Lake Tahoe:
A Reply to the
Tribune on Dominguez' Win--(December 9, 1997)
Dominguez won the South Lake Tahoe Vikings Rotary Classic Saturday night as we earlier reported.
The Tahoe Daily Tribune published a very interesting article about the Dominguez victory over host South Tahoe High in the (what else) "South Lake Tahoe Vikings Rotary Classic" played in (where else) South Lake Tahoe.
It was entitled "Vikings Learn That Duplicating National Ranking Is No Easy Feat"
The story was written by Tribune writer Steve Yingling, and starts out innocuously enough, chronicling briefly the history of South Tahoe High basketball, which for a brief moment in 1991-92 aspired to greatness beyond the league and state championships, and actually achieved a measure of national recognition during that year. It seems the team was ranked by Dave Krider of USA Today as the No. 19 team in the US, and in honor of that mythical "national ranking" there's a single banner hanging in the rafters of the South Tahoe gym "among the numerous state and league championship ornaments" reminding all who enter of the school's former glory.
And on Saturday, reported the Tribune, the banner had a life of its own, serving as inspiration for the current crop of South Tahoe Vikings in their game against Dominguez, the No. 3 ranked team (per USA Today) in the country for the Tournament Championship.
By the way, it may have been inspiring to the Tahoe faithful, but Dominguez won anyway, 66-54.
But Yingling in his article implies that South Tahoe had absolutely nothing to lose by playing Dominguez, and everything to gain. "By upsetting the NCAA Division I prospect-laden Los Angeles squad, the Vikings surely could vault into the rankings for the first time in five years."
Ok. And then what?
South Lake Tahoe is a school with an enrollment "barely eclipsing . . .1,000 students". To Tahoe, "dreams of winning a district title are lofty enough, but to be classified among the top 20 teams in the country is unthinkable." But miracles do happen, and it happened once during that fabled season, and it's given hope and sometimes blind optimism to each new team each season since.
And apparently this year's Tahoe team was no different than the rest since 1992, optimistic that if they just "followed the plan" they might be able to beat a highly ranked team, and become a known power again. "I'm a firm believer that you can beat anybody in the country if you have the right plan," said the Viking's 23 year old head coach Tom Orlich. "There are plans out there to beat people, you just have to execute them, and that's what we told the team before the game."
As Orlich also told the Tribune writer, "In order to be the best, you've got to play the best, and you also need to know how good you are. This was a good measuring stick for us."
According to the Tribune article, Orlich "has an open invitation to any qualified California high school to compete in the annual Viking Rotary Classic". Just what the term "qualified" means is open to some interpretation, but apparently Dominguez, with it's mythical "national ranking" was good enough to "qualify".
And what does Dominguez coach Russell Otis think about this mythical national ranking? "I'm happy we're not No. 1." Last year, he told the Tribune, when Dominguez was rated No. 1, all it did was give them a "big bull's-eye" on their back--a target waiting to be shot at. "It brought a lot of good publicity to our school, but we're in a position now where we can make a move. It doesn't matter who's No. 1 now, it matters who's No. 1 at the end," Otis told the Tribune.
So did Orlich have to "motivate" his team in any special way to play Dominguez?
"You never have to motivate a team for a championship game. When you're in a championship game, the adrenaline is pumping and you want that trophy, and you'll do whatever it takes," Orlich said. "They read all the press clipping and they heard the buzz about town and around school about how great (Dominguez) was."
But more often than not, reality seems to sort of impress itself upon even the biggest of dreamers, and this time South Tahoe awoke to a very real challenge. As the Tribune article stated " . . .competitive optimism was displaced by reality. . . South Tahoe realized the magnitude of their task on Saturday."
Even though the Vikings may have been flying pretty high on the adrenaline rush, and even managed to build up a 7 point lead during the first half, it soon became clear who the better team was. But Orlich was optimistic as long as there was still time on the clock: "At the end of the first quarter I think they really bought into (the game plan), because they knew these guys were beatable and if we stayed with the plan, we could beat them," Orlich told the Tribune.
For his part, Russell Otis, had his own "plan". The coach of Dominguez was concerned but not overly so: "I wasn't totally worried, but it was something because we were down. You're playing in their environment, they were playing with a lot of emotion and they were hitting all of their shots, so I was worried somewhat, but it was nothing serious," Otis told the Tribune.
According to the account of the game in the Tribune article, the game was really never in doubt, even from the first quarter on. "Dominguez's superior physical and athletic advantages eventually kicked in, and a 14-1 run at the end of the first quarter and into the second period buried South Tahoe's dream of returning to national prominence."
But was Orlich discouraged by the loss. No way. As we said, it was a "no lose" proposition for South Tahoe to play Prince, Kincade, Chandler, et.al., and an hour after the game Orlich was still high: "I'm proud of their effort. I know they wanted to annihilate us, and that's fine ... everybody does," Orlich said. "But we don't want respect. I've been here too long, we've accomplished too much and we've had too many great kids come through this program to go out in one game and try and prove it. We don't need to prove anything."
Huh? He's been there too long? And we thought he was only 23 years old. They don't want respect? We attribute the last quote in the article either to the fact that Orlich was too shell-shocked to realize what he was saying, or the reporter simply didn't get it right. Either way, it's pretty much gibberish.
The Tribune also had a curious quote from Prince, which really doesn't make much sense either. Prince is quoted as saying, "It's a part of basketball. I like it, and I'm pretty sure everybody is looking forward to the challenge. Everybody knows it's just starting, so everybody has to keep playing the way they are right now."
Huh?
We sure would like to know what question Prince was supposed to be responding to, because the quote makes absolutely no sense. Except we guess "it" has something to do with basketball. And "it's" just starting. At least we think "it" is. And "it's" certainly a challenge. Yes indeedy.
While the Tribune article starts off rather prosaically, and on an upbeat tone, it does get kind of nasty at the end, and takes a final dig at Otis and the boys from Dominguez: Otis allegedly said "They (South Tahoe) really understand their roles and their limitations. I think this is the most disciplined out of all of their teams, but by far I don't think it is the best South Tahoe team we've played."
In response to this comment, the Tribune reporter writes, as only an ever faithful homer could:
"Wonder what Otis would have said if the Vikings had won. Certainly USA Today Super 25 poll creator Dave Krider would have taken notice and added another gem to the Vikings' well-decorated gymnasium walls."
Actually, Mr. Yilding, we'll never know what Otis "would have said".
You see, Dominguez won.
Just like it did in 1992.
And 1993.
And 1994.
And now in 1997.
In fact all four times it has played in the Viking Rotary Classic.
So Otis doesn't need to say a thing.
The players did all the talking on the court.
We at SoCalHoops do want to congratulate Coach Orlich and his fine South Lake Tahoe Vikings. You played well, and are a fine team with a fine history and tradition. It's just that this year, Dominguez won the game. But there's always next year.
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