Hanover Central boys can't keep up with running game of Calumet, lose 89-67

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
11-30-2007

Tuesday, 11-27-2007 - Calumet boys basketball season opener (nonconference) in GARY, IN

HANOVER  (67)  Andrew DeYoung 3-0-6, Charlie Huffnagle 2-2-6, Kevin Mantel 3-0-6, Jordan Rizo 8-2-20, Jerrod Howard 6-2-14, Tim Kubiak 1-1-3, Vince Warren 3-0-6, Zach Rush 1-0-3, Andy Cripe 1-0-3, Aaron Jackson 0-0-0, Ron Battle 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 28 (7-9) 67.

CALUMET (89)  Mike Akins 13-1-28, Laron Bryant 5-2-16, Britton Johnson 3-0-6, Larry Alexander 1-2-4, Aaron Bell 2-0-4, CJ Montgomery 12-0-27, William McLaurin 3-0-6, Ron Battle 0-0-0, Stephan Johnson 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 39 (5-8) 89.

FREE THROWS:  HANOVER (7-10, 70%) Huffnagle 2-2, Rizo 2-2, Kubiak 1-4, Howard 2-2;
CALUMET (5-10, 50%)   Akins 1-3, Bryant 2-2, Alexander 2-2, McLaurin 0-3.

REBOUNDS:  HANOVER (31) Rizo 10, DeYoung 4, Howard 4, Jackson 4, Kubiak 2, Warren 2, Cripe 2, Mantel 2, Huffnagle;
CALUMET (25) Akins 7, Montgomery 6, Bryant 4, McLaurin 3, Alexander 2, Johnson.

ASSISTS:  HANOVER (11) Rush 5, DeYoung 3, Huffnagle, Kubiak, Mantel;
CALUMET (21) Bryant 10,  Akins 7, Johnson 6, Alexander.

STEALS:  HANOVER (4) DeYoung, Mantel, Howard, Jackson.
CALUMET (12) Bryant 6, Akins 3, Montgomey 2, McLaurin.

3-GOALS:  HANOVER (4) Jordan Rizo 2, Andy Cripe, Zach Rush;
CALUMET (6) CJ Montgomery 3, Laron Bryant 2, Mike Akins.

GARY, IN (11-27-2007) -  This was an ambush.  You know.  When you go into a battle thinking you have sufficient weapons only to find that the other team has more firepower.  After upsetting Munster, Hanover headed north to sock it to the Calumet Warriors in their season opener.  Let's just say that didn't happen.  When Calumet stopped running and gunning in the old Calumet Fieldhouse on Ridge Road, Hanover went home all smoked out 89-67 in a reality check match-up of different levels of play.

To oversimplify this: Calumet and Hanover play the same style.  Both want to run and press and take transition basket opportunities.  Hanover certainly plays the up-tempo style as well as anybody in their league, the Porter County Conference.  Calumet plays Hanover's game at another level.

"We were a little intimidated," said Hanover coach Rod Bollenbacher.  "We had some passes stolen and then we put our heads down and we didn't see anybody. They are quick and strong and we didn't take care of the ball at all."

Hanover led 7-6 and 12-10 before the Warriors, in old coach Carl Traicoff's 'second coming' debut as Calumet's 6-foot-2 senior Mike Akins sparked a 13-2 run for a 25-13 lead late in the first period.  Despite a box-and-1 Hanover defense to stop him, Akins scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half as the Wildcats couldn't stay with him.  In the second half, Akins had five of his seven assists as 6-3 forward CJ Montgomery scored 21 of his 27 points, including three third quarter three-point baskets that shelled the visitors.  In one sequence, Calumet stole the ball three consecutive times in the backcourt and scored on layups.  A 17-8 run forced a Hanover time out with Calumet leading 62-40 with 3:02 to go.

The trio of Akins, Montgomery and 5-7 senior Laron Bryant (14 points, 10 assists) eagerly created play after play for each other in a thriving assault that had to please the 71-year-old Traicoff, who returned to the Calumet bench after retiring nine years ago.

"Not bad," Traicoff said.  "We were pleased.  "They're good ball team.  They didn't beat Munster with mirrors.  But we put some pressure on them and got some easy baskets.  They got a little loosey-goosey in the second half.  They are not selfish players and they want to give the ball up and get easy baskets."

Hanover's guards could not get the ball through the initial trap in Calumet's 2-2-1 full court defense.  All of the Warriors players except for 6-foot-5 center Larry Alexander are similar in size and quickness, led by the 6-foot-2 Akins, who averaged 12 points a game last year.  The Calumet speed was too much, and when things went wrong for Hanover, they did get a little discouraged and fell further behind.  Calumet looks like a potential sectional and regional champ.

"I just want them to improve," Traicoff kept saying, long after the game had ended.  "Of course, everybody wants to win.  But I just want them to reach their potential.  It's not about me.  It's about reaching their potential."

The only two Hanover players who were up to the competition on this night was junior Jordan Rizo, who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and backup center Jerrod Howard, who grabbed 14 points with five boards.  Freshman Zach Rush came off the bench and contributed five assists, but but that was after the game had been decided.  Hanover still has an issue of what the best guard combination is between senior Charlie Huffnagle, who is a more potent scorer off the ball, and junior Kevin Mantel and Rush, who are natural lead guards but who are undersized.  It's something that figures to be worked out in the first 15 games.

"This was a good experience for us," said Bollenbacher, who took his first loss as a varsity coach.  "We need to play these kinds of teams."

Hanover's sectional rival is Bishop Noll, a quick, pressing team similar to Calumet.  They also know that Hanover will be a 3A school in time for the 2011 playoffs and that Calumet will be a sectional rival.  They could very easily be slotted into the Calumet Sectional.

"We really haven't had time to work on our strength and quickness programs," said Bollenbacher, who was hired late last spring.  "We've got to work on athleticism.  Getting our kids stronger.  We have to get up to their level."

CAT NOTES:  Hanover Central did indeed beat Musnter 56-51 last Saturday in what is believed to be the first-ever meeting (Hanover is only 40 years old) between the two schools. Jordan Rizo scored 20 points while Charlie Huffnagle added 18, including four three-point goals.

Hanover's Friday night game at Hebron is the annual boys-girls homecoming (neither school has football) double-header and it is a homecoming of sorts for new coach Rod Bollenbacher, who was an assistant coach at Hebron from 2003-to-2006.

Carl Traicoff first coached Calumet from 1971 to 1998 where he won 447 games.  He is believed to be 71 years old.  He won't give his true age.

"When they asked me to come back," he said, "I didn't give them an answer for about 28 days.  I'm blessed that I got another opportunity to do something I really like.  I have a torn minsiscus.  I just found out about that today.  But that'll have to wait until the season is over."

Traicoff talks a lot about his players becoming successful, even if he doesn't define what that is.

"We had a meeting here last Friday after Thanksgiving.  A lof of my former players came back when they heard I was coaching.  Just to talk to the players here now.  Some of them stayed an hour afterwards just to talk to them.  They need to see success."

Hanover has started the season with 4A Munster and 3A Calumet in the first week.  If they keep that up they won't be undefeated very many times going into PCC play.

"It's a learning experience," said Bollenbacher.  "You want to play better teams.  That's the only way we'll get better.  It's a good lesson for us.

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Revised: December 03, 2007 .