like the prognosticators that are predicting this has the potential of being one of the closest first round games. I think the match-up between Johnston City and Odin has the potential to be too.
A few Devil fans have asked me about Grady Furlow, a 6′ 1″ freshman who transferred from Sesser-Valier a couple of years ago. On the JV level he is the Tigers biggest scoring threat. On the varsity level, his minutes have been increasing every game.