March 11, 2014The season is over. It is hard to believe. After finishing the season 10-18, we have learned more than I ever could have imagined. It was a tough year, but we stuck together as a team, overcame adversity and never quit.
Aside from the games, I think we have made memories this year that we will remember for the rest of our lives. No one can forget the off-season we had. Backwards 400’s, five trips in a minute, THE LADDER. The Scioto Hills trip…snipe hunting, wearing wigs for the warrior challenge, pranking the freshmen…"Hey guys go over there, what’s under that box?" Only a few will know… :) How about riding in the sweetest bus I have ever seen to Tulane? I still miss the bed in that baby. Bo’s awesome singing at Coach Estepp’s house on New Year’s Eve. All of our dynasty football games on the Xbox in the locker room. My overreaction to every prank pulled on me this year… c’mon guys, you went a little too far! All of our impersonations and impressions that we have mastered over the year. Some things are harder to want to remember… like the heartbreak of losing Jonny to another knee injury. But at the end of this year, these are the things I remember most… Not plays I made or didn’t make, I remember the moments I got to share with my teammates.
Our lone senior this year was Brian Grant. Many of you know him as BG, and as I have mentioned, the guys on the team know him as Pawpaw. I have been blessed to know BG for two years now and I, along with everyone who was lucky enough to play alongside him, have been impacted by him in a big way. I specifically remember last year as a red-shirt freshman. It was a tough and frustrating year for me in practice having to play against six seniors, one of whom being THE Zimmy Nwogbo. I remember BG taking me aside after practice and just encouraging me, telling me to keep working hard and keep going at it. It really meant a lot to me to have a veteran guy encourage me so much. BG was also a great teammate. He showed up every day to workouts, practice and games with the mind set of getting better. There were multiple times that BG had been working so hard in a workout or practice that he would go throw up and get right back in the drill, ready to keep working. That is why BG joined the 1,000 Point Club this year! I remember one instance during the year where BG and I got into it a little bit during practice. I think it started with an accidental elbow from BG, I didn’t appreciate this accident so on the next play I came back at him. We talked at each other and shoved each other all practice, I think I even ripped his jersey…oops. But the point is, after practice we were able to shake hands and tell each other "way to work today." Fast forward to just a few weeks ago against Salem…I get taken down by another player and a scuffle ensues. Who is the first one to my defense? That’s right, BG. He came flying in ready to take on whoever was trying to start something. That is why he is a great teammate. BG also provided a lot of comic relief for the team. Of course his old age was always a big laugh, but even more was his fear of frogs and heights. Who can forget the look on BG’s face as he sat on the Goliath Swing at Scioto Hills, five feet off the ground! Haha! And of course, no one will ever forget BG and Leighton’s yelling matches in Jamaican (Patois), during practice!...I’m sure they were just complimenting each other’s fine play. All in all, we will miss BG’s presence on the court and in the locker room next year. We love ya BG!!
So where do we go from here? We get a few weeks off before we start off-season workouts, but talking to some of the guys the off-season starts now. We are already gearing up for next year and are excited to turn things around. At the end of the day, winning may not be everything, but it does make everything a whole lot more fun! God has truly blessed each and every one of us giving us the ability to play the game we love, and in putting such great people in our lives.
Special shout out to our head athletic trainer Chris Cross. He has had the opportunity to take over a new job at Cedarville. Although we will still get to see him next year, we sure will miss him as our trainer! Thank you for everything you have done for our team, we love you Chris!
I have really enjoyed being the blogger for this season. Thank you to everyone who followed along and thank you to all of our Jacket fans!! We appreciated your support throughout the year! And now, as I always do, I will end with a quote…Here are some of the most memorable quotes from this season!
"If it flies it dies, if it hops it drops, if it hooks it cooks." – Marcus Reineke, professional country boy and three-point extraordinaire.
"Good freakin’ night!!!!" "Sit your butt down and guard!!!!" – Coach Estepp
"C’MON!!!!!" – Nate Hughes, student assistant and 5x Cross-Fit World Champion.
"Quit lippin’ brah!!" – Brian Grant, accomplished senior citizen and soon to be CU graduate.
March 4, 2014What a finish to the regular season! After starting the year 1-11, we were able to improve to 10-17, winning our last four games in a row. This definitely was not an easy thing to do. The easy thing would have been to give up on the year and prepare for the next, but not one of us had that mind set.
On Thursday, we took on Ohio Valley at home. Before the game, we were able to hear from former CU basketball player, as well as Coach Estepp’s old roommate, Brent Miller. He read from Ephesians 5 and talked about us as a team. He mentioned that the best teams are always the closest teams. Not the closest superficially, but the closest spiritually. He said that we must hold each other accountable on and off the court, as well as dig in to each other’s lives to truly become a close team. I think this really encouraged us to become even closer as teammates and brothers in Christ and we appreciate Pastor Miller for speaking to us! When the game started, we hit the ground running. We got stops and we went on runs. It was a great win for us to give us more momentum closing the season.
