A good time to eat some crow

Wednesday, March 12, 2003

Heading into Tuesday's Class 1 sectional game at Sikeston, I thought I had Clarkton figured out.

Great record, weak schedule, overrated team.

Boy, was I wrong.

How wrong?

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most outrageous, absurd, ludicrous take on a team you can think of...this one was about a seven.

Tastelessly inaccurate.

I thought putting Clarkton ahead of Bell City in the state poll was a total joke.

Now that the game is over, the only joke is the idiot who ran his mouth about it back in February (that would be me).

Clarkton did a first-rate job of representing itself and the Tri-County Conference last night, beating the defending state champs 63-60.

There were no fluke plays and the referees didn't decide the final outcome. As much as it pains me to say it, the better team won.

So to all you Clarkton fans that have been hounding me at work, at home, via e-mail and via Speakout since that notorious Wednesday 28 days ago, I'm sorry.

I have never apologized for an opinion column in my seven years here, but this time, it's warranted.

I honestly had no idea what kind of team Clarkton had down there.

I kept up with them all season, comparing scores and common opponents in our area, but never actually saw the Reindeer play up until last night.

Saying I was impressed would be an understatement.

On a floor with talents like Eric Henry and Dominitrix Johnson, Clarkton's Andre Marsh was the one that stood out and played like the all-stater.

That's not the same kid I used to watch play at New Madrid County.

The Cubs had no answer for his dribble penetration, or his floating runners through the lane. He finished with 30 points, but it seemed like he scored 60.

Then you've got David Mathis, who is considered to be Clarkton's top player. Standing a burly 6-foot-4, I expected him to hold his own in the paint.

What I didn't expect was his sweet touch on baseline and fade-away jumpers. He was also productive from long range, knocking down two 3-pointers in the third quarter.

Along with Marsh and Mathis, Michael Ray also played a big part in last night's win.

To go with nine points, he pulled down every rebound in sight, limiting Bell City to one shot per trip. Twin Rivers would probably like to have that guy back.

Clarkton's fan support was equally impressive.

With a population of just 1,113 people, the entire town had to be in Sikeston last night, cheering their team to victory.

Now, the Reindeer will pick up a few more fans.

With Bell City out of the picture, Clarkton is Southeast Missouri's only hope of bringing home a state championship in Class 1. Next up is Verona in the quarterfinal round.

The game will be played at the West Plains Civic Center on Saturday at 1 p.m. Verona is 29-0, currently ranked No. 1 in the state.

Are they overrated?

Don't even think that I'm going to comment on that subject.

We all know what happened the last time I questioned the state poll. One super-sized order of crow is enough for me.

I will say this though, and Verona has better take notice. Clarkton is not to be underestimated.

Those Reindeer games against the likes of Risco, Campbell and Holcomb have obviously paid off.

Santa's Little Helpers are for real.

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