The Jock Strap

As "The Jock Strap" returns, let's utilize the Ottumwa girls varsity basketball team as an example of one of the greater truths of life.

As men much wiser than me know and have taught over the years, nothing worth having comes for free. To become successful at a meaningful level, one must pay his/her dues, put in the hours, experience some heartache along the way, and keep one's eyes "on the prize" (if you will). If it were easy to achieve success, then everybody would do it. On the contrary, experiencing success means caring enough about it to put in the time to earn it.

This is exactly the type of credit that each and every member of the Ottumwa girls varsity basketball program deserves, including players, coaches, trainers, managers, fans, and yes, even broadcasters.

Last year, while taking more than its fair share of lumps in an eventual 2-20 season, the Ottumwa girls and coaches continued to play hard every minute of every game, continued to compete, and continued to believe that "it's a process." They knew they would get hammered some/most nights. They knew they were talented, but extremely young. They knew the CIML Metro is the best girls basketball conference in the state, with Top 10 teams like Des Moines East, Roosevelt, and Lincoln lingering around every corner night in and night out.

But none of this fazed them. And, after improving immensely throughout that brutal 2008-2009 season, the Bulldogs layed the groundwork for their current success.

Through five games of this 2009-2010 season, Ottumwa is 3-2, has a 3-game winning streak, and has already exceeded its entire season win total from last year. Wow.

Now, let's give credit, first and foremost, to the players who deserve the credit. The seven players I will name here are girls that endured the turmoil of last year, and lived to see a better day. (If I leave anybody out, please don't get angry. Nothing personal, of course.)

Senior PG Courtney Klyn.....Has greatly improved her ball-handling this season, and is doing a nice job of running the offense when on the floor. Also, C. Klyn is a ruthless competitor and wants to win as much as anybody ever has. That's what you have to love about her...She's a competitor. Whether it be softball, volleyball, basketball, or tiddly winks, Courtney Klyn hates to lose.

Sophomore PG Ashley Salgado.....The Bulldogs' resident ball-handling guru/wizard, one of the "Big 3" sophomores, as I like to say, is one of the girls who will be a member of the nucleus of this team for years to come. Salgado, Kelsey Nickerson, and Rachel Hinebaugh ("The Big 3") have played together since 7th grade, and will one day lead the Lady Bulldogs to Wells Fargo Arena and possibly all the way to a State Title. Salgado sees the whole floor, handles the ball well with both hands in traffic, and makes no-look passes that leave helpless defenders scratching their respective heads. "Gonna be a player," as my Dad, longtime successful boys basketball coach in Kansas City always says. Already is a player is what I would say.

Junior SG Amy Albertson.....Pound for pound, the best female athlete in the school. Maybe not the best player in any given sport, but possesses the most athletic ability. Quick and fast, strong, and extremely agile. Best on-ball defender, by far, that the Bulldogs have. Always gets the assignment of guarding the other team's best scorer man-to-man, and usually wins the battle. Many times actually makes the other team's best player look less than average. (See Taylor Shull of Mount Pleasant. Averaging 26 ppg coming into Ottumwa game. Scored 10 points and only 5 in first half.) Amy is also a solid shooter when she decides to assert herself offensively, and probably needs to do so more often. A good shooter if she gets her confidence going.

Sophomore SG Kelsey Nickerson.....Pure shooter. Big-time scorer. "Can flat out fill it up," as they say on the playground. When Nickerson gets the stroke going, you can forget about it. Made her first six shots from the floor, two 3-pointers, against Mount Pleasant in an eventual 77-49 Bulldog blowout of the Panthers. Had 12 points in the first quarter of that game. Scored 20, 20, and 15 in consecutive games already this season. Nickerson is someone that you would pay five dollars just to see her take part in shooting drills in a gym all by herself. Perfect looking stroke, and can be unconscious from the 3-point line when she gets hot.

Junior PF Jessi Black.....When you look up the phrase "hustle play" in a sports dictionary, you find a picture of Jessi Black. Always hustling, always trying to get to the basket to score or get fouled, and always scrapping, fighting, and clawing for every loose basketball. A classic "Ottumwa kid," as my friend and former coach Mike Holmes would say. Jessi Black will do whatever a coach asks her to do. If you're looking for someone who's slacking out on the floor, don't expect to find it from her. A true competitor, and someone who gives it her all at all times.