Saturday we took on Salem International for Senior Day. As many of you know, we only have one senior, Brian Grant. I will highlight him more in my final blog, but his play this season, and specifically in our last few games, has been huge. It was a close game that got pretty chippy at times, but he was a huge influence on getting the win. We had a lot of guys that stepped up and played well on Saturday and it felt really good to get the win, especially after a game like that. For those who were there, you know why it felt REALLY good to get that win!
Now we get ready for the conference tournament. Although our regular season is over, we know we are not done quite yet. Tournaments are always up for grabs. We are playing really well right now and we are going to play as hard as we can and have fun in the last games we will play with this team. We leave on Wednesday for Alderson Broaddus, and we play Davis & Elkins on Thursday night.
I hope you all are having a great spring break! Good luck to all of our sports teams in Florida over the break…even though we are a bit jealous as we are stuck in the snow here in Cedarville!
Thank you all for your support last week and I hope you root us on from wherever you are this week!
"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." – John Wooden
February 25, 2014Well, here we are…the last week of regular season basketball. I hate to be generic and say, "This year has flown by" but it has. This past week we improved our record to 8-17. We played three games and after our game on Tuesday we played some great basketball.
We have no excuses for Tuesday’s loss at Salem International, we just didn’t show up to play and we have put that game behind us. With that being said, we rebounded from that loss very well on Thursday against Ohio Christian. The key to that win was defense. We defended well and we got each other shots. When we play together as a team, there is no better feeling. It was also really cool to be back in front of our home crowd, it seemed like forever since we had played in front of our fans. You guys make the game fun!
On Saturday, we took on Central State in a game that had a lot of meaning to us for a lot of different reasons. Of course it was a conference game, but we let them get away with a win on our home court last time we met and we wanted to get a win on their home court. For those who weren’t there, or who didn’t get to keep up with the game, it was a good one. It was a battle from the start. We were down by about 10 at one point but we kept going. We made our run and tied the game, forcing it to overtime. We hit some big shots in overtime and we were fortunate to pull out a sweet win. We had some players step up big time in this game and it truly was a team win. But I do want to give a shout-out to two players in particular. My boy Marcus Reineke had a career high 37 points…the man literally doesn’t miss. The other is Brian Grant a.k.a. "BG", a.k.a. "Pawpaw". (Because he’s old). He had a great game and a veteran presence giving us 21 points and a huge 19 rebounds.
This week we play our last two games of the regular season. Thursday we play Ohio Valley at home at 7:45 p.m., and Saturday we play Salem at 4:15 p.m. It would be great to have a big crowd at our last two home games!! You guys get us hyped and add to our energy on the court! Hope to see you there!
"Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail." – Og Mandino
February 18, 2014I feel like this month has just been one long week and I’m patiently waiting for the weekend. We left Cedarville around 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday and arrived back from Nashville, Tennessee around 2:30 a.m. Saturday night (Sunday morning), and as you are reading this, we are probably on our way to play Salem International in West Virginia. Despite finishing the weekend 1-1, we played some of the best basketball we have played all year.
On Thursday, we took on the #2 team in our conference, Kentucky Wesleyan. The atmosphere was unlike anything we have played in all year…about two thousand crazy senior citizens. We played good from the start. We handled ourselves when we were down and fought back with composure. But there were just some things we could not control, and we ended up losing. But all in all it was one of the hardest fought games we have played all year.
After the game on Thursday, we traveled to Nashville and were able to enjoy a nice day off on Friday. We had a shoot-around on Friday morning and were able to relax after that. We ended up going to the mall and walking around, where we saw some very interesting looking people, people watching at a mall is always a good time. After the mall, we went back to the hotel where we were able to squeeze in some homework. I almost forgot we actually have classes…(kidding).
The next day we played Trevecca Nazarene and had a nice home crowd show up. Some parents and alumni were able to come out and support us and we appreciated their support! We started the game really well, and gained probably our biggest lead of the year. This big lead almost came back to bite us, though. Not being very familiar with big leads, I think we kind of coasted a little bit in the second half. This led to a scare in a comeback by Trevecca, but thankfully we pulled out the win. And a win is a win.
As I said earlier, we are on our way to play Salem International tonight at 7 p.m. We then play Ohio Christian at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday at home, and finally we play Central State away on Saturday to cap off our NBA-like schedule this week. We hope you cheer us on from home tonight and come out to support us on Thursday!
