Cambridge Falls to Carrollton on A Monday Make-up Game

A quick start against visiting 10-5 Carrollton wasn't enough as the Warriors came away from the 'Cats Lair on Monday night with a 57-44 decision over Cambridge.  The Bobcats came out of the gate quickly thanks to nine points from senior Ryan Hatmaker and and six points from fellow senior Ryan Jamiel giving the Bobcats a 17-13 lead at the end of the one quarter; however, the 'Cats could only muster three points in the second to allow the Warriors to take a 29-20 lead into halftime.  Setting a tone was the message at halftime, and the 'Cats came out of the locker room as the aggressor, again, in the third closing the deficit to just four late in the third quarter.  In the final frame, Cambridge, after playing even with Carrollton in the first half of the quarter, was forced to foul in the last minutes of the game to finish with the final thirteen point spread.  For the game, Cambridge connected on 17-45 (37%) from the field and 7-11 (63%) from the foul line.  Carrollton managed to shoot 22-45 (48%) from the field and 9-15 from the line (60%).  The Warriors also outrebounded the hosts 22-18.  Cambridge turned the ball over 15 times to only 9 miscues for Carrollton.  This Carrollton team featured many of the same personnel from last year's Regional semi-finalist team including John Lowdermilk, Christian Cross, and AJ Dalton, the former two who led their team on Monday with 15 and 12 points respectively.  Ryan Hatmaker, despite being diagnosed with strep throat on Monday, led the 'Cats with 19 followed by Ryan Jamiel with 11 and RyLee Rogers with seven.  Reportedly, this will be the final regular season match-up between the two schools as due to the ECOL expansion, Cambridge may be picking up Zanesville Rosecrans on next year's schedule.  The all-time series now stands at 24-7 in favor of Cambridge.

Zanesville Moves to 11-4 with Win Over Bobcats

   Leading by 24-19 at halftime, the host 'Cats couldn't sustain the momentum getting outscored 11-0 in the third en route to dropping a very close 45-38 decision over the Blue Devils. The first quarter was an even affair with the visitors taking a one point lead, 13-12, to the benches.  RyLee Rogers and Ryan Jamiel started out the Bobcat cause strongly in the second quarter in scoring, but it was the defense that really clamped down as Zanesville could only find six points in the quarter, one coming as a last second shot before heading to intermission.  The third, as mentioned, was the downfall of the 'Cats, but Cambridge still had some fight left starting the final quarter as the hosts cut the lead to three on several occasions, but in a fouling situation, the Blue Devils stepped up and hit on 7-10 in the final frame to maintain the lead and win the game.

Pictures and stats are provided courtesy of the The Daily Jeffersonian.  Pictures can be purchased at their website by visiting www.daily-jeff.com.

Unfavorable Second Quarter Dooms 'Cats

   A three-point shot at the end of the first began the opening of a scoring gap from which the 'Cats couldn't quite recover last Friday in Byesville, as the Meadowbrook Colts swept the 2009-10 regular season series from Cambridge, 62-45.  Junior Benny VanDyne opened the game on a hot streak scoring seven first quarter points before fouls saddled the junior into the second quarter.  In that fateful quarter, the Bobcats managed only one field goal that allowed a 15-4 scoring advantage for Meadowbrook, a lead they held for the entirety of the game.  Cambridge managed to get the lead cut to ten a couple of times in the third but were never able to get into the magical single digits that 'Cats needed to begin any serious run at their southern counterparts.  Playing without Kyle Cox, who is out for the remainder of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot, the 'Cats struggled to find any physical play underneath and also struggled to compensate offensively and defensively in the loss of this two-year starter; however, guard play did come alive particularly at the point guard position as Benny VanDyne had arguably his best varsity game of the season chalking up fourteen points taking the ball strong to the basket and hitting some outside three's.  Ryan Jamiel helped in the compensation of the loss of Cox by adding 12 points and 11 rebounds for a solid double-double while senior Ryan Hatmaker chipped in 11 from the perimeter.  The 'Cats shot only 36% from the field on the night (15-42) while Meadowbrook had a torrid night from the field at 64% (21-33).  The 'Cats did outrebound their opponent once again by a 26-21 margin and only turned the ball over eight times, which equaled that of Meadowbrook.  Meadowbrook improved to 10-4 for the season, but Cambridge still holds the advantaged in the all-time series, 67-25.

