Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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  • Action Jackson... Iaeger’s Cody Jackson prepares to shoot during last week’s sectional title game loss to Meadow Bridge. Iaeger will travel to Midland Trail tonight for a Class A regional game with a state tourney berth at stake. File photo

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March 10, 2010

Iaeger hopes to ride Trail to state

By TOM BONE Bluefield Daily Telegraph

PRINCETON — History has been on the minds of the coaches of both Iaeger and Midland Trail as they prepare for this evening’s Class A Region III co-final between the Cubs and Patriots.

For Don Smith at Iaeger (10-12), there’s the reality that the school’s final season is nearing an end, sooner or later. Iaeger will consolidate into the new River View High School in August.

“We talked about that (Monday),” he said before Tuesday’s practice. “The seniors who’ve been here for four years realize that after tomorrow there either won’t be any more games here, or we’ll be talking about one of the biggest games in school history.”

Greg Crist, head coach at Section 1 champion Midland Trail (13-5), also has a historical perspective for his charges.

The Patriots are excited at the prospect of clinching a berth in the state tournament with a win, he said.

“I think it was ’95 or ’96, the last time possibly Midland Trail went to the state tournament,” Crist said. “We’ve talked about not only getting there, but winning the thing.”

Smith told his team the only time Iaeger has gone to the state boys’ tournament, the Cubs beat Midland Trail to get there.

With the realignment of the state into super-regions, the Cubs stayed alive in the playoffs even though they lost last Friday’s sectional championship game 45-33 to another Fayette County school, Meadow Bridge.

“No team in school history has played in two straight regionals like we have,” Smith said.

Solving a shooting slump is foremost in his mind.

He said, “Our last five regular-season games, I thought we were playing real well on the offensive end, and making a lot of shots. ... Last week we seemed to lose it again.”

“We’ll hit a streak of four or five games where we can’t shoot,” he said. “Hopefully, this time it’ll only be two games.”

He reported just after school dismissed on Tuesday that his team was already in the gym shooting. “We’re going to shoot all day,” the coach said. “The only two things we’re going to work on is shooting and the zone offense.”

The Cubs played “great defense” against Meadow Bridge, he said. “Defense is really hard to play.”

Iaeger led the Wildcats 28-20 going into the fourth quarter on Friday, then lost the lead for good with 2:32 left in the game.

Crist said the Patriots’ strengths are “attacking the basket, getting on the offensive boards ... and our defense. We pride ourselves on playing good defense, and we’ve done that pretty well this season.”

Midland Trail is holding opponents to an average of 45.5 points this season, and only twice have they surrendered more than 50 points in a game.

“We’re not exceptionally tall,” Crist said, “but we do have big-bodied guys inside, and fairly athletic guards.”

The starting guards are both seniors. Joey Fox leads the team scoring with 13 points per game, while point guard Caleb Carte contributes 11. Junior forward Kelly Minter contributes 11 points and eight rebounds per contest.

The rough winter has schemed against “getting good continuity and rhythm on offense,” Crist said, “but everybody’s had that. We’re not using that as an excuse.”

Once playoff time arrived, the Patriots picked their game up, beating Pocahontas County 62-61 and turning back county neighbor Fayetteville last Friday, 43-39.

“The more we play like this, the better we’re playing,” Crist said.

Iaeger forward Cody Jackson is having a breakout year. The junior “is averaging almost 17 points a game, and he’s getting 13 rebounds a game,” Smith said. Senior center Lawrence Morgan is a dynamic complement, putting up 12 points and bringing down 13 rebounds per outing.

“And our guards have scored well at times,” Smith said. Seniors Trevor Kennedy, Jeffery Johnson and Landon Hurley round out the Cubs’ usual starting five.

Iaeger has been scoring 52 points on average this season and allowing just under 55. Four of its games have been decided by three points or less, including a 42-39 win against Greater Beckley Christian to begin sectional play.

Crist said from reviewing tapes of Iaeger’s games, “They’re big and lanky, I do know that. But you can watch films all day and not know exactly what a team’s like.”

“They play aggressively — going to the basket — and they rebound the ball very well,” he said.

Smith’s scouting report on the Patriots sounds like another tough coalfield clash.

“I know they’re physical,” Smith said. “Their tallest guy is only maybe 6-2, but they’re wide and strong.”

Tipoff is at 7 p.m. this evening at Midland Trail High School in Hico, at the intersection of U.S. Route 19 and  U.S. 60.

— Contact Tom Bone

at tbone@bdtonline.com

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