“Defeat doesn't finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.” – Richard M. Nixon
February 11, 2014At this point in the year, things get tough. We are in the heart of our conference schedule, we have long road trips, our bodies are tired, but we have to push through. The key is to keep going, and to finish strong.
This past week we took a road trip to the mountains of West Virginia with the girls’ team. After a long drive on Wednesday night, we arrived at the hotel in Elkins, WV. The next day, we took on Davis & Elkins College. We got off to a slow start and once again had to dig ourselves out of a hole. We were able to come back and it was close the whole second half, but unfortunately we ended up losing by two.
On Friday, we made our way to Alderson Broaddus and had a practice. We were then able to relax and catch up on some piled up homework. The next day we took on Alderson Broaddus in a hostile environment in one of the most frustrating games all year. We got off to a good start, but we just couldn’t get stops. We got beat but we never once stopped playing hard. One thing I can say about our team…we don’t quit.
One thing that we were able to take away from this weekend was something I have talked a little bit about before, but Coach Estepp put it into perspective before our game. He told us about a former player he coached in high school that had tragically passed away recently. He reminded us that we worry about too many things that don’t matter. Too many times we wake up in the morning or go throughout our day thinking about something pointless such as how we are missing shots, or how some little thing isn’t going our way. As I have said before, basketball is a great game but it is only temporary. At the end of the day, basketball is a game. But it is a game that we have been very blessed to play and one we should play for the glory of God, not for ourselves.
We are on the road again this week as we travel to Kentucky Wesleyan to play on Thursday, and from there we will travel to Nashville, TN to play Travecca Nazarene on Saturday. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and keep up with our studies. Also pray for our health as sickness has been going around. We appreciate your support!
"Even if you fall on your face, you are still moving forward" – Victor Kiam
"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Matthew 23:12
February 4, 2014Like I have said before, basketball games are won by playing the full 40 minutes. It’s a tough thing to do, but it is necessary for success. We had a great crowd for Alumni Weekend on "superhero night." The day started with the "Alumni Game" where some ex-Cedarville basketball players got together for a full game. It was really cool to see some of the guys that have been talked about when someone mentions Cedarville basketball.
It was also an eye opening experience because, no offense to the guys who played, I realized how much I don’t want to get any older than I am right now. As Coach Estepp states it, "When you’re old, your mind knows exactly what to do, you just can’t seem to make your feet get there." After watching the game we all gathered with the alumni for a picture. I can already tell my time at Cedarville is going to fly by.
When game time arrived, the gym was packed with fans, alumni, and superheroes. Playing in front of a packed house is one of the greatest feelings a basketball player can experience. Unfortunately, we were not able to pull out the win. But we really appreciate all the fans that came out to support us! I don’t think enough people realize how much having a good crowd can affect our play and our opponents’. We love our fans.
Right now, we are working hard to come back from last game. We have a tough road schedule coming up. We take on Davis & Elkins on Thursday and will stay in West Virginia until Saturday, when we take on Alderson Broaddus. It will be a long weekend, but a great opportunity to snag some road wins against some solid teams. I hope you continue to cheer us on from Cedarville!
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." – Helen Keller
January 28, 2014I don’t think I have ever been so cold in my life. Sub-zero temperatures are one thing, but bone-chilling wind to go with it is another. Being from the South, it has definitely been a struggle for me lately.
We hit the road last week and travelled to play Ohio Valley on Thursday. In any sport, especially college basketball, road games are tougher to win than home games. Different gym, different crowd, etc…We found this out pretty quickly in the first half of our game last Thursday. After getting handled the first half, we were down by about 10. Coach told us we could come back but we were gonna have to do it as a team. We believed him. Slowly and surely we clawed our way back. The game ended up heading to overtime and even then, the game was still a struggle. We had to fight tooth and nail being down by four at one point. But we had some guys hit some huge shots late in that game and we were able to come out of there with a win. There is no better feeling.
On the way back we got to do the legendary Tomahawk Chop. For those who are unfamiliar with this, the Tomahawk Chop is a type of chant we do on the bus pulling into Cedarville after a road win. I won’t go into too much detail on it, but it was definitely a good feeling getting our first road win of the year.
On Friday after practice we had the opportunity to hear from Pastor Eric Mounts, who just so happens to be, among many other things, the leading scorer in Cedarville history. He just talked about his times at Cedarville and where some of his old teammates were now. It really put things into perspective. It made us realize that these are some of the best, worry-free times of our lives and we don’t even realize it. Basketball is no doubt a gift from God and we all love playing the game, but it is temporary. Basketball is temporary, people are temporary, this earth is temporary, but one thing that will always remain is our relationship with Jesus Christ. We must keep this our number one priority.