Statistics and photos compliments of Mr. Jeff Harrison and The Daily Jeffersonian.  Pictures can be purchased by visiting their website at www.daily-jeff.com.

A Measure of Progress versus Dover

   After taking Game 1 by eleven points in Cambridge back in December (third game of the season), the Bobcats gave #14 in Division II Dover all it could handle right down to the wire last Tuesday before bowing out the game drooping a 45-43 decision.  For Dover, it was their twelfth victory of the season against one loss, and for Cambridge, it was another near miss, but certainly a game on which to build.  Dover held a 9-8 lead at the end of one, but Cambridge put on a nice run led by two inside baskets from senior Ryan Jamiel and two three-pointers from junior Jake Yanico and sophomore Terrell Ford to hold a 19-14 lead with 1:30 to go in the second; however, some rushed offense and a 6-0 run by the Tornadoes helped them regain the lead 20-19 at halftime.  Dover started the second half quickly, too, on the back of Marcus Mamarella, Dover's main post weapon, who scored five points in a row to push the Dover lead to six.  Ryan Hatmaker fought back with six points, one three and one three-point play, to knot the score at 25-all, but an 8-3 run at the end of period three put the home team on top 33-28.  The Tornadoes hoisted the lead to as much as nine and maintained that margin until the last couple minutes of play when a three by junior Benny VanDyne, a three by junior Jake Yanico, a rebound put-back from Hatmaker and a free throw by Kyle Cox cut the deficit to just two as time expired.  The defense did an outstanding job all night crediting juniors David Evancho and Jake Yanico (with help from their teammates) on defending Dover's main offensive threat, Anthony Monaco, who finished the game with 16, seven coming in the first quarter.  Ryan Hatmaker tied Monaco for game-high points.  For the game, Cambridge were only 16-41 from the floor (39%) while Dover connected on 16-35 (45%).  From the line, Cambridge went 6-11 (54%) as the Tornadoes were 13-21 (62%).  The Bobcats did get the best of Dover on the boards taking in 25 to Dover's 21; however, Cambridge turned the ball over 11 times to Dover's 6 (5 in the first half).  For the year, Dover ups its all-time lead over Cambridge, 73-59.

Bobcats Make It Four In A Row         

   Good defense wins ball games, and the defense of the Bobcats stifled the Black Bears and forced them into nineteen turnovers as Cambridge defeated River View in Warsaw, 58 - 33 in ECOL action.  After a slow start offensively, junior Benny VanDyne knocked down a three that helped lead the Bobcats to a 13-6 first quarter lead.  An 8-0 run midway through the second quarter helped build the Cambridge lead to 29-13 at halftime.  Continued pressure in the full and half-court made it difficult for  River View to set up any consistent offense, and another 7-0 run during the third quarter, which ended with a triple from sophomore Terrell Ford,  pushed the lead to 38-18 with just over three minutes to play in the third frame.  Terrell continued in the final three minutes to add another four points, which gave the Bobcats a 42-20 lead going into the fourth quarter.  Maintaining the twenty-point lead allowed for the entire team to see action during the last quarter as Cambridge closed out the game with its 20th win over River View.  Several Bobcats were in double figures led by sophomore RyLee Rogers with 12 followed by Ryan Hatmaker and Terrell Ford with 11.  Cambridge did also win the battle of the boards with a 27-21 advantage with Rogers pulling down seven.  Hatmaker was the leading assist man with five. 

Statistics and picture from Jason West and The Coshocton Tribune.

