Hey there, kids! I'm trying to get my NY tabloid headline writing on. Eh. Decent effort.

So you'll read in tomorrow's paper (March 28) that Brad Oyler is leaving the Liberty Blue Jays girls' basketball program after 11 years as head coach. Oyler, simply put, is the reason why Liberty girls' basketball is significant. Today, he reflected on what he wanted to do when he took over and he said he wanted to build Liberty into one of the elite girls programs in the metro - Bishop Miege, St. Thomas Aquinas, Blue Springs, Hickman Mills. I would say, mission accomplished.

Under Oyler, Liberty got the invite to the HyVee Shootout several times and the Blue Jays have an impressive winning record in those games. In 2007, Liberty had its most successful year ever, winning 27 games and the Missouri Class 5 state championship. Basketballheads will always remember Liberty's semifinal game against Columbia Hickman when the Blue Jays came back from 20 points in the THIRD QUARTER to win 50-49. Yes, it was completely awesome and one of those high school games that should be replayed for-ev-er.

The Saint Thomas Aquinas girls basketball team is going to state!  This game tonight was a game to watch. You had a feeling this was going to be a close one. However, no one thought that the score would stay tied at 2-2 until about 45 seconds left in the first quarter.  Finally the quarter ended at 5-4 in favor of Aquinas.  The girls on both teams had a tough time scoring and the game was geting physical with Abby Willis going out of the game with an injury after the fist couple of minutes, luckily not serious.  She returned later in the 3rd quarter and played great defense.

Both teams struggled at the free throw line and at half the score was 11-8 in favor of the Saints.  3rd quarter started and we all hoped that the girls would settle down and start hitting their free throws or that their shots would fall.  However, the game continued to be real close until the girls started their run with Melanie Siscos making a contested lay up as the 3rd quarter expired and also getting fouled.  She converted the and one and the girls were up by 7 starting the 4th quarter.  The lead extended to 9 at the begining of the 4th quarter and then Gardner-Edgerton started their run closing the gap to 2 points.  This is as close as they got.  Aquinas made one more free throw and after that the game was over.

  The girls played great defense all night and every one who played tonight played real hard.  This team tonight competed and played with a purpose.  Their shots were not falling as they would have liked, but their defense was somethng else.  All the Aquinas fans were proud tonight of these girls. 

Tonight's game; KCCS vs Silver Lake, was a hard hitting game in the first 3 periords. Both teams offense was hard pushing, with a defense to match. The KCCS Panthers Terrance Pratt, Jordan Mehalic, & Kevin McElvain were on top of defense tonight against the Silver Lake Eagles. Both teams had some questionable fouls in the first period yet somehow the Panthers were able to pull it out.

The championship game will be played on Saturday at 7:30 PM at Silver Lake. Agaist Rossville. This game should be harder because both team have a good defense & fast offense. Results of that game & photos will be posted on Saturday Night after the game. 

The regular high school basketball season is over and now onto substate.  The top 4 seeds in the 5A Gardner-Edgerton brackets in girls basketball are Bishop Miege (18-2), Gardner-Edgerton (16-4), Saint Thomas Aquinas (14-6), and Mill Valley (11-9).  Wednesday they are playing against Wyandotte(1-19), Turner (1-19), Harmon (3-17), and Pittsburg (7-13).  All 4 should advance, unless there are upsets, to Friday's games setting up some good matchups.

Starting time has changed from 6:15pm to 5:30pm.

The two best girls basketball teams in the EKL are playing against each other this Friday at 6:15pm at Aquinas.  With the EKL championship on the line, the Saint Thomas Aquinas girls basketball team will try to revenge their only loss in the EKL this year to Bishop Miege which is undefeated in the league.  This, combined with the boys game followng this one is certainly going to draw a crowd.