Senior PF Missy Staloch.....This multi-sport star for Ottumwa has really impressed me on the hardwood this season. You always knew that she was a good athlete. You always knew she could play defense and rebound. And you also always knew that if she ever decided to become assertive on the offensive end, that she had a nice enough shooting touch and athletic ability to score 10-plus points per game, even if most of those points had to come from the foul line. Well, this year, maybe because confidence comes along with being a senior, Missy has decided that she can score, and is going to score. You can literally see the confidence coming out of her as she has put up back to back to back to back (that's 4 straight) games with double digit points. 10, 15, 11, 13. Respectively, those are her point totals vs. Washington, Mount Pleasant, Southeast Polk, and Fairfield. Plus, she's still hitting the boards effectively and playing aggressive defense. If Missy keeps playing like this, expect to see her on some level of the all-Metro squad in this, her senior year. Good for you, Missy! I'm happy for you and proud of you!

Sophomore C Rachel Hinebaugh.....Stud. That's what Rachel Hinebaugh is as a sophomore, and that's what she could really be on a big-time level in the years to come if she continues to improve at the level she currently is. The 5'10" Bulldog post player is physical on the inside, gets to the offensive glass regularly, possesses a deft shooting touch, and has the competitiveness and killer instinct that you can't teach. She, like sophomore counterparts Salgado and Nickerson, literally eats, sleeps, drinks, and dreams basketball. A true "gym rat" as my Dad would say, and that, of course, is a huge compliment. Plays basketball year-round, loves the game, and loves winning. And, what's even more frightening about it, she's getting better daily. Can score down low with great post moves. Can also step away from the basket and has the touch to knock down 15 to 17-foot jumpers. Can probably even develop 3-point range for later in her life, when she'll most likely need that on the college level. But, one thing is for certain.....Defenses are in big trouble with the multi-faceted game of Hinebaugh. Come out and guard her at 17 feet, she'll drive by you and finish or hit the open player. Leave her open and she'll drain the jumper on you. She has you coming and going. You lose either way.

These girls were there all of last year, endured the pain of losing twenty games in a season, and have more than earned the success they are now experiencing.

Coaches Stan Rupe and Jeff Smith are outstanding teachers of the game and outstanding leaders of young people. They deserve a heaping helping of credit for what the Ottumwa girls basketball program is as a whole, this year and every other year.

And let me tell you one final thing, and remember I told you this (again). Do not be at all surprised when you have to book your hotel rooms for downtown Des Moines for March of 2011 and 2012 to see your Bulldogs at the Girls Class 4A State Basketball Championships. The talent is there, and the passion and desire to win (with this group of girls) will push them to great heights. As a great coach, and a great and wise man (my Dad, Doug Bruce, who won two Class 4A boys state basketball championships at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City) used to post in the Rockhurst locker room every year.....

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it. If you believe it, you can become it.....STATE CHAMPIONS!!!"

Believe that, Bulldogs fans. It's the truth.

Until next time,

"The Bruce"

P.S.- Thanks to my good buddy and outstanding Ottumwa baseball coach Mike "The Egg Man" Egbert for providing the inspiration for bringing "The Jock Strap" back to life. Thanks buddy!

Well hello there, sports fans! It has been a fast-paced, enjoyable, and crazy Summer sports season here at Ottumwa Radio and 1240 KBIZ, chasing the Ottumwa softball and baseball teams around the great state of Iowa.

During the season, through Friday, July 10th, I had called 46 Ottumwa softball and baseball games combined since May 29th, following the teams to places such as Fort Dodge, Des Moines, Keokuk, Mount Pleasant, Washington, etc. What a Summer!

On Monday, 07/13/09, the Ottuwma Bulldogs softball squad, 26-10 on the season, ranked #12 on the last Class 4A IGHSAU poll, takes on the Newton Cardinals at Huston Field in the Class 4A, Region #4 Semifinal. Game time is set for 7:00 PM. The pre-game show begins on 1240 KBIZ with me at 6:45 PM. If Ottumwa wins, the Bulldogs will play in the Regional Final (for a trip to the State Tournament) on Wednesday, 07/15/09, at Waukee.

Then, on Friday, 07/17/09, the Ottumwa Bulldogs baseball team, 15-13 overall, hosts the Lincoln Railsplitters at Legion Field, Ottumwa, for a Substate #6 Quarterfinal at 7:00 PM. Pre-game begins on 1240 KBIZ, the Voice of the Bulldogs, at 6:45 PM.

So, as you can see, the postseason is here! This is the most exciting time of the season! Everything is on the line.

This is where you come in. Make sure to get out to Huston Field in Ottumwa (softball) and Legion Field in Ottumwa (baseball) to support your teams, the Ottumwa Bulldogs, as they attempt to make exciting postseason runs! They want and need the support of loyal Bulldog fans! And, while you're at it, don't forget to bring your headset radio, tuned to 1240 KBIZ of course, to catch my play-by-play description of the games! :)

Go Bulldogs! I've had a blast covering you all season long!


