round four at Goshen

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

You can look, but you might be hard pressed to find two teams that play harder against each other than the Pike County Bulldogs and the Goshen Eagles.

Being located in the same county is obviously a motivating factor as well as the fact the two teams are no more than a stone’s throw away, but after their last three battles all that really doesn’t matter at all.

Pike County has been on the losing end of three straight nail-biting finishes between the two schools. In all, the Eagles have notched three wins over their county rivals by a total of only six points.

They took a 61-60 win back in Dec. of 1998 as Jamar Tucker hit a clutch baseline jumper in the game’s final minute to give GHS the one-point cushion. The Bulldogs had their chances in that one getting the ball back on a charge call, but couldn’t convert after numerous shots under the basket wouldn’t fall before the buzzer sounded.

Again, that same season, Goshen held on late for a 56-54 victory to sweep the series with PCHS. The Eagles led throughout the game taking as much as an 11 point lead only to give it up in the fourth quarter to a surging Bulldog squad. PCHS took a 49-48 lead with 3:37 left, but couldn’t hold on as GHS pulled ahead soon after for good.

This year, the Eagles piled on a little more incentive with a 52-49 win on Dec. 10. Again Goshen was able to jump out early with a 14-point lead, but Pike County scratched and clawed its way back. They cut the lead to only one with five seconds left as Tobias Johnson was fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He hit two of the three, that would have tied it. Goshen’s Kendaris Pelton took the inbounds, was fouled and hit the two charity shots to seal the game.

None of these games were been decided until the final buzzer had sounded and that is definitely what any true basketball fan is looking for. While in all three games Goshen has pulled out the victory, Pike County has had three great chances at the end of the contests to pull them out.

Records and Talent doesn’t seem to matter all that much in these games. Each of them have their own heroes and their own happenings, but the one thing that stands out most importantly about all the close finishes is the heart both teams have shown.

That’s a string of games in which either team might have emerged the winner. Goshen pulled them all off putting the monkey on PCHS head coach David Buehler and the Bulldogs back. To get it off, they’re going to have to do it in an unfriendly environment at Goshen.

Now Buehler and his Bulldogs will have to face a new challenge. Goshen will return three of their starters from last year’s team in Larry Nichols, Averick Rogers and Jermaine Simmons and look stronger than ever.

Looking at the two team on paper and judging by their records you would have to give Goshen the nod.

Still, if history has taught us anything, all those predictions and 50 cents can buy you a coke when everything is said and done.

In the girls’ contest it’s a matchup of the unbeaten Lady Bulldogs and the winless Lady Eagles.

The Pike County girls are still searching for a State ranking by remaining one of the only undefeated teams in Class 4A, while on the opposing side the Goshen girls are just trying to find any way possible to get into the win column.

Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. for the "B" team game with the girl’s varsity to follow.