Here we are! Christmas week………in a middle of a pandemic, and this week there are plenty of interesting games to watch before players and coaches take time off for the holidays. One of these games is scheduled to be held deep in the heart of LaGrange where the Lakeland Lakers host rival Westview in the LaGrange County Civil War.
Girls Basketball
On the girls side, this doesn’t have the appealing headlines of a Game of the Week material, but considering the fact this is Christmas week with schools struggling to handle quarantine protocols, I guess this is the best we can do for this week.
If you take a snap shot of the 2019-20 Westview Lady Warriors and compare it to this season, it looks completely different. While last season was definitely a down season, Westview was still a skilled enough team to at least be competitive. Fast forward a year later and Randy Yoder has retired as the school’s winningest coach, Ryan Yoder steps in as the head coach, and the roster was basically decimated for many reasons that are beyond my understanding. Either way, those factors are, unfortunately, what has led to this season and to no one’s fault; Things like that just happen, but it is unusual to say that at Westview.
Starting the season 0-12, this is definitely the worst Westview girls team I’ve ever seen (I am still old enough to remember the Tiffany Fisher and Grace Hales years), but that is not for a lack of trying by any stretch. The roster itself is very thin, barely having a bench, and it is a team that is really really struggling to find offense averaging just 21.8 points a game. However, their efforts, mainly on defense, are what has kept Westview somewhat competitive allowing over 51 points, and based on their circumstances, that is not horrible.
For Lakeland (9-2), they keep finding ways to win, though not always in the prettiest manner, and they’re finding ways for people like me within the media to keep talking about the surging Lakers. This is their best start through 11 games since the historic 1997-98 season where they went 21-4. It was that season where they won the NECC tourney and lost in the sectional finals to Northwood 59-39. This program hasn’t won conference since that 98 season. They haven’t won a NECC tourney in 14 years. They haven’t won sectionals since 1996, and this core has never won a significant championships in basketball, yet they already have in soccer, volleyball, golf, and softball.
Ladies and gentlemen As of today, they are very much one of the frontline contenders for ALL 3 CHAMPIONSHIPS. When’s the last time can you say Lakeland girls basketball is not only relevant but are legit contenders? 2006? I’m sure ex basketball and softball coach Sherry Severson is liking this right now.
While this isn’t the matchup that would have been a barn burner maybe 2 years ago, it is always fun to have these kind of rivalry games during this time of year. Westview has won 15 of the last 20 meetings but have struggled recently getting out scored 181-146.
Keys to winning
Westview
- Take care of the little things
I should be clear here…the chances of Westview winning are very very slim…so maybe I should word this as keys to getting better for Westview. When you have a team with very little varsity experience let alone depth, there is a lot of teaching going on behind closed doors, and that is not mentioning all of the quarantine issues that county is already facing. It is very clear that this is a team that is learning well beyond just the strategy or game plan. This is a program rebuild.
I think the only way I can really word this here is getting better at the little areas such as ball movement and understanding your on-court awareness, and finding their strengths. Let’s be clear here…this is not the program that was thinking titles when I was in high school, so you have to look at this Westview team much differently. The key to improving long term is to establish the standards of the program and implement a system that they can thrive in, but also understand that this is a team that is building a foundation in Ryan Yoder’s coaching regime, which he does have a significant track record in basketball and in sports in general.
2. Force Lakeland to take contested shots
Going into this matchup, not only is depth and on some level talent is at a disadvantage, but size is probably the most lop-sided area that is not in their favor. This is a very small team with not a ton of experience, except for a few players such as Hallie Mast. Lakeland is very talented, but now they are starting to find other players besides Bailey Hartsough and even Faith Riehl that are making game-changing plays on both ends of the floor.
Westview will not only have to defend their talented girls extremely well, but they’ll have to be careful of leaving anyone of their shooters wide open as this is a team shooting at 36% from the perimeter. They are no joke when it comes to shooting the lights up from Triple City.
3. Play the Westview Way
For those of you that don’t know the Westview Way, it is simply playing together with pride, heart, and courage. It is easy saying that when you’re good. But when you’re going through one of these rare rebuilds like this, it is hard to be engaged and play at a high level when the reality of the short term situation is not great. Plus, you don’t have the crowd to back you up either, so now it becomes even more challenging to create good habits and build a winning culture that they hope will benefit the program years down the road whenever they’re able to get back to competing for titles.
