So last week went better. Great games played and Bounce correctly picked many of the outcomes.
Bounce is very excited about the Summit Athletic Conference opening girl/boy double headers this week. These are always fun nights with two for the price of one varsity action. Also the invisible Outside the Huddle traveling trophies will be on the line again. They stayed put last week with the Homestead girls and Snider boys.
Stay tuned on Friday for our big breakdown of the Outside the Huddle Game of the Weekend: Canterbury at Adams Central boys.
Last week: 10-1
Overall: 28-13
THE GENTLEMEN
Columbia City at Churubusco, Tuesday
The surge of Columbia City against a highly respected Northrop team puts them right into the line of interest early this season. Columbia City has started this season 0-3, but two of those three losses came by a total of six points, so they aren’t exactly bottom feeders. Mitchell Wilson scored 31 in the season opener the guys behind him are starting to hold heavier weight. If you read Bounce’s weekend column, you will know how impressed I am with certain elements of Churubusco’s game. With the talent on the wings, this game should come down to who can control the paint. I am buying in to Columbia City some but I am not bought in.
Bounce picks Churubusco
Norwell at Bishop Dwenger, Wednesday
The long wait for the Saints to start their season will run into 2-0 Norwell, who will head on the road for the first time this season. Will Geiger was big on opening night and Levi Leidig got to the line with ease against Mississinewa, where he was perfect.
What will the Saints be able to put out and can they contain their energy after finally getting started? Brenden Lytle could play some of the loosest basketball he ever has fresh off that state title at the quarterback position. And Bounce is drooling at the idea of Hayden Smithey versus Geiger.
This could be the very best game of the week.
Bounce picks Bishop Dwenger
Wayne at Snider, Friday
In the last couple of days, this game has become less interesting with the loss of Craig Young, who will not play basketball for Wayne this year. But that doesn’t mean there is not interest. Snider has holes on their interior defense, coach Jeremy Rauch will tell you so. The Generals can be physical inside even if Young isn’t there with guys like Darius Alexander. So now, we will get to see the debut of Cleevas Craig for Snider. Will he be the answer inside? Lets find out.
Bounce picks Snider
Bellmont at Heritage, Saturday
The Braves started 3-0 for the first time since 2004 and will take on the reinvigorated Heritage, who has started 2-0. They each play a game before Saturday, so time will tell if they both enter this game unbeaten. Kade Fuelling has been scoring at a high rate for the Braves, who are already 2-0 against ACAC opponents. The last time the Braves started 3-0, they started 9-0 and went 24-3. That may not be in the cards, but Bounce is paying attention. And attention also goes to the Patriots, who will host just up the road on Saturday. Dropping in a Carroll-like type of play has Heritage averaging 61.5 points per game. The last time they averaged over 60 points per game was 18 years ago.
Bounces picks Heritage
Huntington North at East Noble
How about that. The first big showdown of the Northeast 8 season could determine the NE8 champion. Because, let us be real, is anybody in the NE8 beating the winner of this game? The reemergence over the weekend of Sawyer Stoltz makes this game more intriguing as Stoltz will be relied upon to hang with East Noble’s double double monster Brent Cox down low. The fans in Kendallville is spoiled because this is their third huge home game already.
Bounce picks East Noble
THE LADIES
Garrett at Westview, Tuesday
Westview’s three losses come to pretty good teams, but the Warriors have to worry about their turnover numbers on the perimeter after West Noble took them to task last week. The Railroaders have been able to test a lot of teams but have yet to face an interior presence like Westview’s Ashya Klopfenstein. Don’t look past Garrett, but don’t let last week make you forget who Westview can be either.
Bounce picks Westview
South Side at Bellmont, Wednesday
On a five game win streak, a three game week and with a trip to Heritage Christian looming, this is a big moment for South Side. Lamyia Woodson was important last weekend and the Archers will need to look inside in this one. That doesn’t mean they cannot hang on the perimeter with Bellmont, they absolutely can and then some. But Grace Hunter is going to Grace Hunter. The Squaws have run off a six game win streak and are playing very good basketball.
This is absolutely Bounce’s favorite girls basketball game of the week.
Bounce picks South Side
Carroll at Concordia, Friday
How do things go when the girls have to hit the court at 6 p.m.? This is by far the best game on the slate for the girls side of opening night in SAC double header land. Carroll has been the surprise of the season and their Saturday win over a Northridge team that beat South Side and Angola raises their stock significantly. For Concordia, a couple of losses to top area teams had people stop talking about them despite the scoring output of Carissa Garcia never wavering from impressive.
Bounce is going to pick one way. But let me say, this could easily go the other.
Bounce picks Concordia
Columbia City at Norwell, Friday
The Eagles will try to be the first team to put a loss on Norwell and take a step towards keeping the Knights from a NE8 crown. Good luck. Bounce likes Columbia City and has all year long. After watching them dissect Whitko in person earlier this year, I saw them starting to stumble. But a win over Bishop Dwenger last week means maybe they area back. Meanwhile, Norwell has settled into Kaylee Fuelling as being a main offensive threat, but there are still four or five girls who can score at a high rate as well.
Bounce picks Norwell
Woodlan at Bluffton, Friday
We have seen Woodlan struggle in the ACAC, but they remain one of the most dangerous underdogs in the area. The last time Woodlan won seven of their first 10 before this season was 2013. This game matches up two of the conference’s best scorers in Woodlan’s Addie Bayman (17.6 ppg) and Bluffton’s Emme Boots (16.2 ppg). The x-factor though, as Bounce sees it, will be Bluffton junior Olivia King.
Bounce picks Bluffton
These opinions represent those of Bounce and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Bounce on Twitter at Bounce_OTH
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