Cambridge Downs Cross-County Eastern Rival, Buckeye Trail, 69 - 54

  It's always tough to play the cross-county rival.  The team members from both squads have played numerous games against each other over the years from junior high to summer league, so the adage of throwing the records out the window applies in most cases.  In this new rivalry begun only last season, the magic number was "3" as the 'Cats made it the third win out of three games over their eastern neighbors and made it three in a row on wins for the season by besting Buckeye Trail, 69-54.  The 'Cats were ready to play from the get-go as they shot 70 percent from the field and poured in 46 points by half.  Cambridge's guards got the offensive onslaught started in the first period as David Evancho chipped in 8 followed by seven from Hatmaker and six from Benny VanDyne as both the juniors, Evancho and VanDyne, looked much more assertive in getting to the basket and shooting the ball.  After the first quarter, leading 22 to 15, Cambridge continued to outpace the Warriors as Kyle Cox pitched in nine points in the quarter, which continued to build the Cambridge lead to 46-28 at half.  The halftime message was that Trail still had a surge left in them, and a surge they had.  The Warriors opened up the second half with a 12 - 2 run fueled by Cody Nelson's seven and Bob Beros' five to narrow the lead to 48-40 in the first half of the third, but Ryan Hatmaker countered with six points of his own, and Jake Yanico converted on three free throws from a foul on a three-point attempt, and the Bobcats stayed on top by the end of three, 57 - 43.  For the game, the 'Cats shot 24-46 for 52% while Trail made 16 out of 35 for 46%.  From the line, Cambridge shot a respectable 17 - 24, while the Warriors hit on 20 of 26 for the game.  The 'Cats did outrebound Buckeye Trail, 26 - 18 with numerous players earning four rebounds.  Cambridge forced Trail into 16 turnovers as the 'Cats only committed 11.  Cambridge will face Buckeye Trail one more time this season in Old Washington on February 9th.

Pictures and statistics are provided compliments of Jeff Harrison and The Daily Jeffersonian.  Pictures can be purchased by visiting their website at www.daily-jeff.com.

'Cats Get Second Win In A Row By Defeating Claymont, 36-32.

   After being down by as much as 11 in the third quarter, the Bobcats put on a 17-0 run thanks largely to an outstanding team defensive effort to notch their first ECOL win of the season by downing 4-3 Claymont, 36-32.  The Mustangs, winners of their last four out of five contests, came into the 'Cats Lair with a lot of confidence behind 6-7 Daniel Wise and wing players, Chris Foltz and Brennon Mills who had been leading Claymont to a good start to their season.  The Bobcats got off to a tremendously slow start in the first half shooting only 18% from the field on 3 of 17 shooting while Claymont was hot at 53% (8/15), which allowed them an 18-10 halftime lead.  Even though the scoring was rough due to some early foul trouble, the defense did a tremendous job locating shooters, denying the drive and keeping the Mustang's 6-7 Wise in check for most of the first half.  In the second half, it was role reversal.  The 'Cats closed the score to three with seconds remaining before Bobcat Benny VanDyne tossed in a last second desperation shot from just shy of the 10-second line that knotted the score at 25 at the end of three quarters.  Cambridge followed that three with another by Ryan Hatmaker and free throws by David Evancho and RyLee Rogers, which pushed the home team's lead to 31-25 midway through the fourth quarter.  Claymont managed to cut the lead to two on one occasion, but that was as close as the visitors would get as free throw shooting down the stretch helped secure the win for Cambridge.  In the second half, it was Claymont who struggled from the field going 6-17 (35%) while the Bobcats went 8 of 15 for 53%.  Even scoring and offensive teamwork was the rule for Cambridge as Hatmaker led the team with nine points followed by Benny VanDyne with six and David Evancho with five.  The Mustangs did manage to outrebound Cambridge by a 23-19 margin, but Claymont did turn the ball over 20 times to Cambridge's 12.  This was a solid win against a team that had been looking very good as of late besting New Philadelphia, St. Thomas Aquinas, and highly-regarded Marlington out of the NBC and taking Coshocton to the wire before losing by four.