Ryan Yoder is a Westview lifer just like any Yoder that’s been involved with Westview. He was a student-athlete at Westview, he scored 852 points as a Warrior, and he’s coached a couple seasons at Hamilton and Lakeland under some rebuilding teams there. He knows what it takes to play the right way, the Westview way, and he’s won not one but TWO state titles as a underclassmen. It’s not like they’re being coached by someone that doesn’t know what he or she is doing.
Look at Fairfield football under Matt Thacker. They were in the exact spot as this program was 2 years ago in a sport that requires more bodies on both sides of the field. It only took going through one bad season to be a competitive team. By year 3, they went undefeated going into the sectional semifinals against Bishop Luers, a team that went to state this season.
COACHING MATTERS. CULTURE MATTERS. If you don’t think it is, then I suggest referring back to Fairfield football. I suggest watching all of the highlights on CN girls basketball winning state. Look at the situations in Angola, Fairfield, Garrett (under Bob Lapadot), West Noble, Lakeland (with their resurgence in culture and team success), etc etc etc. Winning helps a lot, but the only way you can succeed long term is coaching and culture, and Westview has an entire encyclopedia of documents and data that shows all of accolades because of the very same reasons.
Lakeland
- Stay Focused and Play Sound Defense
It is very clear under Coach Gearhart that he doesn’t want his team to lose sight on the long-term goals. He doesn’t want his team to not play together as a team and be engaged, and this is a team that wants to strive to perfection, especially on defense. This is a Lakeland team that is extremely focused and them being a veteran team has helped them to transition much better with a new voice in the locker room.
The standards are high at Lakeland, and that is even more so with this regime of coaches and athletic staff. People are now seeing the changes Lakeland has made, and if they are still sleeping on Lakeland by this point, they have been stuck in a bubble for far too long. Over these past 4 years, Lakeland’s identity, culture, and commitment to excellence has been molded and crafted to return to what the Lakers use to be known for in the 80s and 90s. The history is there. The championships are there. The fanbase has always been there. LaGrange had spent years waiting for the right group of players and coaches to build something special. (In fact, I need to talk about Lakeland’s 2021 class as a whole at some point because it deserves a separate post for another time not too far from now).
2. Play intense energetic basketball
Anyone that knows how I think about any team of any sport, especially basketball on all levels, I love to cover teams that not only are skilled, but they play hard all game all the time, showcasing a sense of care of passion for going through the sweat and tears of every season and off-season, and being self-less. This team has grown up since I watched them play for the first time in November of 2017. I was announcing a Central Noble girls basketball game, and that was when I saw the class of 2021 growing up to compete at a high level against the eventual 2A state champions. This a class that I hadn’t seen since I was a senior in high school when I watched CN’s 2019 class doing some great things as well. Now, getting to cover their last 3 years together, I am so glad I am wrong about this year’s team.
Going against a struggling Westview team, this is a opportunity to continue to do the little things that have brought them to that winning streak and get the Lakeland community another reason to keep them talking about these girls.
3. Simply and most importantly GET BETTER
While this team is playing the best basketball in years, there is no way anyone should be saying this team is playing perfect and be content. There is always room to improve, areas to craft their games, areas on and off the court to demonstrate a championship-caliber team. January 2021 is fast approaching, and news flash, this schedule looks brutal. Take a look at their next several games before the NECC Tournament
Lakeland Classic Jan. 2
Jan. 4 @ Angola (last beat them in 2014; haven’t won at Angola in 13 years)
Jan. 8 @ West Noble (Last game was a 65-60 Lakeland OT win)
That is not including a rescheduled conference home game against Central Noble nearly two weeks after they are suppose to play each other in round 1 of the NECC tourney at the always tough Jungle, and they have “The Big Game” @ Garrett that’s suppose to happen Jan. 29 less than a week before sectionals.
If you don’t think this will test the heart, character, and intestinal fortitude of this team in a middle of a pandemic, then you’re joking. While everyone is starting to talk Lakeland basketball, the road ahead looks pretty tough. From here on out, this will determine just what they’re made of and if they have what it takes to be a heart of a champion. This is where dreams become reality. This is where action starts doing the talking, and this is where all of the work and dedication brings them from growing pains to believing big things. This is where things start to get FUN. I love playoff type basketball. I love chaos and madness, and all Lakeland is doing is bringing more madness to this conference that is already experiencing a fair share of it.
Lakeland don’t stop believing.
One player to watch
Westview
Hallie Mast
In a big rivalry game, this is where you want your seniors playing at a high level no matter what, and I think Hallie fits what Westview identity is and that is being tough and resilient. I look for her to bring a spark to a struggling team.
