Ring the bell

Ring the bell, because there is a fight brewing at Greenbrier tonight.

The Creek Wood basketball notebook arrives near the end of the 2022–23 regular season, when the standings had kept changing and the next game could settle something. The exact contest date is not established by this working document; its February setting is retained without assigning a day.

A district race that would not sit still

Jim’s boys’ preview remembers the matchup being scheduled with first and second place in view. Then came losses, a three-way tie, another reshuffle and a Greenbrier response. The Bobcats had won three straight, including a win over Portland, as they approached Creek Wood again.

Now, jokingly we say this: nobody wanted to win this District over the last month or so.

The previous meeting had been a two-point Creek Wood win. That made the rematch more than a final tune-up: Greenbrier had a close result to answer and a chance to secure its position.

These are the notebook’s entering-game records, not final season totals. The table separates the overall and district columns that appear together in the working copy.

The Lady Cats’ opportunity

The girls’ preview describes Greenbrier as already assured of second place. That gives its half of the doubleheader a different purpose: test a defense that had allowed an average of 38 points over the previous five games against a Creek Wood team unbeaten in district play.

With nothing else remaining, The Lady Cats are looking to make a statement tonight as we prep for Tourney Time this weekend.

The document also contains several different ranking lists. Their positions are not blended into one ranking here. The useful through-line is the basketball: defensive pressure, a need for shooting to match it, and one more demanding opponent before tournament play.

For what the booth was preparing next, continue to “This is the dance,” the recovered District 9 tournament opening.