Rams Switch Gears
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Basketball Season Underway
by Sara Smith
The Varsity Rams athletes are making the change from softball and football seasons to basketball season. Home basketball games also mean entertaining halftime performances from the Schuyler Golden Girls Dance Team. The dance team has more than doubled since last year, a good sign that the high-quality performances we have grown used to will continue into this year.
The Varsity Lady Rams kicked off their basketball season by visiting the Brashear Lady Tigers on Monday, November 20, 2023. The game was a nail-biting, back and forth, foul fest that went down to the wire. The Lady Tagers came out on top with a final score of 42-45. The Varsity Rams did not play that night as the extended football season hampered their ability to prepare. Instead, the JV Rams took the court that Monday night in Brashear. This game was a bit more cut and dried, with the Tigers taking an early lead and continuing to extend it throughout the game. The final score was 36-71 in favor of the Tigers. However, it should be noted that the JV Ram were playing a senior-heavy Varsity Tigers team. Additionally, four of the eight players on the JV team had been playing football on Saturday, they only had one day to switch into basketball mode.
If you do head out to enjoy the ever-popular winter entertainment we call basketball, please know that there are some changes to the foul/free-throw rules. In years past, each individual has been allowed five personal fouls per game, and that part has not changed. Each player is still only allowed five fouls throughout the entire game. What has changed is the team bonus/double-bonus situation. Previously, each team could tally up seven fouls before the other team was awarded one-and-one free throw shots. After ten fouls the team was in the double bonus and the other team was awarded two free throws when fouled. The team foul total was reset at halftime. That is the part that has changed.
This season, the bonus one-and-one free throw opportunity has been eliminated. Each team is allowed five fouls per quarter, if the team exceeds those five fouls, then the other team is awarded two free throws when fouled. The team foul totals will reset at the end of each quarter. However, keep in mind that the individual foul totals remain throughout the game, with a limit of five. Also, please note that if a player is fouled while shooting, that player will still be awarded free throw shots. That remains unchanged.
The National Federation of State High School Associations made the recommendation for the change based on “data that showed higher injury rates on rebounding situations and saw this as an opportunity to reduce opportunities for rough play during rebounds.” This rule change also seeks to improve the pace of play in quarters two and four, since the team foul totals are reset to zero.
Former NBA Player, Charles Barkley, once said “See, my hope and dream is that people have a good time watching basketball. It’s not church. It’s not serious.” He is right. There is no other sport where you are that close to the game. The pace is exciting and ever-changing. In a word, basketball games are fun. If you are not well-versed in the game you can still be entertained at the game. Watching the student section during these games can be just as entertaining as the game itself.
The Rams basketball team finished the 2022-23 season with a 17-10 record. They lost two seniors, but still have some exciting players and are looking to build on their success from last season. Who knows, maybe another District Championship is in their future. The Lady Rams were District Champions last season with a record of 23- 6. However, the Lady Rams lost three senior starters along with their coach.
The varsity teams will be playing in the Tri-Rivers Tournament which starts on Monday, November 27th and runs through Saturday, December 2nd. The tournament is held annually at Schuyler County and features teams from the now-defunct Tri- Rivers Conference. North Shelby, Milan, Knox County, Brookfield, Putnam County, Scotland County, Clark County, and of course, Schuyler County will all test their early-season basketball skills to see who comes out on top.
Come out to the school on these chilly evenings and support your Lady Rams and Rams.
Work Cited
“Home Articles Free Throw Procedures and Foul Administration Amended in 2023-24 High School Basketball Rules Changes.” NFHS, 19 May 2023, https://www.nfhs.org/ articles/free-throw-procedures-and-foul-administration-amended-in-2023-24- high-school-basketball-rules-changes/. Accessed 26 November 2023.