Lakeland
Bailey Hartsough
This ain’t no one-trick pony, but I can honestly say Bailey is the heart and soul of this team. In a team filled with many veteran players, Bailey is the leader on the court for this team. She is not only a fantastic athlete, but she makes everyone around her better. It’s not just shooting the ball or rebounding or making plays, it’s even to the point of putting all of that effort into simply strip the ball away, diving for loose balls, keep plays alive for others. She has grown to the point that championship aspirations and doing the little things right on and off the court excel any other goals out there first and foremost.
Boys basketball
Now, on the boys side, sweet mercy, can you remember the last time Lakeland and Westview entered this game as the top 2 teams in their conference? 12 years feels like an eternity. The always proud Westview Warriors against a Lakeland team that is starting to believe they can play with the big dogs.
The Westview Warriors (4-1) under Ed Bentley are entering this situation in fantastic shape after hanging on to knock off Central Noble 60-54 in a game that I thought they totally dominated them at its near entirety. The things people don’t realize is this is no longer just the Bentley Ball effect. This team has shown zero quit and zero content, and they are out there proving that its championship or bust every time Westview plays. No fans in the stands? They’re finding ways to fuel that energy. No Charlie Yoder? No problemo. Charlie is an all-time great and we are forever grateful for what he brought to Westview. But They’re playing their butts off and are looking like an even better team than last year. They are continuing to play TEAM BASKETBALL. That is scary.
For the Lakeland Lakers (3-0), ok I need to say something here. Is Coach Keil a motivation speaker of some kind? I can’t imagine what’s going on in that locker room every game. I know Lakeland was in great hands during Burlingame’s tenure, but OH MY OKLAHOMA. I am watching these games, and I kid you not they are playing with the most energy, confidence, and effort I’ve ever seen out of this program. It is almost like they’re taking from what they have improved on, bought into Keil’s system, and they’re taking the bull by its horns. I can’t imagine having to go through that quarantine situation and be in that locker room after that first win.
I mean it’s getting to be speechless on how much they’re improving beyond just the win-loss record. But now this is where we get to see how many stripes have they earned. Westview is the title contending program for a reason, and they’ll have to face one of the best defenses out there and one of the deepest lineups in a game with so so much at stake. Yeah, and it’s not even Christmas yet folks.
Westview leads the all-time series 45-33 against Lakeland with the Warriors winning 11 straight against the Lakers the longest ever in this rivalry series.
So, Get out the popcorn and some pop or water, it’s time to start talking some LaGrange hoops.
3 keys to winning
Westview
- Close out their shooters
Westview will be going against a Lakeland offense that is shooting the ball pretty well, especially from downtown where they have been shooting 39% from downtown. So, it looks like it is going to be a battle of strong shooting and ball movement. Against the Cougars, I thought they did a phenomenal job of getting to their shooters and forcing them to take tough contested shots, and Coach Bentley would tell you ‘yeah we gave Connor Essegian the hardest 32 points he’ll ever have’. I honestly thought they played a phenomenal game for the most part period.
Now, they’ll need to do the same this time against Brady Bontrager whose only averaging 23.7 points which only trails Essegian. Plus, they got to be careful with Ben Keil who is shooting an impressive 64% from downtown. Yes, Lakeland has some weapons that can their opponents pay if they’re not paying attention to detail. Perimeter defense will be huge in this game.
2. Take Care of the Basketball; Improve FT shooting
When you play under Ed Bentley, ball movement and be responsible with the basketball are two very crucial things to have a chance at winning games. This Lakeland team is quite different from Busco and CN. They’re not the biggest of teams, they’re not as skilled as those two, nor are they the deepest of teams. But Lakeland applies a ton of defensive pressure to their opponents where they are forcing them to play out of character, taking tough shots, and making them earn their points. If you’re noticing a trend here. They’re playing very similar to Bentley’s teams when it comes to defense. Well, that’s because Chris Keil’s background came from Marty Ball at East Noble and it was all about the 3 P’s Pressure, Poise, Pride.
Westview not only has to bring that effort and competitive fire to Lakeland, but they’ll have to play smart basketball because this Lakeland team is not going to show up with no effort, and this Lakeland team uses their defense as their best offense. They have become more and more dangerous in transition, so Westview should come into this game playing their style and grind through whatever kind of run Lakeland puts.
Plus, they will need to do better from the FT line than they did against CN because those are points you cannot come away empty, and that goes back to Bentley’s emphasis on taking care of the little things.
3. PLAY TEAM BASKETBALL
This Lakeland team will be one of the hardest to beat because this program is believing they can play with these teams, and they’re doing this through their tough, high-character, warrior mentality defense. They are playing to a style that Chris always thrived when he was an East Noble athlete.
