The Hatchets are sent home

Well, the up-and-down season for Bad Axe has come to an end... on a down note.

The Hatchets, who seemed to come out of nowhere in the final month to make the GTW a four-team race, suffered a disappointing 66-48 loss to Reese at the Class C Districts last night.

Just a quick look at the score and it looks like Bad Axe crumbled under the pressure. Hatchet's coach Bob Breault agreed, saying that his team talked about being ready for a game of this magnitude but emotionally they weren't.

I agree with Breault's thoughts, but I'm going to take it a step further. I think the reason the team wasn't emotionally up to the task turned out to be a total confidence issue. In fact, after Reese beat the Hatchets in the last week of the regular season, Breault explained that he thought his team was capable of winning the District, but wondered if his team believed they could.

I think that heading out on the floor against the Rockets yesterday w/o Chris Cove and Jason Brown in the starting line-up (illness/injury) any belief they were holding onto went right out the window. Cove and Brown did make it on the court and did their best to contribute, but they just didn't have it (Cove had three points, Brown zero).

But those two players need to be commended for going out and competing; Brown with a hurt ankle and Cove fighting through the one-two punch of a concussion and a sickness. Even in the early minutes of the game, when Cove entered, it was apparent that he was not the player we have all become accustomed to seeing.

For those who haven't seen Bad Axe play, Cove is a dynamic 6'7" guard who a sharp shooter from outside. Last night you could tell "the lights were on but nobody was home" and that Cove was really in a fog from his injury/illness.

I'll give Brown and Cove their props for going out there not at 100 percent and still trying to contribute. We live in such an "alpha male" society that had these players sat out of such a high stakes, they would have had their manhood questioned. Now that they stepped up and played, they should receive the same level of appreciation that they would have received in criticism.

Looking ahead to next season, the teams loses just four players from this year's post-season roster, although the loss of Cove is a big one.

However, with the "Man Child" Brad Iskow and Tim Rader returning for their senior years, I've got a feeling that the Hatchets will fulfill the potential they were never really able to fully tap into this season.