Cambridge Picks Up Its First Win Of the Season Over Marietta

   The 'Cats have been playing some solid basketball to this point in the season, but just couldn't seem to get over the proverbial hump as they have taken many good teams to the wire such as John Glenn (7-2), Dover (9-0), and Zanesville, but on Tuesday night, the 'Cats overcame in a big way to defeat the visiting Tigers, 58-44.  The game demonstrated just how far the 'Cats have come since the opening contest in Marietta where the Bobcats dropped an overtime decision on a questionable foul call in the closing seconds of the game.  Since then, the 'Cats have struggled, not with X's and O's, but with the confidence that it took to win against the tough, senior-laden teams they would face in the next six games.  On Tuesday, the 'Cats looked like a team on a mission.  Kyle Cox opened the first quarter with seven points in an 11-0 run that put Cambridge up by ten, 17-7, at the end of the first round of action.  The 'Cats extended that lead to 33-21 by half with good team play and five of Ryan Hatmaker's 14 points that he had for the game.  In the second half, the 'Cats led by as many as 18 led by some good defensive performances and a good inside-outside approach to the game.  It was a total team effort as everyone on the team saw minutes.  Cambridge was led by Kyle Cox's 15 points followed by Hatmaker's 14.  Cambridge also won the battle of the boards holding a 31-26 advantage at game's end with Ryan Jamiel taking in seven followed by Hatmaker and sophomore, RyLee Rogers, with six boards each.  Rogers came off the bench and provided some good minutes in lieu of some early foul trouble and responded well playing under the basket.  Cambridge was 18-44 from the field on the night for 41%, while the Tigers were 15-46 (32%).  The 'Cats also shot 70% from the line (20/29) while Marietta went 11-20 (55%).  The turnover advantage also went to the 'Cats as they committed 15 (four in the second half) to Marietta's 21.  For this season, the all-time record stands in Marietta's favor at 81-97.

Pictures and Stats Courtesy of Kevin Sutton and The Daily Jeffersonian.  To purchase pictures, please visit the Jeff's website at www.daily-jeff.com.  

'Cats Fall Just Short to 5 - 1 John Glenn

   For the second week in a row, the 'Cats came up just short of knocking off a team with only one loss.  Last week, Cambridge came within seconds of taking out Zanesville, and this past Tuesday, the Bobcats took John Glenn to the wire before dropping the contest 43-40.  The 'Cats raced out to a 12-6 lead thanks to some strong inside play from Kyle Cox and Ryan Jamiel; however, the Little Muskies stormed back to knot up the score at 14-all to close the first period.  After John Glenn took a 23-20 lead into the locker room, Cambridge came out to set the tone early in the second half by posting a 10-6 third quarter advantage to take the lead 30-29 heading into the final period of play.  The 'Cats fell behind 36-32 but closed the gap several times in the fourth.  A tough three-pointer from Ryan Hatmaker closed the score to 41-40 with just 53 seconds to play, but a defensive breakdown allowed a Jake Heagan basket to allow John Glenn to take a three point lead at 43-40.  A last second three pointer bounced off the rim and allowed the visitors to escape the 'Cats Lair with the three point win.  On the night, John Glenn was 17 of 32 from the field, and Cambridge went 17 of 38.  Again, the Bobcats controlled the boards 22-19 to a very physical Little Muskie team.  Turnovers were also at a premium with John Glenn committing 15 while Cambridge had only 13.  Kyle Cox led Cambridge with 15 points and seven rebounds while senior post counterpart Ryan Jamiel tallied 11 points with 10 rebounds.  The defensive effort on the night was tremendous holding junior standout Jake Heagan to 15 points for their team high with no easy looks being offered.  The 'Cats continue to work extremely hard and play determined; the young team lost the last two contests by an average of two points and five of the six by an average of four.  The 'Cats' first six opponents are a combined 29-10 (Marietta 2-4; New Philly 3-2; Zanesville 6-2; Dover 7-0; John Glenn 5-1; and Meadowbrook 6-1).

Photos and statistics provided via The Daily Jeffersonian and Jeff Harrison/Ryan Pavlov.  Photos may be purchased by visiting the newspaper's website at www.daily-jeff.com.

