I waited till this morning to post this message as I wanted to think carefully about an incident that happened during the game before I commented on it. Toledo came out and looked like they were going to end this one early going up 19-6 after 1. But MB would not go away. Every time it looked like MB would get some momentum and cut it to 6 or so, Toledo would push it back to 13-15. It was a very physical game from start to finish but the style of physical was completely different. Toledo came out and played "fundamentally" physical, up in your face, bodied up, aggressive man to man while MB employed much of the same tactics and a few more twists to the style of ball I saw in Lynwood. The posting made in reference to my comments about all the flopping, pulling people down, and the response that MB is known as rough but often dirty style of play comes to mind. Most of what occured was acceptable as MB was doing what they'd been coached and no one was going to get hurt in the process. MB payed dearly in fouls with their style as the officiating was good, 2 college level officials who've been around the southern part of the state for yrs and one respected official who just does HS basketball, all of whom have state experience at all levels. In one series under Toledo's basket in the 3rd, it semed like they'd had enough as they called MB for at least 5 consecutive fouls, 2 of which occured before the ball even made it inbounds for all the little things they like to do. The one incident that caused me to consider how to approach commmenting on was in the 4th qrt. Toledo had just scored and went into a 2/2/1 press. The Rakoz kid was in the back and I was sitting in a corner so had a great look. The MB kid in the back row went over to the bench, the coach said something to him and the kid turned and ran straight at Rakoz, about 20 ft away who was looking downcourt. It's fortunate Rakoz turned his head at the last second and saw him coming because he got unloaded on in a football blocking dummy practice fashion and only got clipped but sent to the floor and slid about 6 ft. The official was slightly upcourt and didn't see it happen until Rakoz hit the floor. The only response Rakoz had was to laugh, it was something you just can't imagine happening on the court. A physical style of play where you take your chances on what you do and whether the officials call it is one thing. Going out and purposely trying to take a kid out on the court in that fashion is uncalled for and I can't believe any kid could call themselves an athlete that would do that. I would like to think the coach didn't have a part in it, but I watched the whole thing unfold from just across the court in front of me. I know the coach up there has a lot of respect and is known for getting the most out of his kids and the MB kids did leave it all on the court and I commend them for that. But to turn a kid loose on another like that in an apparent effort to either injure him or hope his response was such he would retaliate and get T'd up or worse is unacceptable and his credibility to coach kids has to be questioned. This posting is sure to garner some comments, but it happened just the way I described it and I can't think of any other way to interpret it from where I sat. Good luck to the Toledo Indians in the state tourney and congrats to the MB kids on a great season.