Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Young Rams quick learners

Ridgewood is off to a fast start, brushing aside its inexperience and basketball opponents.

By IZZY GOULD
Published December 11, 2005

NEW PORT RICHEY - Maybe it's too soon to label Gary Anders a master cultivator of talent.

Sure, the Ridgewood coach has a sparkling young crop of size and skill.

The 2005-06 Rams are young, talented and, surprisingly, were undefeated before Friday's game against Land O'Lakes.

Anders held firm to his preseason comments last week spinning this year as a rebuilding project.

Whatever tinkering was done caught Pasco County's attention opening night.

The Rams pulled off a stunning 55-52 victory against senior-laden Mitchell, hyped as the team to beat. The tear continued with wins against Central (73-41), Gulf (73-54), River Ridge (53-49) and Zephyrhills (64-32) for a 5-0 start.

Questions still linger as Ridgewood stares down at the Sunshine Athletic Conference from its first-place perch.

Are the Rams the beneficiary of an early soft schedule? Or are they underrated and capable of more than even Anders could have predicted?

"This is a unique team," Anders said. "We've had some good teams, but they've had their own identity. I don't think this team yet has established an identity. I don't think they should. They're pups."

Anders realized how young while typing up his roster.

Of his 12 players, two are seniors, six are juniors, three are sophomores and one is a freshman.

Anders starts one senior (Mirza Muratovic), a junior (Ben Koenigsfeld) and three sophomores (Mike Lawrence, Derrick Zio and David Williams). He also uses key reserves in junior Jeremy Killinger and 6-foot-7 freshman Lukas Poderis.

Youth has played a part in all of Ridgewood's games.

There's the typical turnovers and defensive breakdowns, hurried shots and bad passes.

Ridgewood was at its worst in the opening half against Mitchell.

Anders gauged the situation on the court, then coddled the Rams at halftime hoping to mount a comeback.

"We were just horrible," Anders said. "I couldn't believe what I was watching. We weren't doing anything on either end of the floor.

"I think we were intimidated and scared to death against Mitchell."

Ridgewood's crawled back with its up-tempo style and huge plays.

The one Anders recalled was a 3-pointer by Koenigsfeld - his only points of the night - from the corner to put Ridgewood ahead for the first time.

What an injection of confidence.

The Rams have outscored opponents 318-228 while climbing to 2-0 in Class 5A, District 7 and 4-0 in the SAC.

"We've made some big shots," Anders said. "But we're making a lot of young mistakes in our ballgames. Golly, we're freshmen and sophomores. They have been able to reach down and play through those mistakes and do what it takes to win ballgames."

This group has all the elements of postseason team with a solid frontcourt and good guard play.

The biggest problem for Anders has been adjusting to the smaller teams in the conference loaded with guards. His roster boasts nine players 6 feet or taller.

And there's been relatively little time to mesh.

There's the typical bonding through offseason conditioning and the seemingly endless nights of pickup games. But Anders said these kids have really just started playing together.

Muratovic agrees this is a rebuilding year, and believes the Rams have to prove themselves nightly.

He'd like to prove everyone wrong.

"We probably were underrated," Muratovic said. "We just have a lot of guys that can contribute. We don't have one main guy who can do it all. Everyone can step up every game.

"We're a young team. The toughest challenge has been coming out and showing everyone we can play."

Contact Izzy Gould at 813 909-4612 or sportsjournalist@gmail.com

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]