The Upset Bid Falls Just Shy of Shocking Zanesville

   A valiant and total team effort fell just one point shy in Zanesville on Tuesday night as Cambridge suffered another setback, 44-43.  Despite falling behind early on a 7-0 run by 5 - 1 Zanesville, the Bobcats clawed back by the end of the first trailing only 15-11.  Zanesville was able to build a 21 - 13 lead, but a nine to six run at the end of the second allowed the Blue Devils to have only a five point lead going into the locker room, 27-22.  Tanner Gibson, Zanesville's point guard, managed three triples in the third quarter to lead his team; however, the Blue Devils could only manage an eight point lead at that point, 38-30, which was the largest lead of the night.  The 'Cats turned up the defensive intensity limiting the entire Zanesville team to only two field goals in the fourth quarter.  Jake Yanico's first of two triples helped pull the Bobcats to within five, 38-33 and Benny VanDyne converted on a a 3-point play to cut the lead to only four, 44-40, with two minutes remaining in the game.  The second of Yanico's three-point hits came with just over 30 seconds to play in the game to close the gap to one point, 44-43.  A timely foul put Cole Carpenter for Zanesville at the line with 19 seconds remaining in the game.  Carpenter missed the front end of a one-and-bonus with the rebound off the free-throw coming to Ryan Jamiel.  An ensuing time-out set up the last play of the game where the Bobcats had three looks at the basket in under five seconds.  Although the scoreboard didn't show it, the 'Cats were winners in this game as they took huge strides playing their best four-quarter game against the best competition the team has seen up to this point in the season.  Coach Aronhalt commented in the Times-Recorder that "They [Cambridge] outplayed us...  They controlled the tempo.  Defensively we thought we could change the tempo, and at times, we did. But we weren't disciplined, and they outhustled us."  For the game, the Bobcats shot 60% from the field (19/32), which is a season best.  Zanesville managed 41% shooting (17/41).  Cambridge outrebounded its opponent 22-14 and only turned the ball over seven times against some very good pressure defense down the stretch.  Ryan Jamiel was a perfect 7 for 7 from the field and added one free throw to lead the 'Cats with 15 points.

Stats, quotes, and recap provided by Brandon Hannahs (Times-Recorder) and Kevin Sutton (Daily-Jeffersonian).

New Philly Gets the Best of Cambridge

    With four starters and the 'Cats' sixth man on the bench with early foul trouble in the second quarter, the visiting Bobcats saw an early 8-2 lead vanish as the Quakers took advantage of the foul trouble to raise their record to 2-1 by defeating Cambridge 49-33 last Friday night in New Philly.  Early unselfish play opened the game on some quick scores set up by great assists.  David Evancho, Benny VanDyne, and Ryan Hatmaker helped set some tone early as Kyle Cox added a free throw to put the visiting 'Cats up on the scoreboard.  However, Quaker senior, Cody Cox, hit three consecutive field goals including a three point buzzer-beater to close out the quarter 14-11 in favor of the home squad.  The Bobcats rallied in the second, and a steal/lay-up by Evancho closed the gap to 18-15, but New Philly put on a rally of their own to build a 26-15 halftime lead.  The Quakers then outscored the 'Cats 12-3 in the third frame to take command of the game.  Cambridge did manage to outscore New Philly in the fourth, 15-11, but the flurry was too late.  For the game, Kyle Cox led the team with eleven points while VanDyne added nine.  Cambridge shot a paltry 9-35 from the floor for 26 percent on the night while their counterparts hit on 17-39 (44%).  New Philly also won the battle of the board on Friday garnering 35 to Cambridge's 22 mainly due to Cambridge's shooting woes.  Both teams ended with 16 turnovers apiece.  The Bobcats will try to get their first victory of the year as they travel to Zanesville on Tuesday for their last contest before the Christmas Break.

