Least We Forget

We projected going in, that this would be a tough season, facing much taller and experienced teams every night. Even so, we prepared to meet our obvious “vertical challenge.” Then, early in the season, to complicate matters even more, we were left with only five players and no bench.

Senior Co-Captains, Taylor Gipe and Matt Reed stepped up to lead us, and along with sophomore, Justin Posch and freshmen, Tucker Willits and Chris Brown, we faced opponents without the benefit of substitutes. When junior, Justin Fogleman decided to join us, we finally could benefit from bench relief. Then senior, Tommy Rogers came on to provide a squad of seven players.

The Northern Section of the CIF includes some 60 plus varsity basketball teams. Our varsity ranked third in steals, 23rd in rebounds and 30th in assists. These statistics show the spirit of “no quit” character in honorably representing Greenville High School, which is equivalent to, #1 and “Champions of Hustle.” 

Yes, we would have certainly enjoyed having the “Big Shiny” (scoreboard) light up in our favor more often, however, each of you will always be illuminated by the bright spirit of your commitment and character. We were definitely, “The Proud-The Few” and we gave each other our best.  

Best Wishes for the good things in life to each of you on the path of life. It was an honor to respond to your call at practice for, “Coach On Deck.”

Respectfully,

J.C. Eaglesmith

“All for One-One for All”

We here at the Lassen Sports Network applaud and honor, coach Eaglesmith and the 2008-09, Greenville High School Indians boys basketball team.

To submit your stories and pictures, use our handy submission form.

The Greenville Indians traveled to play Providence of Orland Wednesday night. The game was played at Corning’s Maywood Middle School’s fine gym.

The Indians arrived with an enhanced seven player roster from the previous limitations of mostly five players. The 1st quarter saw senior co-Captain Taylor Gipe led the Indians charge, drawing three consecutive fouls as he went to the basket, converting 4 of 6 free-throws & also hit a jumper. Greenville led 10-8 after the 1st. quarter. Masked freshman guard Chris Brown led the Greenville charge in the 2nd quarter., but turn-over’s plagued the Indians and erased their lead and Providence led 24-22 at halftime. Even though Greenville was on their way to executing 21 steals & 44 rebounds, their repeated & consecutive turn-over’s effectively eliminated their opportunity to secure the victory. Providence outscored Greenville 24-22 in the 2nd half for the 46-42 victory.

Gipe played perhaps his best over-all game with 17 pts, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 1 block. He has been asked to play both point-guard & wing alternately and has done a fine job.

Senior Tommy Rogers joined the team on Monday & gave a good initial effort with 6 pts, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks and two assists, and gave the Indians some much needed additional punch.

Freshman Chris Brown produced 13 pts, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Senior Matt Reed added 5 pts, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Greenville will continue to work on basic skills as remedies, and continue to improve.

“While our hustle is second to none, we must not equate activity with productivity. We will continue to strive for ’sustained intensity controlled,’ or “‘SIC, as the lads like refer to something reeeaaaallly cool!”

Friday – Jan. 23rd

@ Portola – 70

Greenville – 16

Again, as with Quincy, we’ve been provided copius opportunity to practice against full-court presses—- even when down by 30 points or more!

Portola’s ball-handling & rebounding skill levels were far above ours.  Mostly due to the full court press.  Portola was easily on their way to scoring 100 with a 48-14 at the half.   We decided to hold the ball & utilize the shot-clock throughout the 2nd half, which negated our own scoring, hence the 70-16 final.  Several fans & family supporters asked why they continued pressing with such a large lead.  Of course the answer was; 1) Because they can— it is legal you know!  and  2) They have a need to (they have that answer).  Portola did finally back off the press in the 2nd half & dropped down into a zone, which allowed us to hold on to the ball for most of the 35 second shot clock and also let the clock run down on their last possession without shooting to finally end the game.  So even with these tactics the score (70-16) was not that close! Haha

In coaching I’ve required players to value three basic principals:  1)  Be Honest (about your skills), 2) Improve Skills, and 3)  Play Faster.   We are obvously at the “Improve Skills” level, specifically developing the basics of ”Pass & Catch.”  Our proud five players continued to battle to the best of their abilities and keep their spirits high… competing against all odds.  They are improving.  As we’ve pointed out before, we’re going to take it on the chin for awhile, and maybe on the mouth, the eyes and the back of the head….  These boys know that as well as anyone, yet they continue to practice hard and try to improve.   They all enter each and leave every game with their heads up. 

They continue to exhibit & exemplify something we don’t see enough of —– honor & respect.

The Greenville Indians started the season with a nine player squad described as “comparatively inexperienced & vertically challenged.”  After battling through two tourneys against mostly more experienced & taller opponents while going 1 – 5, four of the most skilled players (3 Starters) decided not to continue. This left the Indians with only five players & two practices to prepare for the next tourney.

When one of the remaining five players was not able to travel, that tourney trip unfortunately was cancelled. The five player squad courageously faced opponents, of course without benefit of substitution, and came to be respected for their determination & hustle as the “Die-Hard Five.” The Indians celebrated when a sixth player was recruited from on the Greenville campus and came out to assist the team. But then, one of the original five sustained a season ending injury away from the Varsity basketball program and the Indians returned to the “Die-Hard Five” status. It is remarkable that the Greenville Boys Varsity Basketball team continues despite obvious limitations & extraordinary obstacles, and continues to take-on their scheduled commitments every night with determination, hustle, and without excuses.  Interscholastic high school sports emphasize the building of character & sportsmanship.

