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| Sports - Paola | |||
| Written by Gene Morris | |||
| Friday, 27 February 2009 09:00 | |||
Basketball is heating up with the weather. March Madness is here and the Class 4A substate in Ottawa has to be one of the more intriguing ones in the state on both sides. The Paola Panthers are the clear favorite on the girls’ side, ranked second in the state with an unblemished record of 18-0.It has its share of plot twists. The Panthers, provided they get past Prairie View in the first round of the playoffs at home Tuesday, could have two huge games back-to-back in the semifinals and finals to reach state for the third time in five years. Paola could run into Louisburg in the semifinals Friday and then likely face Ottawa in the substate finals the following day. Nothing is guaranteed. Louisburg served notice it is not a program to be taken lightly, playing the Panthers to a double overtime game in Paola last week. Louisburg fell 67-65 in a game either side could have won, and if nothing else, giving the Wildcats a boost of confidence that they could upset the Panthers in the substate tournament. If the Panthers win, they would still have another huge hurdle to clear Saturday evening, playing the Cyclones on their home court in Ottawa. The Panthers escaped Ottawa with a 52-49 victory against the Cyclones on Jan. 13. Facing Ottawa for the Paola homecoming on Feb. 6, the Panthers won by 10 points, 75-65. Having said that, I still like the Panthers. I know the Panthers have a tall task ahead of them with the Louisburg Wildcats eager for another shot at them and then, if they reach the finals, the unenviable task of beating the Ottawa Cyclones for a third time this season. That is never easy. The boys’ side of the bracket is wide open. Ottawa and Fort Scott are the top two seeds in the substate. The Cyclones have five losses and the Tigers have fallen seven times. Louisburg, Osawatomie and Paola all have a shot. Osawatomie (12-7) has the second best record in the substate as the third seed. The Panthers, who play at Osawatomie on Monday, defeated the Trojans 52-50 in Paola on Dec. 16. The rematch, with much more riding on the outcome, is on Osawatomie’s home court this time. Louisburg, winner of nine games at the date of substate seeding, has proven to be capable of putting a run together. Osawatomie, riding atop the Pioneer League at 8-0, could put a run together and make a few waves in the substate. Paola is not a team to be taken lightly, either. The Panthers have notched just eight wins, by the seeding deadline Tuesday night, but the team has played close games with Ottawa, Baldwin and Spring Hill. Paola also upset the then undefeated, No. 1 ranked Girard Trojans 48-47 on Jan. 6. If the Panthers take care of the basketball, cut down on turnovers and have patience in the second half offensively, especially with a late lead, the boys have a shot to hoist the substate championship trophy Saturday night. You probably have to favor Ottawa, posting 14 wins and playing on its home court, but I could see an upset in the making here. I think the Panthers, Trojans or Wildcats could come out of this one. Even if they don’t, Louisburg, Osawatomie and Paola will not make it easy for anyone. As far as substate tournaments go, this one is going to be as good as a five-star movie, with plenty of drama. Make sure to get your popcorn early.
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