A Near Miss with Meadowbrook

   It was a cat fight until the very end on Tuesday night in Bobcat Gymnasium as Cambridge hosted arch-rival Meadowbrook for the 91st time.  Even though the team scratched and clawed until the very end, it was the experience of Meadowbrook's seniors who made the necessary plays and hit the crucial free throws to keep the hosts at bay by the score of 61 - 56.  The Colts took the early lead in the first quarter, 18-12, but the young Cambridge squad posted a quick 9-2 run to open the second period including a three-point play by sophomore RyLee Rogers, who had a monster night coming off the bench as a sophomore.  The 6-0 Rogers tore it up in the post scoring 17 points to lead all scorers for the night.  Teammate Ryan Hatmaker kicked in four points in the scoring run in the second quarter to put the hosts up 21-20 midway through the frame; however, Meadowbrook had a run of its own starting an 8-2 finish before halftime to take a 28-23 lead to the locker room.  In the third with the Colts up 33-25, Cambridge started a 6-0 run where Rogers contributed four of those 17 points to pull the 'Cats to within a deuce.  In the fourth quarter, the Colts found themselves up 51-41 with only 3:30 to go in the game before fireworks began.  Cambridge put on a flurry of offense and some good trapping defensive pressure to go on an 8-0 run to pull within two at 51-49 with just over a minute and a half to go.  Colt seniors Logan Pepper and Jeramie Neff came up with big plays scoring off of two lay-ups to open a six point lead with just under a minute to go.  A corner three for David Evancho cut the lead to three and capped off an intense period of play but timely free throw shooting from Meadowbrook helped seal the win and keep them undefeated on the season at 4-0 before entertaining Dover in Byesville on Friday.  Free throw shooting was gold for the Colts as they stepped to the line and cashed in at 88% going 22-25 for the night while Cambridge managed 15 attempts hitting on 10.  Statistically, the game was very even.  Meadowbrook shot 50% from the field on 19 of 38 shooting had 26 rebounds and 13 turnovers.  The 'Cats shot 45% from the floor (22-48), had 26 rebounds and 11 turnovers for the game.  Watching trends from former games, the 'Cats are beginning to learn the importance of the line increasing their trips there by five over their previous two-game average, and they are also learning the importance of taking care of the ball by slowing lowering their turnover rate from the 26 in game one to thirteen in game two and eleven in the most recent contest.  Helping Rogers out in the scoring column were Kyle Cox who chipped in twelve points and Ryan Hatmaker who had eleven followed by David Evancho with nine.  The series standings favor Cambridge, 67-24 with round two occurring in Byesville on January 29th.

Pictures are provided courtesy of Ryan Pavlov and The Daily Jeffersonian.  Pictures can be purchased by visiting their website at www.daily-jeff.com.

'Cats Miss Opportunities in Loss to Dover, 52-41

   Once again, the 'Cats outshot their opponent from the field in regards to attempts at the basket, but too many missed opportunities resulted in a 33% shooting night for Cambridge going 16 - 48 from the field as the home team fell to visiting Dover 52-41.  Overall, the team played with great hustle on the defensive end for the majority of the game and came out clawing in the first quarter to take a 10-7 lead.  However, a long dry spell in scoring allowed the visitors to outpace the 'Cats in the second as Dover took a 16-12 halftime lead.  Cambridge managed to go on an 11-4 run in the third quarter regaining the lead 23-22 with just over three minutes to go, but a three by Anthony Monaco (who finished the game with 22 points) and a three-point play by teammate Ian Drapcho hoisted Dover back on top at the end of three.  An 8-2 run by Dover to begin the final frame allowed the visitors to stay in control.  Cambridge did manage to cut the lead to single digits in the fourth, but the 'Cats were forced to foul in the remaining minutes of the game pushing the final to an eleven point margin.  Dover managed to shoot 43% from the field on the night from 17-39 shooting.  Cambridge did win the battle of the boards 30 - 28 with Jamiel garnering nine and Hatmaker taking down seven.  Hat also led the team in scoring on the night with 15 points followed by Benny VanDyne's nine.  Cambridge ended the game with eight assists, four coming from VanDyne and two coming from teammate David Evancho.  The 'Cats did managed to improve in various areas, one of which was our turnovers - down from 26 in the first game to 13.  The free throw percentage also improved although the 'Cats must get to the charity stripe more than our two-game average of 10 times.  (Stats courtesy of Mr. Jeff Harrison of The Daily Jeffersonian).

Photos are courtesy of Mr. Ryan Pavlov of The Daily Jeffersonian and can be purchased by visiting their website at www.daily-jeff.com.