Brian Bruce
"Voice of the Bulldogs"
1240 KBIZ Radio- Ottumwa, IA

Through Tuesday night's (01/27) game versus the No. 7-ranked Urbandale J-Hawks at Evans Middle School in Ottumwa, the Ottumwa Bulldogs' overall record on the 2008-2009 season was 8-7. In Metro Conference play, Ottumwa was 3-4.

By simply looking at the numbers, it's obvious that this season has seen its high and low points. A big win on the road in non-conference play at Ottumwa rival Valley, mixed in with a very disappointing setback on the road in non-conference play at North. There are plenty more examples, but the bottom line is that this season has been a winding road for the Bulldogs.

One constant this year for Ottumwa has been the Bulldogs' starting junior point guard, Michael Wetrich. Now, as a junior, Wetrich's confidence and comfort on the court have continued to grow, and he has started to establish himself as one of the best guards in the Metro Conference.

Need some numbers to prove it? Through 14 games, Wetrich was averaging 12.8 points per game, and was burning the nets from three-point range, hitting 46.7% of his shots (28-60). Anywhere 35% or above is very solid, but nearly 47% is ridiculous. Absolutely outstanding.

Wetrich (again, through 14 games), was also averaging 3.1 assists per game. And, he's had huge scoring nights, primarily through the use of his sharpshooting abilities from beyond the arc.

He had five 3-pointers and 19 points versus Roosevelt in an eventual 70-57 Metro Conference loss at Evans Middle School on Tuesday, January 6th. Then, stepping up in an effort to replace the loss of scoring due to senior shooting guard Sam Heinrichs being out of the lineup with an injured right ankle, Wetrich lit up the Fort Madison Bloodhounds for a game-high 23 points and five 3-pointers in a 60-42 road victory on Wednesday, January 14th.

But, all of this being said, the most impressive thing to me about Wetrich's game this year has been his unselfishness and constant effort to be the floor general for Ottumwa, getting the ball where it needs to go at the right time, incorporating the other four players on the floor into Ottumwa's motion offense, and reining himself in offensively so as to make sure that the team functions properly as a whole. With Wetrich's ball-handling and shooting abilities, he could definitely try to take over games offensively, putting everything on his own shoulders. But, quite to the contrary, he's very selective about the shots he takes and only takes them when they come naturally through the flow of the offense. A forced shot from Wetrich is a rarity.

Next time you're at a Bulldogs game or when you're listening to my play-by-play, pay special attention to the skills of Michael Wetrich. Ottumwa is in good hands with him running the point through next season.

In an earlier post on The Jock Strap, we talked about the 2008-2009 season for the Ottumwa High School girls varsity basketball team being part of "a process." We discussed how the team is loaded with young, yet inexperienced talent, and how they were going to take their lumps at times, but that you needed to stick with them because they're going to be a very good basketball team in a few years.

Well, the first sign of how good they will be occurred at Des Moines North in a Metro Conference game on Friday night, 01/16/09. The Bulldogs, led by 6th-year head coach Stan Rupe and assistant coach Jeff Smith, defeated the Polar Bears, 56-42, earning their first victory of the season. Even more impressive, and another example of the team's constant improvement, is that the very same North team had beaten Ottumwa at Evans Middle School, 52-36, on December 12th. Ottumwa's victory at North was a 30-point improvement on the loss from December.

All of that being said, the most exciting thing about the victory at North, above and beyond feeling great for the players, who've continued to work hard and keep a positive mindset, and the coaches, who pour their heart and soul into the program, is the fact that the three players who led Ottumwa to victory are all freshman.

In the 14-point win over the Polar Bears, three players scored in double figures for Ottumwa. Freshman shooting guard Kelsey Nickerson had a career-high 21 points, including a huge 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that stretched Ottumwa's lead back to 6 points. Freshman point guard Ashley Salgado had 11 points, including seven consecutive free throws during crunch time late in the game. And, freshman power forward Rachel Hinebaugh had 11 points as well, including 5 in the 4th quarter. Hinebaugh also led the Bulldogs in rebounding, and was a force to be reckoned with in the paint all night long.

Leading the way was a freshman, a freshman, and yes, another freshman. After seeing the freshman step up and lead Ottumwa the way they did on Friday night, nobody can convince me that this program doesn't have a great shot of going to the Class 4A State Basketball Tournament in two years.

Get out and support the Bulldogs, at home and on the road! And if you ever can't make it to the game, tune in to 1240 KBIZ for my play-by-play!

Go Bulldogs!

"The Bruce"

Hey there sports fans! With tonight being the beginning of the second half of the high school basketball season, it's time to break down the boys and girls teams for Ottumwa High School as we look forward to the rest of the season and tournament time.

