Sat Nov 5, 6:21 PM

EARLSBORO, Okla. - The Hanna High School basketball team can take some consolation: It didn't get shut out.

It did, however, lose 112-2 on Friday night to Earlsboro.

"It was embarrassing to watch," Earlsboro coach Jim Walling told The Oklahoman. "But you can't just tell your kids not to score. I've been coaching 27 years and have never been involved in something like this."

The Wildcats led 42-0 after one quarter and 73-2 at halftime. Walling pulled his starters in the second half, and game officials kept a running clock, stopping it only for free throws.

Each player on Earlsboro's 10-man boys' roster scored. Seven players finished in double figures.

Thats quite a blow out!!! I think that was good officiating providing it was within the rules to go to the running clock. In Arizona I do not believe we are allowed to do that so it would have been another 16:00 minutes of hell for me in the 2nd half!

"Coach, I am not saying you can't score but all 5 of your players better have 1 foot in the paint when they are on defense"!!!!! Then they may have scored 4 points!

Talk about needing to stay focused!!!

No mercy rule and hence no running clock is allowed in NV. We can however agree to shorten the quarters according to 5-5-3.

Wouldn't a running clock shorten the quarter?

Why did the coach wait until the 2nd half to pull his starters?

In reality, yes, but I'm talking about putting 4 minutes up to start the 3rd quarter instead of 8.

One is legal by the national rules, the other is only allowed per the state association.

Well, maybe not in so many words. But there are ways to lessen the pain a little. Put in the second string. Try some new plays. Require everyone to play a different position in the play. Drop back into a zone on defense. In these ways, you're still encouraging the kids to play hard, but they may not be quite as intimidating.

I know, I know it's not their job to help the opponent feel better about their little selves. I do think it's the coach's job to be sure his kids aren't just show-boating or playing around.

The best team in these parts for the last 15 years has been the Oregon City girls team. They routinely win in their league by 40 to 70 point spreads. They could probably top 100 every league game, but they don't, because the coach sees these as learning opportunities, and he doesn't let the girls goof off. They are expected to concentrate and work something that they haven't mastered yet, so they can develop as players. They never laugh or taunt, not even indirectly. I have some issues with their program, but sportsmanship isn't one of them. They are top drawer in that area.

WOW !! I have Officiated a lot of blow-outs. But nothing like this. And I hope I never have to.

As a coach what do you say to your team to pick them up after some thing like that?

I had a 66-0 game last year, JV girls. The winning team played subs the entire 2nd half and packed a zone into the lane. Didn't matter, the losing team never really came close to scoring. They got to the line a few times but even threw up air balls there. My partners and I were really wondering what we were going to have in the varsity game, but the final margin there was only about 15 points.

It might get worse if he tells the kids to play in a zone. If the team cannot shoot the ball, they still might not score. I do not think there is a whole lot a coach can do.

Peace

I know in some schools, anyone who can play at all gets on the varsity team. They'll be not half-bad. But the skill drops way, way off at JV and Frosh (if they even have a freshman team).

I agree that you watch for showboating. If the losing team feels like they're getting clowned then there's gonna be some cheap-shots. When coaching my kid's teams, I've been on both sides of blowouts and neither are much fun. Last year I had a girls game that was a serious blowout. One team should be playing against freshman (they had no JV team and the V team only had 6 girls, I think they recruited some kids off the speech team to get enough) and the other team was a decent varsity team. Their boys team is pretty good and in a conference that uses 3-person mechanics so we had to work this the same. Our only saving grace was the running clock in the 4Q.