For the Westview Warriors, their depth, character, and mental toughness will be put to the test as we head to the holidays and into a new year. These are the kind of games that get you ready for the conference tournament, and I am so pleased to see that Lakeland is getting better.
This team thrives when they play together and are playing to their strengths, which is what Bentley has welcomed and accepted into this Westview program. This is going to be an exciting game because both teams are functioned to perform in a similar manner with two coaches that were taught in a old-school blue-collar manner of basketball.
Lakeland
- Weather Through the Storm
Get out your hard helmets and your work boots. This Westview team makes you compete at a high level, and they do so by applying a ton of pressure and schematically try to take away some of their strengths. How Lakeland handles the adversity through the first quarter and a half could be the difference between winning and losing.
This is the first real test for a hungry Lakeland team that not everyone still knows truly about. Perhaps, not everyone is realizing what’s going on with this program and how much they’re improving. Well, this is one of the smartest teams you will find coached by a long time coach with a college style of basketball, especially on defense, that requires repetition and commitment to understandinperfectly.
This is going to be a huge test for Lakeland in terms of scheme and mental toughness.
2. Win the rebound-turnover battle
I don’t care how well you shoot the basketball, I got to think rebounding and winning the battles for loose balls will be keys in this game. Westview has shown time and time again that if you do not perform well in the boards and you’re not shooting well, you’re not beating Westview, and yet somehow some teams like (CN) learned the hard way. Now I don’t get the sense this team will fall into that trap, but it is high school basketball for a reason.
They have been a pretty solid rebounding team, but they’ll have to grind it out, be in good position, and box out well against a athletic and fast Westview team. I look for the matchups with Drew Litwiller, the Miller kids, and Mason Yoder (especially) to be key ones to watch. Obviously, Brady Bontrager at 5.7 boards and Ben Keil at 6 bords will be in these rebounding battles, but I would think even a Mason Douglas, who leads the team in rebounds at 7 will be even more important.
Finally, they will need to make sure that they don’t make too many mistakes because that’s how Westview thrives is using their scheme to throw off their opponent’s game plan. Bracey Shepherd being the quarterback of this offense will be a crucial part of making these smart decisions.
3. Compete at a High Level and Be Ready to Play their A Game
LaGrange County Civil War against one of the best teams in 2A…the now profound favorites to win the NECC yet again. If this doesn’t get them fired up, I don’t know what will. The only way Lakeland can truly grow to become the program they want to be is to play championship pedigree teams, and Westview fits that script to the tee. This is a very important game for both teams, especially for Lakeland who still are learning to play at that level before the NECC tourney when they’ll have to go into hostile territory at the JUNGLE against Central Noble.
With the Columbia City game looming and some huge conference games coming up with Eastside and West Noble, this is a measuring stick game for Lakeland.
One player to Watch
Westview
Brady Yoder
With Drew Litwiller and Mason Yoder likely getting a lot of attention on Lakeland’s side, Brady will need to come out ready to play in a rivalry game. Yoder comes in as their 3rd leading scorer on a team where scoring could come from anyone in their lineup. What makes Brady so dangerous is more than him being an absolute dart of a three-point shooter. Brady is so quick and smart at reading plays, he doesn’t give up on plays, and he’s playing with a bigger heart than his size.
Obviously, Drew Litwiller will be crucial to how they do in this game, but I do think he will be important in likely going up against Ben Keil and Brady Bontrager. Again, much like last time don’t be shocked if Westview tries to switch a lot to try to throw them off or even double teaming one of their big name guys. Also, a guy like Luke Miller is someone to watch in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Lakeland
Ben Keil
I think many people that watched him knew Ben was going to be a good basketball player in this area, but he’s starting to take off in his sophomore season with more confidence, more maturity, and simply getting stronger. Keil is their number 2 scorer at 14.3 points on 55% shooting, a 64% perimeter shooter, 6 boards, 3.3 assists, 2 steals, and is perfect on the season from the FT line. Don’t say I told you so, but he looks similar to his dad during his playing career, although I am sure he’s tried to make sure the focus is solely on the team itself. He does a little bit of everything much like how Brady Bontrager does a little bit of everything. If you think about it, you have two players that compliment each other and make everyone else around them better.
Look for Keil to be an extremely important player on offense, but even more so on defense where he’s even better at already.
Conclusion
It feels so good to actually talk in-depth about these teams, especially on the boys side, where I have a feeling this could be the beginning of something special between these two programs in particular. You have the well established Westview teams vs two Lakeland teams looking to earn some respect and eying to reach that championship level status.
Around the NorthEast Corner 