Dick Vitale

You left Todd Sutherland, Andre Boutte and ME off of your short list Lazeek! I'm appalled! LOL

EXACTLY

Our 2001 Ozen team had guys that were not in the rotation that would START at most places. I can relate to the issue of having a dominant team, I just don't agree with controlling the final outcome of a high school varsity game by some mercy rule...Its just not fair to the kids that work hard to be good.

Central did...just being honest....They were just tougher that first district game, but Ozen did a superb job of adjusting that last game. I do agree with you that it takes a team with some bigs to beat Ozen, because when Boyd is rolling, he and Comeaux are about a good a set of guards in the state, bar none.

So you get the kids to practice hard, play hard, and they are winning big....Now the kids that don't play as much get some time on the floor...Do you tell them to NOT continue the good habit of playing hard? I understand not pressing and such, but what do you do when your 12, 13, and number 14 guys are better than the other teams starters? Lay down? Just a rhetorical question...

My question is what does it TEACH the kids? Is this how it gong to be in LIFE? MERCY RULES? I think its a real disservice to the growth and development of the young people involved.

Vegas odd makers would say 35-1, for that one this season!

Coach Sigler is a really good coach. He is definitely from the old school and is a no nonsense type of guy. He has not been able to get seemingly talented teams over the hump and get to the state tournament, but you folks are not realizing is that he has had some pretty steep hurdles to leap in competing against some GREAT PA Lincoln and Hardin Jefferson programs through the years, not to mention that getting to State is HARD TO DO...and being favored doesn't help!...Its all about timing..They are definitely favored to win the region this year, but it has to be done on the floor...If the kids miss free throws, or just don't play well, for example, yes the head coach is the one that shoulder's that blame, but is it REALLY his fault when they have been doing so well at the line all year long, and just have a bad night? Just my two cents....

I told you before, when I saw HJ play in the Gamble Tournament that I thought they were turnover prone...37? Good God! LOL

Is there a PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH button on here? LOL

Woooooow!

Isn't that up to the teams involved? I mean, I know that technically at the end of district play if they are tied only losing to each other, that would be considered co-champions in the books, but there is only ONE trophy....LOL

I hear that they will concede as Co-Champions, but play for the seed....Makes no sense to me but, this is how they will settle it...I say PLAY for ALL the marbles, not just the seed, but, that's just me being old school! LOL

Great story. I wonder why there are none about the 4A Champions from that same year, from this very area, Port Arthur Lincoln? I guess they could not be located for a feature story...I guess.

We didn't play Kountze after the 2001-02 season when we returned the game from 2001 and played at Kountze, winning by 30 (they were young that year)...That 2004 Houston Milby team was good in a down year for Texas basketball...They were very talented but so darn undisciplined..They likely took Kountze for a joke and went in not taking them serious..Matters not if it was CLOSE, they were clearly out of their league against them, as they would be against Ozen and Lincoln during those years...

Honestly. Do you REALLY think if HJ played that Lincoln team 5 times that season, would HJ had even beaten them ONCE? I say NO and they would all been double digit HJ losses. What do you think?

They were actually undefeated with Stevie in uniform...they lost three games (Silsbee, Houston Episcopal, & West Brook) when Stevie was out with old house bill 72...(NO PASS NO PLAY) LOL....They beat Silsbee that year in the regional final.

Not stirring the pot or anything, (yes I am), but correct me if I'm wrong....with ALL of that talent coming out of Central Medical Magnet, are they the ONLY BISD school and one of the few SE Texas schools with ZERO state championship APPEARANCES (not to mention state TITLES) in ANY SPORT? Just fun fact finding... LOL

Stevie could play all 5 positions, plus that depth on that team was so good. Earl was a great talent, but Stevie was a PRO. Plus his supporting cast may have been better.

And THEY would have had major problem with us, because of our size and outstanding guard play. WE were a TOUGH out....36-0...lol

They were really good teams from Port Arthur...But Coach Gamble said it himself...The BEST Lincoln team was the 95 team that featured Stephen Jackson (NBA) and Keith Harris (Tulane). They had it ALL. Next he said, was the 1991 Lincoln team featuring Kelvin McKyer and Xavier Hinton.. His 1988 Team that had BJ Tyler was up there with those two teams as well. But to put 3A HJ in the conversation is just crazy...They were good, but not in the same league.

Todd Sutherland is this area's current BEST coach...That should be obvious...Brian English is one of the area's best, and due to his body of work, Big Sandy's Kevin Foster....and with THAT said you must include MARQUIS SAVAET in that group...Say what you want, but he has done an OUTSTANDING job of maintaining that program at Ozen...HE MADE IT TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME JUST LAST SEASON, and has been to the regional tournament 4 times...anyone else in Class 4A or better in this area done that since Boutte? Nope. Not many know this, but in 2002, Savaet went to the Regional Finals with the girls program at Ozen. as head coach. He has done a great job, and not many in this area has surpassed him. I also feel Coach Joubert has done a fine job of maintaining the Kountze program as well. Some others are up and coming, but these guys have put the work in to be called the area's best.

2001 Ozen...but I get the message loud and clear and THEY know it too! We would have BLOWN those smaller teams OUT...Including the 1991 Hardin Jefferson squad...We would have beaten them worse than that! We actually DID beat the 2001 Kountze team that was VERY good too by 20, WITHOUT Perk (injured in the 1st quarter of the game) when we both #1 in our respective classes..People kill me when they forget how good those old teams REALLY were...SMH...How could they even try to compare 91 HJ to 91 Lincoln? Seriously?

NO. The 1991 HJ team was a VERY good team...However, they were still a 3A team...They would have been beaten by that 1991 Lincoln team by 20+...You cannot place them in the same category with the Ozen, Lincoln, and Hebert teams...Not even close...They were very good though, don't get me wrong, but in a different class from the SE Texas great ones.

After that I would have to say 1995 PA Lincoln....then 1991 PA Lincoln...But definitely 2001 Ozen has to be considered as THE best SE Texas team EVER....