Just like in football with Zach Wigle, the OHS boys basketball program has a brand new, young head coach in Chris Gravett. And, much like in football, it seems that the transition is going rather well. Through the holiday break, the Bulldogs sat at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in CIML Metro Conference play.

Coach Gravett has tweaked a few things here and there, but he has stayed firm in his beliefs of the system that previous head coach Mike Holmes put in place in Ottumwa. That system includes a rugged man-to-man defense, a ball-control offense, and a stern adherence to fundamentals. Coach Gravett is obviously well-prepared for his current role as a head coach, and it shows in many different aspects, including in-game adjustments that he makes on the fly, as well as his amazing work in preparing his team before games with incredibly detailed scouting reports on the Bulldogs' opponent. Gravett has done nothing short of an outstanding job so far in his young career as the Bulldogs' head man.

Meanwhile, the OHS girls program has a very bright future. The team was winless through the holiday break, but at times have had 3 freshman and 1 sophomore in the starting lineup. No seniors starts for the Bulldogs this season. And, while Ottumwa will take its lumps this season due to inexperience, there is no lack of talent on the floor. The future holds a very good shot at a state tournament run with the group of kids that are now in the program. On top of that, Stan Rupe is one of the best coaches and motivators in the state. He's in the IGHSAU Hall of Fame for a reason. So, even though the team will struggle this season, keep those facts in mind as you watch the OHS girls steadily improve throughout the course of the 2008-2009 campaign.

Enjoy the season, and I'll see you at Evans Middle School!

Go Bulldogs!

Brian Bruce
Voice of the Bulldogs
1240 KBIZ

The 2008 Ottumwa Bulldogs football team is the outright CIML Metro Conference champion for the first time since 2004. Ottumwa has experienced quite a bit of success on the gridiron since Tom Kopatich took over a struggling program in 1989 and quickly turned it into a state power. But, that being said, what Wigle and his team have accomplished in his first year at the helm of the program is noteworthy.

When you have a brand new coach and a brand new coaching style, offensive scheme changes, etc., you expect some stumbles and a building process. You expect a few more losses than you're used to. You expect a tough season as all the kinks get worked out. But, 2008 for Ottumwa has included very few stumbles, very few kinks, and only a few losses. For a first-year head coach in his first-ever head coaching job, Coach Wigle has done an outstanding job. He has done the job you would expect out of a proven, veteran coach. His accomplishments and those of his team this season need to be recognized and appreciated.

In fact, Ottumwa hasn't skipped a beat. Going into Week 9 on Friday, 10/24/08, Ottumwa is 5-3 overall, 4-0 in the Metro, and has already locked up the Metro Conference title and the automatic 4A Playoff berth that comes along with it.

Even better news for Bulldogs fans out there is that Wigle is only 28 years old, likes Ottumwa, is building a family, and is laying down roots in the town. Therefore, things look very good for the future of the Bulldogs football program.

Kudos as well to Dave Clement, athletic director at Ottumwa High School, for having the keen eye for coaching talent that he has. Clement always had his eye on Wigle as Tom Kopatich's successor, and made the decision to hire him when the position came open. Great decision.

Congratulations to Coach Wigle and his Bulldogs on a fine season and a conference title. Good luck in the playoffs!

Unless you live under a rock, you know by now that U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native, has taken home 8 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, the most gold medals by any athlete in one Olympics in the history of mankind. He won every way possible. He blew away the field, he won by .001 seconds, he won on his own, he won with his team.

In winning the 8 gold medals, he broke Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals at the 1972 Olympics. Phelps, only 23 years old, now owns 14 gold medals and 16 medals overall, having competed in 16 Olympics events, with Athens (2004) and Beijing combined. In Athens, he won 6 golds and picked up 2 others medals in the same 8 events in which he competed this year in Beijing.

All of these facts beg the question? Where does Phelps belong in the conversation about the greatest athletes of our generation? Not the greatest Olympians, as that is already established. And, after the 2012 Olympics in London, it will be a foregone conclusion that he's the greatest Olympian, period, of all time. But, I want to know where he belongs among the greatest athletics, period.

You know the list...........Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Walter Payton, Alex Rodriguez, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, etc., etc. Where does, if he does at all, Phelps belong in that group? Now? After the 2012 Olympics in London?

These are questions I'd love to hear opinions on. Comment on the blog, write me an e-mail, call me and let me know what you think, etc., etc. I'd love to hear your opinion. As far as e-mail is concerned, just type: bbruce@ottumwaradio.com and get to typing. As for me, my opinion is still yet to be completely formulated on the topic.

Happy Olympics watching, and have a good one! :)


"The Bruce"