On Saturday we hit the road once again for Salem International. It was snowing heavily outside and very cold, but we loaded the bus and off we went. After about five minutes or so, I, along with some others, fell asleep. It was about 2 ½ hours later that I was awakened. I don’t know how many of you have been abruptly woken while sleeping, but for about a minute nothing makes any sense to you. Someone could tell you the most simple of things and you are just dumbfounded. Well, imagine what was going through my, and others’, minds when I woke up stopped on the side of the road. I looked out the window and saw a semi-truck jack-knifed in the median in about a foot of snow. Not knowing what was happening I asked my buddy Marcus what was going on and he was "We’re going home." I didn’t believe him at first but I eventually heard it from enough people that I was convinced. It was pretty hilarious to see the looks on other waking teammate’s faces when we told them we were going back. The weather was just too bad, but thankfully we made it back safe! (Thank you for all who prayed for our safety that day!)
Our game with Salem will be rescheduled, but we do not have a date set at this time. For now, I want you fans to go pick out a super hero costume. That’s right, a super hero. This Saturday at 7:45 p.m. we take on Central State and the Jackets Nest will attempt to set a world record for most people in super hero costumes at an event. (I know what you are thinking, but there really are world records for just about anything you can think of) So please come out and support us, we love our fans!
Once again, stay warm Cedarville.
"I am loving this weather" – Absolutely no one
January 21, 2014It is no secret we have been through some trials this season. It could have been very easy to be broken down from those trials and get weaker, but instead, we have gotten stronger. Sitting at 4-12, it could also be easy to call this season over and just loaf through the rest of the year. But that would not make us any better, in fact, it would make us worse.
We turned an 11-game losing streak into a 3-game winning streak last Thursday as we beat Davis & Elkins at home. It was "Braveheart Night" and we had a great crowd show up. We played together from the tip-off and it was a battle from there. We had players injured throughout the game and new guys stepped up. It was a great team win and another confidence booster for our team.
Saturday we took on the number one team in our conference, Alderson Broaddus. Before the game, the legendary Coach Don Callan spoke to us in the locker room. He encouraged us to act like men and he read from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 which says, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." This was a verse that we all needed to hear, whether it applied to basketball or not.
In the game of basketball things do not always go your way and for the first minutes of that game things definitely didn’t go our way. They took an early big lead on us, but we weren’t going to give up. We played tough, hard-nosed basketball for the rest of the game but we just couldn’t overcome our bad start. Although we took a loss, we now are much more familiar with the taste of winning. We are craving that once again.
We start a long stretch of away games this Thursday as we play six out of our next seven games on the road. Thursday we play Ohio Valley at 7:30 p.m. (Did you guys know Ohio Valley is actually in West Virginia? That makes zero sense to me…) Anyway, and Saturday we play at Salem International at 4 p.m. We are striving every day to be better than the day before and we love playing the game. We appreciated everyone’s support this past week and hope you continue to cheer us on while we are on the road!
"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:14
January 14, 2014For the first time all year, we have won back to back games…and it is a good feeling. We started the week off with a Monday morning practice in which I and many other players almost didn’t make it to. When I walked outside and felt that -35 degree wind chill, I was very tempted to turn around and go back inside, but thankfully we all made it from our dorm to the gym alive. Tuesday was supposed to be the first day of classes, but due to the wise council of Dr. White and other Cedarville leaders, classes were cancelled. Great decision…another day of break in which we could go to practice and then straight back to our room to thaw out. Classes started back up on Wednesday and the second semester officially started.
After two days of good practice we were ready to build on our last win. Game time came around and we had two objectives. The first objective obviously being to get a win against Wilberforce and the second…FREE TACOS. We needed to combine with the women’s team in making 12 three-pointers. After the women's game ended, we needed to make eight three’s. No problem, we have a guy named Marcus Reineke. He started off hot and made his first couple three’s and I had no doubt we would get the tacos. Back to our first objective, winning. We got a great start and never looked back in the first half. We knew we had to come out in the second half with the same intensity and unity we had in the first, and we did. Despite having a stretch of bad defense, we played well and were able to get another win…as well as free tacos for everyone.
We are back at it this week with G-MAC home games against Davis & Elkins on Thursday at 7:45 p.m., and Saturday at 4:15 p.m. against Alderson Broaddus. Thursday night is "Braveheart" theme night, so come ready to be loud in face paint and kilts. Having a loud crowd can play a big part to our success so we look forward to seeing you guys there!
P.S. Thank you for all who have kept Jonny Foote in your prayers. He has rejoined us at Cedarville and his surgery was successful. He is looking at a long rehab ahead but it is amazing to still see joy on his face. Please continue to pray for Jonny as well as Beau Scheper, who recently may have also done damage to his knee.
"Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning." – Dennis Waitley
January 7, 2014Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a great break. We arrived back in Cedarville December 30th for practice. We had the dreaded first practice back from break where we were able to run off all of the delicious food our moms made for us while we were home. We were back at it. Thursday we took on Kentucky Wesleyan where we dropped a tough game. After the game we heard what we have heard the majority of the season. We were sick of hearing it, and I know coach was sick of saying..."We are almost there, keep going."
Like every loss this season, we were not happy. But something was different after that game that could be seen the next day in practice and in the game on Saturday. We learned. We weren’t just mad we lost and figured we would try again on Saturday, I really believe guys went back and internally asked themselves what they could do better to win the next game. On Saturday we took on Trevecca Nazarene. At halftime we were up by two. It was a familiar feeling for us, but what would we do different this game? They kept it close the second half but even through the runs the other team made, we stuck together. I heard guys encouraging each other and staying positive. With that mentality we got our first win since November. We won! (It feels good to say that.)
Taking the momentum from last game, we hope to have a great week of practice and prepare for another game on Saturday as we take on Wilberforce at home at 4:15 p.m. I really believe we get better every day and it feels good to know our hard work is beginning to pay off. It would be great to have your support this Saturday!! Stay warm Cedarville.
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." – Booker T. Washington
December 24, 2013The first half of the season is done, and it flew by. Obviously, our season has not gone the way we planned it would or even hoped it would. But since when do things go exactly as planned? At this point, we have two choices: we can hang our heads because we are 1-10 and wish for the second half of the year to go by just as quickly as the first, or we can keep fighting, giving 100% everyday knowing that our time for success is near.
I continue to revert back to our motto of "chopping wood." As a team, we are so close. We have been swinging at this log of a season all year, and I think it is finally about to split. After losing in overtime on Saturday, Coach Estepp talked to us about persistence. He said that learning lessons about persistence is never fun. Working hard at something every day but never achieving the result you want is a hard lesson. But that is what we have to do right now, be persistent. Our hard work will pay off. Our season is not over. We will achieve success. For the second half of our season, persistence is key. Now that the first half of our season is done, we get into our conference schedule. This means we start over. When we come back from break our record is 0-0. While other teams may come into conference with a better record, none of them will come into conference having been tested as much as we have.
Right now we get a nice break to be with our families. Some of us, like me, have not been home since as late as July so it is great to finally be home. We come back on the 30
th ready for practice and then take on Kentucky Wesleyan on January 2
nd.
I hope everyone is having a great break!! Have a Merry Christmas!
"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." - Napoleon Hill
December 16, 2013As a Cedarville basketball player, there are three big things that are important in our lives. First is our relationship with Christ, second is our loved ones, and third is the game of basketball. When one of those things gets taken away, it is devastating.
In last week’s blog, I talked about perseverance. In this blog, I want to talk about someone who encompasses the term "perseverance." Jonny Foote was my roommate freshman year. Coming in to our first year, he was recovering from micro-fracture surgery on his knee. He rehabbed all year and was finally able to start practicing a little bit towards the end of the season. With only a few weeks left of school, Jonny was playing a game of basketball and came down wrong on his knee. Unfortunately, Jonny tore his ACL. I still remember sitting next to him on the training room table as our trainer broke the news. In the mind of a basketball player, tearing your ACL is one of the worst things that can happen. Months of rehab and not being able to play the game you love is very hard, but Jonny persevered.
Fast forward through those months of tough rehab and hard work, and Jonny was finally able to join us this past Saturday. Everyone was so excited to have him back and it was a blast being able to compete with him again that day. But near the end of practice, the unthinkable happened. Jonny came in hard on a close out and his knee gave out. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. We were all in shock. We couldn’t believe what just happened. They took him to the training room and Coach Estepp came out and explained what possibly just happened. For a lot of us, the shock began to wear off and we broke down with emotion. A few guys went to the training room to be with him and as soon as I walked in I had an eerie flashback to last year. This could not be happening again. We told him we loved him and we just sat there with tears in our eyes, blankly staring at the ground. What can you say in that situation? Finally, Jonny broke the silence. "It was a great hour and a half boys…definitely worth it."
For him to say those words in a situation like that really speaks volumes about him. Of course he is frustrated, confused, and hurt, but he realizes that we are never promised anything in this life. Despite his circumstances, he was grateful to have the opportunity just to practice with us for that short time. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
After hearing this verse in church the very next day, I immediately thought about Jonny and the many trials in life. God does not promise us an easy life or a fair life. But in Romans 8:28 God does promise us something… "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." It may be hard to see sometimes, but God does have a plan, and it is good. I don’t know what God has planned for my life, for the team, or for Jonny, but we must trust that it is good and that God knows what He is doing.
