Tuesday was one of those tough scheduling days. What would you do? You have one person to send out to cover a high school basketball game, and you have two primary options.
The No. 1 and 2 teams in the Southwest Conference girls standings, South Eugene and South Medford, are playing a few blocks away. Also in town is a boys game between North Medford and Roseburg, two teams in the tightly contested SWC race, where the top four teams are now within two games of each other.
The girls game had the higher-profile teams but was the most likely of the two to be a blowout, as South Eugene is ranked No. 2 and is one of the best teams on the West Coast. We could opt for the more competitive boys game, but given the makeup of teams and conferences we cover, we could say that nearly every night when weighing boys and girls games.
I elected to cover the girls game, and South Eugene won in a rout, 63-32. North Medford, meanwhile, knocked off second-place Roseburg, 62-57, in the boys game to move into a tie for third place with the Indians. North followers likely opened the paper today and wondered why the South girls had a nice big photo and story, and I can’t blame them.
Ultimately, I’d have to justify my decision, if only in my own mind. I could not have justified not being at the South girls game if they had the outing of their lives and upset South Eugene. Unlikely? Very. But we’ve all seen some pretty surprising results over the years. It was a roll of the dice that didn’t work out.
This basketball season is unlike any in recent years. There are no marquee teams that command coverage each time they step on the court. I’m not trying to slight Cascade Christian’s boys team, which again is one of the best in the state. But the smaller the school, the smaller the following. The upside to this kind of season? We’ve spread our coverage around more than in previous years. The downside? We have to make more difficult calls that don’t always pan out.
What I wouldn’t give for a crystal ball.