The Greenville 2008-09 season has been one of overcoming hardships which many, many other more fortunate programs may not have been able to either adapt, or carry on. Supporters, administrators, officials, referees, and opponents have registered their respect & admiration for the degree of intensity & honor with which the Greenville team competes night after night.  While these attributes may, or may not be aspired to in programs that measure success in terms of ‘winning’ and even ‘winning with honor,’ Greenville exemplifies the same lofty goals in their many defeats, i.e., while ‘losing with honor’ and apparently averting the degree of impact of disheartening ‘defeats’.  The focus truly centers on ‘honor,’ and while winning and/or losing will always remain paramount, our schools, society, and world could celebrate the focus on ‘honor.’

One fact stands out regarding the student-athletes continuing to represent the Greenville Indians, be it their “Die-Hard Five” I, II, or III versions, is the way they exemplify the true spirit of highest intended outcomes from participation in interscholastic athletics.

Coach J.C. Eaglesmith summarized; “There are undoubtedly not many who have experienced anything like this season at Greenville. Like I have said, “I’ve played on & coached high school & collegiate undefeated Championship teams.  We were ‘successful’ because of our ‘All for One – One for All’ bonding.  Oh sure, we ‘won’ but the real victory is in the sense of cherishment in the way we played & unconditionally loved the game, and thereby each other. Now that includes opponents to a degree… (chuckling) at least on the court!

Teammates & opponents, those still with us, continue to relate to each other with respect. Time has not defeated that value of respect, all from the conduct honor.  Plain & simple, when success is defined only as winning, even though it thankfully often produces instant motivation & copious esteem, it should not be awarded, nor confused with, the spirit of honor required to reach down deep inside to compete when the Big-Shiny score-board is not in our favor. I don’t believe you can coach that- if it’s there & brought out, you can build on it, but I don’t believe you can coach that like, skill and acquisition of techniques.

So look, what we’re talking about fleshes out to be the indomitable spirit of honor, and it humbles us to witness it manifesting in our players – some have it, some don’t, but we all should cherish it as good medicine in life.  I’ve never been prouder of a team than the one that honors me now by calling me “coach”, they will always be winners.  Now, don’t go getting the wrong idea, or anything – because we’re preparing to go down to Elk Creek and play with our style of intensity – who knows, what the Big Shiny will show!  Thanks, we are all related.

(1/17) Elk Creek 49 Greenville 41
(1/19) North Tahoe 62 Greenville 31

Quincy built a 33-10 halftime lead and kept the gas on in the final two quarters to record the 50 point victory. Greenville is limited to just six players in uniform, one of whom, just joined the team in recent days.                 

Quincy is now 4-6 on the season, 1-0 in Feather River League play. The loss drops the Indians to 1-8, 0-1 in league.

Quincy will next face Live Oak High School in the East Nicholas tournament, Thursday, Jan. 8th, while Greenville will be at home to face Herlong, Friday, Jan. 9th.

To submit your stories and pictures, use our handy submission form.

All right—-this is admittedly a tall order, especially when jump-starting from scratch. Oh yes, there are those who say it can’t be done because there’s just too many detractors.
So, we look to those who are wearing boots with healthy straps, still functioning & not contributing heavy weight to the straps of others. Once such leadership “steps-up,” we can leave the adult ‘pulling of bootstraps’ organization & leadership provisions and see student/athletes “lacing-up” their latest dream shoes to fly into the magic world of our beloved game of roundball.

Our Beloved Game of Roundball & ‘The Big Shiny’ Magic:
There are those who have not experienced, nor see the value in, participating in athletics at any level.  After all they say, why do you play—strive, weep & rejoice? What is derived from playing hard with this thing called honor? Oh sure, we all enjoy part of ‘The Big Shinny’ when the victorious scoreboard lights are bouncing-off trophies & reflecting in the eyes of our players, their folks, classmates & communities. But, that is only part of the “Big Shiny.”  So what is the key to what we call ‘magic’ ?  It is found in the way we emerge ourselves in honorable competition that ‘the immediacy of time is defeated.’  It is found in that place where the honor of competition captures timeless moments and, yes eventually, the score evolves. It is found in why the word “win” doesn’t need to spill of our tongue.  No science-fiction ‘time-machine’ controls here… No trillion dollar$ expenditures for sensory-deprivation chambers… No precarious, imaginative, & surrogated virtual reality experience here… Rather, the real ‘magic’ is stepping on that hardwood, asphalt, or earth court, committed & dedicated to all-out effort, riding honor to that zone of ecstasy… it’s the swish, ‘going to the hoop’… being a member of a team.
The real magic of “The Big Shiny” fleshes-out to be the gleam in the eye of a youngster making their first 3-pointer and in the eye of an old player who has been there & strives to share it with the next generations… It is found in being related through our beloved game of roundball.  As most involved with youth know—-our youngsters need, deserve (& some even) expect it, because they sense from us that they are worth it!  We both must work with many people, as do you, and through these experiences, some we would share only necessary surface info— I’m glad we can be friends.  Thanks for all your efforts to recognize our young student/athletes. Happy Holidays to you & yours, two-legged, four-legged & winged at the Blackwoods.
J.C.