Victory Stolen From Bobcats at Marietta

   With just over four seconds remaining in overtime and Cambridge ahead by one, the Bobcats seemed in control of the game, but as time expired, Tiger Morgan Wynn was fouled from beyond the arc setting up three free throws from which he capitalized on the first two allowing the home team to steal a 56-55 win over the 'Cats.  When asked about the game ender by Times reporter Joe Davis, Wynn commented, "I think I kind of got a little bit lucky on that one...but I don't think there should have been a foul shot because I was a little out of control on the shot."  The brutal ending capped off an otherwise valiant effort from the entire team and from two 'Cats in particular.  Ryan Hatmaker led Cambridge with twenty-two points on nine for sixteen shooting, and Ryan Jamiel pulled down twenty-two boards, just two shy of the Cambridge single game record held by Gene Joseph ('61).  The 'Cats took the early lead in the second quarter moving ahead 21-14 after a three-point play by Kyle Cox and a lay-up off of a Tiger turnover by Ryan Hatmaker.  However, in this game, it was a matter of small runs, and Marietta had its turn tallying eight unanswered points to go ahead 22-21.  Another run by the 'Cats closed out the half putting Cambridge up by a 29-25 margin.  The third quarter was a killer for the Bobcats as Marietta outscored the visitors by a 15-4 margin that pushed their lead to 40-33 heading into the final frame.  In the fourth it was a back-and-forth affair with the 'Cats having the last opportunity to score with the clock showing :01 second and the score knotted at 49, but an errant pass on an out of bounds play under the Bobcats' basket sent the game into overtime.  For the game, again, the 'Cats were led by Ryan Hatmaker with twenty-two followed by junior, David Evancho, who chipped in a dozen.  Cambridge was 23 of 57 from the field for 40 percent but only cashed in on 3 of 10 from the charity stripe.  The paltry percentage and lack of opportunities will be something on which the 'Cats must work to be successful.  The Tigers were 18 of 43 from the field and 18-29 from the foul line.  Cambridge did get the better of Marietta on the boards with a 44-25 advantage.  Marietta leads the all-time series 80-95.  (Stats and Quotes courtesy of The Daily Jeffersonian and The Marietta Times.)

Photos courtesy of Ryan Pavlov and Jeff Harrison of The Daily Jeffersonian.  Photos can be purchased by visiting www.daily-jeff.com.

Taylor Leppla to Speak to Varsity and JV Team Prior to Departure for Marietta

   The final player to address the team last year in the locker room at Ohio University as our season concluded will be the first to address the 2009-10 team before the 'Cats leave for Marietta on Friday night.  Taylor, who is now a freshman at Lake Erie College playing football for the Storm, was one of the instrumental leaders on last year's Cambridge squad that made it to the Division II Regional Final game in Athens.  He will have a great message to share with our players in preparation for their first game of the season.

Departure Times for 2009-10 Away Games

12.4.09                      at Marietta                        4:00

12.18.09                    at New Philadelphia          4:15

12.22.09                    at Zanesville                      4:15

1.22.10                      at River View                    3:45

1.26.10                      at Dover                            4:00

1.29.10                      at Meadowbrook              4:40

2.9.10                        at Buckeye Trail               4:45

2.12.10                      at Coshocton                     4:15

2.16.10                      at Claymont                       4:15

**Times for 12.18, 12.22, 1.26, 1.29, and 2.9 have changed since 11.24 since many times were off from what it would take to reach these destinations. 

Scrimmage Scores Versus Warren Local and West Muskingum

   Warren Local has provided Cambridge with solid scrimmages for the past four season as the Warriors are always very fundamentally sound and athletic.  This season was no different as there are some very high expectations in Vincent, Ohio for their home team.  West Muskingum came in with some good size in the post but a more perimeter-oriented team.  Both provided the 'Cats with a good, final tune-up to our first game with Marietta on the 4th.