After having a 10-day break, we take on West Liberty Tuesday at 7:30 EST in West Virginia. You can go to the Cedarville athletic site and find live stats or a stream from there. We then travel to St. Louis, MO to take on Maryville on Saturday, December 21. We are grateful for your support. We are unsure what is next for Jonny at this point as he meets with doctors this week, but prayers for him would be very much appreciated! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a great holiday break!!
"I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future." – Anonymous
December 10, 2013Perseverance…this is a word we as a team have become very familiar with this season. We started the year having to persevere through tough workouts, and now we find ourselves having to persevere through tough games and a tough season.
Last Tuesday we took off for San Marcos, Texas. We landed in San Antonio and were all immediately taken back by the 80 degree weather…but not one of us complained. With the beautiful weather, we took a stroll down the River Walk capturing stares from everyone we passed. I don’t know how many times we were asked, "Are you guys a basketball team?" Well it was definitely too many times, so many times in fact that we had the urge to sarcastically reply to people with something like, "Actually we are horse jockeys here for a race" or "Actually we are a lawn bowling team." But we decided just to be friendly and reply with a simple "yes ma’am" or "yes sir." After some delicious Mexican food, we headed back to the hotel where we caught up on some much needed sleep. The next day we played a tough Division I Texas State team. We played well, but their size gave us trouble. Some of our best spurts during the game were when we pressed and played with urgency. This gave us the spark to find our identity.
We headed back to Cedarville on Thursday where many of us caught up on school work. When practice on Friday came around, Coach Estepp told us we were going to speed everything up. We had an intense practice where we focused on running the floor and getting the ball up the court. We felt that same spark we had at Texas State, and we were ready for our game on Saturday.
Saturday came around and we took on a very good Lewis team. We started the game strong and went into halftime with a slight lead. We knew we had to keep fighting and persevering. Last week I talked about playing the game for the full 40 minutes. Well, we did play for a full 40 minutes, but it just so happened we needed to play another five…and to overtime it went. We played together, played tough, and played fearless, but in the end we fell 2 points short. It was a tough loss, but we played for the full, in this case, 45 minutes. That’s all we can do. We can’t control what calls the refs make or whether the ball takes a bad bounce. What we can control is our effort, and we gave our best the whole game.
This brings me back to perseverance. This isn’t something that only basketball players must endure, we all must persevere. This week, Cedarville students must persevere through finals, parents might have to persevere through tough jobs or circumstances, and we all must persevere through the trials in this life. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." We have some time off before our next game when we go to the #1 team in Division II basketball, West Liberty, on December 17
th. Until then, I urge my teammates, fellow students, and all others…keep persevering! Success is right around the corner. Everyone study hard and have a great week!
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"It always seems impossible until it’s done" – Nelson Mandela
December 4, 2013Basketball is a game of 40 minutes. In order to win a basketball game, you have to play well for the majority of those 40 minutes. Sure, teams will go on runs, but you have to gather yourselves and fight through them. This is something we have struggled with as a team thus far. We always seem to finish strong and put up a fight, but it is always a little too late.
Last Tuesday night, we took on Hillsdale where we played them tough the first half. The second half is where we let the game get away from us for about ten minutes, but then we finished strong - still taking a loss. Saturday, we took on Grand Valley State. After a horrible start to the game, we eventually found ourselves down by 31 points. But we did not give up, as we fought our way back within just six points. Once again, it was just too late. We know we can compete with anyone, and we have shown that in spurts. What we haven’t shown is that we can compete for a full 40 minutes. That is what we are striving for as a team. We must be resilient, tough, and willing to fulfill each of our roles as players.
With the time off we have had on break, I think we have all been able to reflect on our season. Despite being 1-6, we are very fortunate and thankful to even have this opportunity. We are thankful for the support we receive from our family members, our friends, and our fans. We couldn’t do it without you guys!
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break. By this time we are in the great state of Texas to take on a tough DI Texas State University, Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. You can catch us back in action on Saturday, December 7, at 4:15 p.m. taking on Lewis on our home floor. We would love to see you guys there!
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
November 26, 2013What a week! Last week we had four practices and one game. This may not seem like a lot, but when you add the fact that we had to travel 14 hours just to get to the game…it makes it seem like a whole lot more.
We started off with a great practice on Monday morning. After practice, it consisted of many of us scrambling to pack, cramming in last second homework, and going to class. But the day flew by and before we knew it, it was time to hit the road. With all of our stuff packed, we began to pile on the bus. Actually, I feel like it’s not fair to call it a bus… not many buses have beds, let alone beds that I can actually fit in. Not to mention TV’s, a bathroom, and a lounge, but I’ll just call it a bus for reference. So off we went on our "bus," headed for the city of New Orleans. We had a blast for about two hours, laughing, telling jokes, watching TV…. But then we realized we each had a bed more comfy than the one in our dorm. We fell asleep pretty quick and woke up in Louisiana where we were greeted with southern hospitality and an awesome breakfast at Cracker Barrel.
