The Gilmour Academy girls basketball team beat Northeast Ohio College Prep by a score of 108-1 on Wednesday night. Their intent “was not to run anything up”.
By Chris Wengert
Listen, I am as about opposed to “everyone gets a trophy” as one can be, but seriously Gilmour Academy?
108-1…Mercy???
Yes, it was the Division III North Ridgeville Sectional Semifinal but high school student deserves to feel the effects of a beating like that.
Gilmour girls basketball coach Bob Beutel told Cleveland.com this after the beating:
“Our intent was to not run anything up, and we took steps to not disrespect our opponent. They went 0-for-28 from the field and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line. We let them shoot.”
You let them shoot? Oh that’s nice of you.
At what point should a high school team lay off? At what point should they put in the bench warmers? Or, at what point do you just tell your girls to pass the ball around and only shoot after a given number of passes?
I’m not the coach, but I can tell you that any of these things should have happened before your team finds a 107 point lead.
Northeast Ohio made a statement following the fiasco:
“While the final score did not result in our favor, the entire I CAN SCHOOLS network of campuses is extremely proud of the comradery and sportsmanship that our team displayed during and after the game. At Northeast Ohio College Preparatory School, our scholars are taught to embody respect, responsibility, and relentlessness. All three characteristics were on display yesterday. We faced an incredibly talented team, and we congratulate Gilmour Academy on their victory and pursuit of a championship.”
Should a team just lay down and die in the playoffs because they are more talented? No. But at some point Coach Beutel should have taken some steps to limit their scoring.