Cambridge                12   12   9     Total  33                Cambridge        18    6     8    Total   32              Totals:   65

West Muskingum      7   14   7                28                 Warren Local   15   17   7                39                             67

Scrimmage Scores Versus Indian Valley and Maysville

   The 'Cats tangled with former ECOL foe Indian Valley and the Panthers from Maysville at CHS on 11.24.09.  Indian Valley brought in a very young team that featured some decent guards and some overall quickness while Maysville had a lot of overall strength and good post play.  In this second to last scrimmage, the 'Cats learned that we had a lot on which to work, some mental and some physical, as they continue to prepare for the first game versus Marietta. 

Cambridge        13   10   6     8     Totals:  37                           Cambridge   7   10   10     Totals:  27             Totals     64

Indian Valley      7     6   2   12                   27                           Maysville   13   18   13                  44                             71

Scrimmage Scores Versus Harrison Central

   Under the direction of Coach Justin Clifford, the Huskies are trying to improve on last year's record, and they look like they have some athletes to do that.  Sporting a tall and strong team, Harrison Central was quick out front and applied a lot of good pressure on the Bobcat guards and had a decent inside game.  Coming off a great football season, the Huskies are looking to equal their success on the hardwood.  Bridgeport originally was to join us for the scrimmage, but due to their football success and some ensuing injuries, they decided against it.  The following are the results from last night's scrimmage:

Cambridge                6   14    9   12    9    12               Totals:     62

Harrison Central      5     5    8   13    7      4                                42

Scrimmage Scores Versus St. Clairsville and East Liverpool

   The 'Cats matched youth for youth against the St. Clairsville Red Devils and went up against a very experienced East Liverpool team last night in St. Clairsville.  The Red Devils pressed the Bobcats in the full-court and defended in a run and jump at three-quarter and half court posing some difficult situations for our guards.  St. Clairsville also featured some quick outside shooting and long-range bombing from a guard-oriented team, which also sported some height in the middle.  The Potters from East Liverpool also featured a very athletic and strong outside shooting team, which forced our perimeter defense to quickly recognize in transition.  East Liverpool also had some nice size and strength in the post area.  Overall, the 'Cats played very well at times, but also, at times, showed the youth and inexperience that makes up the team (turnovers, unforced errors, inconsistency in play).  At both breaks each of these issues were addressed along with the development of leadership on the team.  With each outing, the goal is to get stronger in our weak areas in preparation for Marietta on the 4th.  In various aspects, this certainly happened tonight.  It was a good scrimmage for the 'Cats in putting our team in positions in which our young Bobcats haven't been in before in order that they might recognize, adjust, and play through each.

Cambridge        9   11   22       42                                           Cambridge           10   11   17     38                      Total        80

St. Clairsville   6    13    9        28                                            East Liverpool    11   22   13     46                                      74

Scrimmage Scores Versus Fairfield-Union and Buckeye Local

  The Falcons of Fairfield-Union have plenty of experience on this year's squad as they return six seniors from last year's team.  Meeting up with them at the Marietta Shootout this past summer and having a very competitive game with them was the impetus for scheduling them for a scrimmage for the first time.  Playing in the Mid-State League, the Falcons regularly compete with our regional finalist foe from last year, Logan Elm.  Buckeye Local returns the powerful Joe Rine (6-6 center) in the middle of the their offense, which we believed would be a good test for our interior defense and offense.  This has been an annual scrimmage for the 'Cats since Buckeye Local dropped us from the regular season schedule two years ago.

Cambridge               12    10   13        35                                Cambridge            11   21   19       51                     Total      86

Fairfield Union           8   15   11         34                                Buckeye Local       7   12     8       27                                    61

AVC Night

   Once again, Stop Nine Church of Christ will be hosting the AVC Communications "Meet the Teams" Night at the activity center across the street from the church in Byesville.  The 'Cats will be featured starting at 7:00 p.m.  A special thanks goes out to AVC Communications and the Stop Nine Church of Christ for putting on a nice event for all the area student-athletes.  With their indoor court, there are plenty of basketball activities along with good food for the kids that evening. 

2009-10 Scrimmage Schedule Set

   The pre-season is close at hand.  The following is the scrimmage schedule in which the Bobcats will be participating: