Random Thoughts: basketball, football

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The latest installment of Random Thoughts centers around girls basketball tournament draws, a key date in the Western Buckeye League, Paulding basketball, the Cincinnati Bengals and new faces on local sidelines.

Girls draw

Girls basketball tournament draws are this Sunday and it will be interesting to see how this goes. As you know, the Martin RPI computer rankings will be used for the first time to seed teams. Coaches will still be able to place their teams on the bracket.

Admittedly, I’m skeptical of this, but we’ll see how it plays out. It would be interesting, as a test run, to have the Martin RPI go back to last season and seed teams, then compare the results to how the coaches seeded them.

Key date

Western Buckeye League fans — circle February 10 on your calendar. That’s when Defiance and Ottawa-Glandorf will meet in what will most likely be the WBL championship game.

Both teams are 5-0 in the league. The Bulldogs have Bath and Celina before then, while the Titans have Celina and Shawnee. The February 10 Defiance/Ottawa-Glandorf game will be played at O-G.

Paulding

Very quietly, Paulding’s boys basketball team has built up a 4-0 record in the Green Meadows Conference and the Panthers are alone at the top of the standings. Conference games left on the schedule are Fairview (0-4 GMC) this Friday, Tinora (3-1 GMC) next Friday and Wayne Trace (2-2 GMC) on February 10. It should be an interesting finish in the GMC.

Bengals

Full disclosure – I didn’t expect the Cincinnati Bengals to beat Buffalo on Sunday, especially with a makeshift offensive line. Give credit where credit it due though…the line held up and the Bengals dominated the Bills offensively and defensively.

Who knows what will happen in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. Personally, I wonder how effective Patrick Mahomes will be with a high ankle sprain. Those things take forever to heal and at best, he’ll be confined to the pocket throughout the game. I kind of like Cincinnati’s chances and I hope they win.

Browns fan

Yes, I’m a Cleveland Browns fan and I hope the Bengals win. To anyone that says I can’t do that or it’s wrong, I’m not buying it. I hope the Bengals win at least four other games every regular season — two against Pittburgh and two against Baltimore. Of course I can root for them then and this Sunday and still be a Browns fan.

New faces

When the 2023 high school football season kicks off, at least seven area teams will have new head coaches, including three in the Northwest Conference (Crestview, Delphos Jefferson and Spencerville) and three in the Green Meadows Conference (Fairview, Hicksville and Tinora), plus Western Buckeye League member Bath. Paulding’s 2022 interim coach, Jim Menzie, was recently approved as the permanent head coach.

As always, if you have thoughts or comments on any of the topics, feel free to email me at sports@thevwindependent.com.