By Matt Young
CC Caller Times
AUSTIN — In the end, five was better than 12. Really, five was better than anyone else in the state.
With a limited bench, West Oso rode its five starters hard and those starters delivered with a 61-57 win over Burkburnett in the Class 3A state championship game Saturday in front of 10,688 fans at the Erwin Center.
Coming into the state final, the biggest question was how would West Oso match up against a Burkburnett team that goes 12 deep. At halftime, it appeared those doubts were justified as the Bulldogs jumped out to an eight-point lead at the break. Even more cause for concern was the sight of West Oso players hunched over and grabbing at the bottom of their baggy shorts during every break late in the half.
"In the first half, I was real tired," said West Oso guard Willie Harper, who knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 17 points. "In the second half, we had to fight through it and win a state championship, so that's what we did."
West Oso played just seven players with reserves William Enriquez and Andrew Lopez, seeing just seven and four minutes of action, respectively.
In contrast, Burkburnett substituted freely, using 12 players, including 10 that played at least six minutes.
"We couldn't get into their bench like we wanted to," Burkburnett coach Danny Nix said. "I don't think they subbed hardly at all in the second half. That's what we wanted to do was keep the game a little more up-tempo. It just seemed like it was about to break that way at any time, but we just couldn't quite get over the hump and you've got to credit them for that. They dug in and hung in and did things they had to."
Entering the second half trailing by eight points, West Oso went to the bench just one time in the final two quarters. However, fatigue didn't seem to play a role as the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 36-24 in the second half.
That doesn't mean West Oso coach Arnold Flores wasn't fretting the minutes he was heaping on his starters' shoulders.
"Actually I did (worry about that)," Flores said. "Every time I turned to my assistant coach (Karl Turk) and asked, 'Who needs to come out for a rest?,' he said, 'No this is the state championship. Leave them in.' I said all right, we'll go with that."
It turned out to be the right move. Even with Burkburnett harassing West Oso with its full-court pressure defense, the Bears only seemed to grow stronger as the game got later. West Oso trailed by eight with 2:52 left in the third quarter, but the Bears answered back with nine straight points to get back in the game.
"We just had to keep fighting," West Oso guard Robert Watson said. "We weren't going to wear down. There was too much on the line."
CC Caller Times
AUSTIN — In the end, five was better than 12. Really, five was better than anyone else in the state.
With a limited bench, West Oso rode its five starters hard and those starters delivered with a 61-57 win over Burkburnett in the Class 3A state championship game Saturday in front of 10,688 fans at the Erwin Center.
Coming into the state final, the biggest question was how would West Oso match up against a Burkburnett team that goes 12 deep. At halftime, it appeared those doubts were justified as the Bulldogs jumped out to an eight-point lead at the break. Even more cause for concern was the sight of West Oso players hunched over and grabbing at the bottom of their baggy shorts during every break late in the half.
"In the first half, I was real tired," said West Oso guard Willie Harper, who knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 17 points. "In the second half, we had to fight through it and win a state championship, so that's what we did."
West Oso played just seven players with reserves William Enriquez and Andrew Lopez, seeing just seven and four minutes of action, respectively.
In contrast, Burkburnett substituted freely, using 12 players, including 10 that played at least six minutes.
"We couldn't get into their bench like we wanted to," Burkburnett coach Danny Nix said. "I don't think they subbed hardly at all in the second half. That's what we wanted to do was keep the game a little more up-tempo. It just seemed like it was about to break that way at any time, but we just couldn't quite get over the hump and you've got to credit them for that. They dug in and hung in and did things they had to."
Entering the second half trailing by eight points, West Oso went to the bench just one time in the final two quarters. However, fatigue didn't seem to play a role as the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 36-24 in the second half.
That doesn't mean West Oso coach Arnold Flores wasn't fretting the minutes he was heaping on his starters' shoulders.
"Actually I did (worry about that)," Flores said. "Every time I turned to my assistant coach (Karl Turk) and asked, 'Who needs to come out for a rest?,' he said, 'No this is the state championship. Leave them in.' I said all right, we'll go with that."
It turned out to be the right move. Even with Burkburnett harassing West Oso with its full-court pressure defense, the Bears only seemed to grow stronger as the game got later. West Oso trailed by eight with 2:52 left in the third quarter, but the Bears answered back with nine straight points to get back in the game.
"We just had to keep fighting," West Oso guard Robert Watson said. "We weren't going to wear down. There was too much on the line."
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