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With former Tri-Village coach Roger Collins at the helm, the 2015
version of Mississinawa Valley Lady
Blackhawks basketball will be
eyeing the bucket and a successful season. CNO File Photo
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Collins
optimistic at Mississinawa Valley
By George Starks
UNION CITY- With one year as the junior varsity coach at Mississinawa
Valley, now head coach Roger Collins it gearing up for his opening game
date with the Union Lady Rockets of Modoc, Indiana on December 2
starting at 6 p.m.
With three scrimmages under his belt and one scheduled for today at
home with Dixie and Dayton Christian, Collins is liking what he sees
with his newly acquired squad.
“I think things are looking good and I’ve made some cuts already,” said
Collins. “That’s the hardest part of basketball and a couple of those
kids I really liked. I hate to do it but I don’t want to see kids
sitting on the bench all the time and being discouraged because they
aren’t playing much. We had about 24 come out and I’ve trimmed it down
to 17 or 18 now.
“I’ve seen a lot of positives, especially with the attitudes,” Collins
added. “Things are a little bit different that it was last year and the
make-up of the team is good. I’ve got four seniors, two juniors and
five sophomores. The team is coming together nicely. We have a lot of
work to do but things are coming together.”
One of the seniors that Collins may be looking at for consistency on
the floor id Madison Livingston.
“Madison was injured a year ago and had some surgery and now she’s
back. We are looking forward to having her out there doing what she
does best on the floor. She’s a solid player and we will need her
leadership on both ends of the floor,” said Collins. “We also have
MacKenzie Dirmyer, Heather Dirkson and Heather Johns and they are
showing me what they can do and all four are strong in different areas.
The only bad thing is I’m only going to have then one year instead of
two. There’s a lot of potential in those four kids but not playing a
lot in the last couple of years will hurt them all. I just wish I’d had
them sooner. We also have junior, Lauren Newbaurer that transferred
back from the Union City (Ind.) side. She’s going to be a big addition
to helping this team.”
Being a junior varsity coach a year ago with Rodney Saintignon, Collins
says the team is 100 percent better than it was a year ago.
“Our defense is probably 500 percent better than it was a year ago,”
Collins said. “These kids come to practice and they are ready to get on
it. We play the zone and the man well and we get down the floor better
to get set and ready. They slide their feet better and they don’t try
to jump on top of people to block shots. We’re boxing out better on the
boards and overall, we are just that much better on defense. Our
offense is looking good also. We’re going to have a good shooting team
that will be quicker and stronger but we don’t shoot as well as we
should be and that’s something we can improve on. We will get better
and we will lose some games early that we probably wouldn’t lose if we
had them late in the season. They’re almost where I want them to be in
the overall. You can’t change people in just three weeks. If this team
comes together and plays together as a team should, they will be better
than most will think they are. They are working hard.”
Can the Hawks make a statement in the conference?
“We’re going to win a few games and we might open some eyes,”
Collins stated. “It all depends on the kids and how they come out and
play. If they lose a couple of games and come out dragging their butts,
then that will be something I’ll have to fight with. If they lose and
comeback and play like they should, then we’re going to win some games.
We’re not going to be last in the conference.”
Opening up at Union, the Hawks will play a varsity only game that night
as the Lady Rockets will dress only 13 players total as Union High
School is in its last year of existence.
Collins summed things up in a very simple way.
“If we are going to win, we must be friends on the court,” Collins
pointed out. “We might not be friends off the court but we have to be
friends on the court. You’re only as strong as your weakest player.”
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