A Dallas debacle

It’s been hard to ignore the story of the Texas high school girls basketball game that saw one school beat another 100-0.

The most recent development was the news that the winning team, Covenant School, had fired its head coach Micah Grimes.

While it’s unfortunate to see anyone lose their job, especially in this economy, Grimes’ firing seems warranted — especially after the coach reportedly refused to fully apologize for the blowout win.

He never should have been forced to apologize, because he never should have put himself in that position in the first place.

Where was Grimes’ focus during the game?

Was it on the court, where his team reportedly pressed on defense and hoisted 3-pointers until late in the fourth quarter?

Or was it on the sidelines and stands, where fans and even an assistant coach allegedly cheered the team on as it nudged closer and closer to the century mark?

Up almost 60 points at halftime, don’t you call off the dogs?

I’m no coach, but how about substituting in your bench, dropping into a zone on defense and simply running out the clock on offense by passing the ball around.

I don’t blame the Covenant players for reportedly being excited about getting to 100 points on the scoreboard, but high school athletes — teenagers — can’t always be expected to be cognizant of the big picture — that’s where a coach should have stepped in.

Scoring 100 points and holding your opponent to zero is impressive — that Covenant team must be pretty good. Most local girls teams rarely break 60 points over the course of an entire game, much less come close to it in one half.

Which leads to my final thought, and hopefully something the league that governs the pair of schools could look into if they're not already — why are these two teams playing each other in the first place?

I’m not saying the losing squad should be barred from competing — but aren’t there more competitive games out there that they can insert into its schedule?

Again, I’m no expert, but once in a while I do have flashes of common sense. It’s too bad some of the adults at that game apparently didn’t.

Teaching and encouraging sportsmanship, especially in high school sports, should be equally, if not more, important than racking up wins and points.

If this had happened in the pros or competitive collegiate ranks it'd be one thing, but the majority of high school athletes play sports to have fun, and that shouldn't come at the expense of another player or team.

Creuse-ing with Cruz

In my short time as a high school sports reporter, I’ve come into contact with few more personable student-athletes than Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse senior Willie Cruz. Maybe the only people who don’t like him are the players assigned to guard him on the basketball court.

Cruz’s skill set on the court make him one of the most dangerous players around. And off it, his charisma could perhaps even captivate the player he just dropped 30 points on.
That’s why Eastern Kentucky University got lucky when Cruz signed his official National Letter of Intent back in the fall to attend the Richmond, Ky., based Division 1 Ohio Valley Conference school.

I recently caught up with Cruz, and even on crutches following a recent injury, he couldn’t hold back from smiling as he talked about continuing his playing career at the next level.

“To play Division 1 basketball has been my dream since I was young,” Cruz said. “And to get the opportunity to play at a school like Eastern Kentucky and have four years paid for, it’s great.”

Cruz drew the Colonels’ attention, along with plenty of other colleges, with his solid all-around play on the AAU circuit.

He said he was drawn to EKU because of their coaching staff and playing style. Cruz said the team utilizes a balanced offense, where all the players are looked on to score and play interchangeable parts. The guards are asked to play dual roles as ballhandlers and scorers —which suits a combo player such as Cruz.

“The way they play fits me perfect,” he said. “It’s up and down. There’s a lot of 3’s being shot, a lot of passing and unselfish play.”

Local hoops fans should try and catch Cruz in action once he returns from his injury (expected to be late January) and before he’s off to EKU. You don’t want to miss out on one of the premier talents, and people, in the Macomb Area Conference ... unless, of course, you have to guard him.

From Warren to the World

Brian Maisonneuve never dreamt soccer would take him around the world, much less out of the Midwest.

When the Warren native returned home recently for the holidays and to co-host a two-day soccer camp, I couldn’t pass up the short trip to speak with one of the community’s best-traveled athletes.

Maisonneuve, who was named Mr. Soccer after his senior season at Warren De La Salle, said that when he left his home to attend Indiana University, he didn’t expect a career in soccer.

“I remember when I picked Indiana – it was one of those where 'this could be the end,' because Major League Soccer wasn’t in existence,” Maisonneuve said. “The U.S. National Team was about the only thing — but everybody dreams about playing for the national team. You dream of it, but you’re never quite sure.”

The MLS was formed during Maisonneuve’s junior year at Indiana — and he would later join the Columbus Crew once he closed out his illustrious career as a Hoosier. Maisonneuve won many accolades at Indiana, capped off by the Herman Trophy (awarded to the top college soccer player) his senior year after leading the Hoosiers to the national championship game.

His dreams of playing for his country came to fruition as well, as Maisonneuve represented the United States during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 1998 World Cup in France.

He talked about some of his favorite highlights – winning the Class A 1990 state crown with De La Salle and consecutive trips to NCAA soccer’s final four — the College Cup.

More memories came from his national and international experiences, including playing against Argentina — arguably the best team in the world then — at Legion Field following the opening ceremonies during the first game of the 1994 Olympics.

“To walk out and to have 85,000 people chanting ‘USA’ was pretty special,” he said.

A highlight from the World Cup, in which he played in all three of the United State’s games, also includes a pre-game memory.

Warming up before a match against Germany, Maisonneuve looked up and spotted legendary players Jurgen Klinnsman and Lothar Mattheus getting ready across the way.

“Those were guys that I grew up watching play, it’s just like, you had to pinch yourself,” he said. “Once the whistle blows, I mean it’s a game. But warming up, I remember I was in awe.”

Maisonneuve, who describes himself as “athletically average,” said one message he wanted to relay to the kids at his camp was that if he can do it, anyone can — with the right attitude.

“It’s just a lot of hard work and dedication to the sport,” he said.

Looking back on his career, Maisonneuve said he was lucky to play for coaches like Thaier Mukhtar (the De La Salle coach he was co-hosting the camp with), Indiana’s Jerry Yeagley and national team coaches Bruce Arena and Steve Sampson.

“To have it work out the way it did, I was pretty fortunate,” he said. “And a lot of the coaches that I’ve had – I was pretty fortunate to achieve some of the stuff that brought me all over the world.”

He said all of his coaches inspired him to coach — as he does now as an assistant with the University of Louisville’s men’s team while also helping out the national youth teams.

“I was very fortunate to have great coaches,” Maisonneuve said. “I mean, you look at coach Mukhtar – the best coach ever in the state of Michigan — and you look at coach Yeagley, who’s arguably the best college coach ever in the country ... to have those guys as mentors is pretty amazing.”

Maisonneuve said he began seeing himself as a coach during his playing career, when mounting injuries started to make him think about retiring.

“I always wanted to stick with the game,” he said. “Once I got coaching, it really took over my passion for playing, now it becomes a passion for coaching – and it’s a pretty even substitute.

“I loved playing, but now I love coaching just as much – and sometimes I get more out of it,” Maisonneuve continued. “It’s amazing when you’re teaching kids how to play, and they actually pull it off on the field. To see their excitement, it translates into your excitement. It’s pretty special, and I really enjoy coaching. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”