A few hours later, we finally made it to New Orleans. After settling in to our hotel, we hit the streets and made our way to the French Quarter. There, we stopped at a fancy little place for coffee and beignets. (I think that’s French for donut or something, I don’t know… just know it was really good). In the middle of enjoying my classy snack, I heard a little commotion behind me. Turns out, Dr. Scott Dixon recognized Pittsburgh Steeler Ike Taylor and called him over. For those of you who don’t know Easton Bazzoli, he is from Pittsburgh and he is a huge Steeler fan. So, none of us were very surprised when he got very emotional and giggly and gave Ike a nice little bro-hug and asked for a pic. After Easton stopped blushing, we were finally able to eat some nice Louisiana food.
We woke up the next morning and we were ready… it was game day. We made our way to the arena and stepped off the bus. We had heard prior to the game that there would be some elementary kids there for a field trip or something. Well "some kids" was an understatement. Close to 4,000 screaming kids filled the gym as we warmed up. I honestly underestimated how loud kids could be. They had the highest pitched screams and all together, they made the environment pretty cool. They just wanted to see something exciting, so from tip-off it was nothing but screams.
Before the game, Coach Estepp told us that if we were running a track race we would lose and we accepted that fact. Tulane was a DI program; they were bigger, faster and stronger than us. But coach reassured us that we weren’t running a race, we were playing a basketball game. This motivated us to go out and not try to beat them individually, but as a team. We started the game very strong and went on a run. We were able to move the ball and work together and it was a great feeling. It was close the entire game, but in the end we lost by 10, although the actual game was much closer than that.
Despite the loss, we played hard and we played well. It gave us confidence that we can unselfishly play as a team and compete. We are staying positive and taking the season one game at a time. We travel to play Hillsdale in Michigan on Tuesday the 26
th, and then we get a much-needed two days off. After Thanksgiving, we are back at it and play Grand Valley State on Saturday at 4 p.m. If you are in town we would really appreciate you coming to the game as we will not have many fans due to students being on break. I hope everyone has a great break and a Happy Thanksgiving!!
"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential...these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." – Confucius
Watch our New Orleans trip video here!
November 19, 2013Life is all about learning. Sometimes we learn easy lessons, and sometimes we learn hard lessons. Last week we learned some hard lessons. We learned that no matter what we do, whether it is shoot-around, pre-game, practice, etc…we must be sharp and we must be focused. We have all heard the saying, "It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish." Well as true as that may be, we also learned that it is very important how we start as well as how we finish.
Thursday we took on a tough opponent. We knew that Findlay was a good team and they were ranked #11 in DII for a reason. Findlay proved that ranking and handed us a loss, but as much as that loss hurt, we still were able to learn. We took away the fact that we have to be mentally ready for everything we do. We learned that we have to play with a chip on our shoulder because we are young and have not yet proven ourselves. If we can do these two things, we will improve as a team immensely.
This past Friday, we hit the road for Springfield, Illinois to take on our next opponent in our first road game of the year. Road trips are always a great time for team bonding and making memories and this one was no different. After a shoot-around on Saturday, we headed to former Cedarville basketball player Curt Fleck’s house where we were able to eat, relax, and even get a little crazy on the four-wheelers. I think coach thought it would be a fun idea until he saw BG gas it heading for the fields… But he ended up doing okay! After the fun, we settled down and Curt challenged us to be men. Not just men on the basketball court, but real, godly men in life.
When the game started, once again, we got off a slow start. But after being down by as much as almost 20, we were able to claw back. Although we fought and played hard, the comeback was just a little late and we unfortunately took a loss. But like everything in life, we were able to learn. We were reminded of a lesson that we learned metaphorically at our team retreat. You may have read that one of the things we did while on our retreat was chop wood. What I did not go into was the lesson that we all learned from doing this. The lesson is that rarely did we walk up to those huge blocks of wood and split it with our first swing. It took us a good three, four, maybe even more swings to split those logs. Some of them were so big that it took a few of us taking turns just to make them split. After the game, Coach Estepp encouraged us to keep "chopping wood." We showed fight at the end of that game and we kept chopping. Now, as we go into the week, we must keep chopping, keep working hard and stay positive.
By this time we are probably already down in New Orleans, Louisiana to play Tulane University on Wednesday. This will be a really fun game against a tough DI opponent! I know the team is excited and ready for this one…another opportunity to play For Him and another opportunity to learn.
"Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence." - Colin Powell
November 12, 2013And just like that, the first two games of the season are over. We played hard this past weekend and came out with a 1-1 record. We were happy to get our first win, but also motivated because we also know the feeling of a loss. We had a great week of practice in preparation for Friday and Saturday. For all but five of us, it would be the first college basketball game of our careers. Needless to say, we were pretty pumped. Thursday night came around and we all gathered as a team in the locker room for our team dedication. Dr. Dixon, our chaplain, led us and we all prayed for our season and dedicated it to God. It was an awesome moment for our team.
When Friday finally came, the game was all we could think about. After classes were over and it was time for shoot-around, the reality of our first college basketball game being hours away began to set in. Everyone, including me, had worked and dreamed about this moment ever since we were little kids. About two hours before game time, Coach Estepp said we had a guest speaker. The guest speaker was someone by the name of Dr. Thomas White. No one really knew who he was, but we figured he was a guest so we should listen. (kidding). Dr. White read out of the Old Testament in Judges 4. He concluded the reading by telling us to play without fear. This was very encouraging and stuck with the team. I remember hearing the saying "no fear" from some of the guys throughout the game.
When Dr. White said, "play without fear", it couldn’t have been before a better game. As many of you know we ended up winning a thriller in double-overtime. I remember Coach telling us after the game that he kept trying to look for guys with experience to come off the bench to play in that situation, but we didn’t have any. It really showed the heart we played with and also the fact that we played without fear. It felt awesome to get that first win, not to mention in front of the loudest crowd in D II basketball, a.k.a. the Jackets Nest!
The next day we had another game and many of us woke up sore as could be, but that wasn’t going to hold us back. An ice bath before shoot-around seemed to wake everyone up. When game time came around we were once again very excited. Although the game didn’t go our way, we all were able to take something away from it. We learned that we have a lot of room for improvement and that when we play together and in sync as a team, we can compete with anyone.
Last week, Coach Estepp kept emphasizing that we "lock in" to everything we do and that is exactly what we plan on doing this week. Our next game is against a very good Findlay team at home on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. This will be a great test for us and we are already counting down the hours till game day. We also plan on having our full team back, as Marcus Reineke was out this last weekend with a pretty bad illness. We will all be glad to have his presence back on the court! Hope to see everyone on Thursday!!
"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts." – John Wooden
November 7, 2013Time is flying by. Our first game is only a few days away and the nerves and excitement are already beginning to set in. We are a team and we are beginning to play as one unit. We are ready.
Rewind two and half months…We arrive at Cedarville, many of us exhausted from the long drives or flights we have taken to get here. Marcus and I just got back from an Athletes in Action trip to New Zealand where the jet lag didn’t wear off for weeks. Austin Pickett traveled all the way from Atlanta, Georgia and before we knew it, the 2013-14 Cedarville men’s basketball team was together for the first time.
But at that point we weren’t quite a "team." Sure we played
on a team, but we weren’t a team. With eight players gone from last year’s roster, there were a lot of new faces. We hardly knew each other, but that was all about to change. Rumors were flying over the summer that "we better be in shape when we get back." This was possibly the biggest understatement of the year. We all worked extremely hard over the summer to arrive in the best shape possible, but we obviously didn’t know what Coach Estepp’s definition of "in shape" was. When off-season started, we hit the ground running…literally. We had to complete certain events to earn our gear from our travel suits to our socks. We quickly learned that we would have to earn everything we got. From running backwards 400 meters, to three five-trips in a minute, to the dreaded "ladder," we completed everything and earned everything as a team. We worked extremely hard this past off-season and that is where we truly came together as a real team.
Before we knew it, it was time for the annual Scioto Hills retreat. We started the retreat with the "Warrior Dash," which is a competitive race through the woods, trying to complete challenges while guiding ourselves with a hand-drawn map. Did I mention it was raining? Luckily I had Jason "He’s a Marine" Reep on my team and we pulled out the win. After the Warrior Challenge, we spent the next couple days having practice, chopping wood, fellowship, and of course, pranking the freshman. Lots of great memories were made over that weekend that allowed our bond to strengthen even more. Moonlight Madness followed our retreat and we all had a blast. Nothing was greater than putting on a show in front of a packed gym! We really do love our fans.
WATCH the "Moonlight Madness" recapFast forward through a couple of tough practices, scrimmages and workouts, and here we are today. We have gotten so much better since day one, but realize we are not even close to our full potential. We are young, but we are tough. We continue to work hard every day, really striving to play "for Him."
WATCH "For Him"We have back-to-back games coming up Friday and Saturday and are really looking forward to the season getting underway. I am also looking forward to writing the blogs throughout the year and I hope you all enjoy reading them!
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." - Vince Lombardi
Lane Vander Hulst is a 6-foot-6 freshman forward from Roswell, N.M. He is in his first season with the Yellow Jackets and is majoring in business management.
