GREENFIELD REGIONAL: Clovers hoping to snap regional losing streak

Thursday, March 8, 2018
Patrick Rady has led the Clovers to three straight sectional titles. The team has won four straight overall.
Banner Graphic/JOEY BENNETT

Patrick Rady has taken the Cloverdale Clovers to the Greenfield-Central Regional for the past two years.

His dad took them the year before.

All three years, the Clovers were done playing in the four-team tourney early enough to be home for dinner.

He would much rather have dinner on Saturday at a Greenfield-area restaurant while planning strategy for the championship game.

“Each year we have tried to turn our schedule into where we are prepared to play an extended March,” he said. “This year was like no other, and we even played a greater variety of teams than usual. We have played teams with different styles. Now it’s about being consistent on both ends of the court.

“You can’t go three or four minutes without scoring.”

In last year’s regional loss to Northeastern, for example, the Clovers allowed Northeastern to score 21 consecutive points after taking an early 16-6 lead and never recovered.

“Those are things that have to make sure we are sharp on the offensive end, and on the defensive end we’ll be well prepared,” he said. “We are looking forward to this weekend. Each year we have gone over there, we have played with a little more confidence.”

He knows his opponent on Saturday will not be easy.

“We know Shenandoah will play multiple defenses, and coach [Dave] McCullough is an outstanding coach,” he said. “I thought our defense was better at the regional last year than it was the previous year. That took a step, and we were better defensively in the sectional than we have been all year. For us to win every game by double digits says a lot about that.”

“At this time of year, what wins games is defense — and playing within yourself offensively.”

Rady senses a different vibe from his team. Cooper Neese and Seth Pfaff graduated from last year’s team, and freshman Nolan Kelley is new to the varsity scene.

The rest of the Clovers in the rotation have been to plenty of regionals, and Rady thinks that experience will be helpful.

“They seem ready to go ,” he said. “We just had a meeting about this week, and what we are going to do, and the kids all looked and said they were not satisfied. They don’t want to be done.

“They were asking about Shenandoah, and what they do,” Rady added. “I think we had a few guys last year to do that, but this year you can tell from a team standpoint the guys were serious about their genuine interest. You have to have five guys playing together on the floor.”

The Clovers were considered by many as the pre-tourney co-favorites with Monrovia going into the South Putnam Sectional.

The teams met in the first round, and the Clovers were able to win and advance to the semifinals. They defeated South Putnam on Friday night, and then met a red-hot North Putnam team in the finals.

The Cougars jumped out to an early 10-point lead, before Cloverdale came back to win 63-38.

“When you have been as successful as we are, you are going to be the target,” Rady said. “Teams are going to gear for you, and that was a credit to North Putnam. They came out and hit some shots early, and also credit to our kids for not buckling under the pressure.

“I could see in our kids’ eyes that they knew there was still a lot of basketball left. We needed to get stops, which we did. It seems like when you get stops that things go better on the defensive end.”

Cloverdale has been racking up the basketball hardware over the past four years.
Contributed photo

Rady did not mind that Moore was below his scoring average on both Friday (33) and Saturday night (24).

“He made great reads, and got guys involved early,” he said. “He got guys the ball where they could score. That’s the sign of a great leader and a great point guard, to put guys in positions where they can score.”

Moore has shot around 30 percent from 3-point range for most of the season, but hit 4 of 8 from long range in Saturday’s win over North Putnam.

“We know he’s a good 3-point shooter,” Rady said. “He was able to get in the right flow and get the right threes. When he’s hitting 4 for 8 from three, that opens up a lot of things.”

Kelley hit four treys in the championship game, and Rady recognizes the ups and downs that happen in a player’s first varsity season.

“Last year in eighth grade, he was done playing in mid-January,” he said. “He’s got his confidence back now, he shot the ball really well also. You have to fight through things.”

Jake Wilkes had a double-double on Saturday night, and Rady also noted strong contributions from Parker Watts, Nick Winders, Jake Kelley.

“Clayton Miller came in and did a great job against Monrovia,” he said. “We have seven guys right now that we feel comfortable with, and that’s something that we definitely didn’t have last week.”

Rady said his team does not feel pressure about needing to win, based upon the defeats in the recent past.

“I don’t think this team feels pressure,” he said. “I think there was pressure going into the county tourney, and in the sectional too. They handled it very well.

“This group has developed its own identity, and is a different team than in the past,” Rady added. “They have a different bond. They really get along well off the court, and I think they are a loose bunch. I’m not sure if the pressure has ever gotten to them. It’s going to come down to the defensive end and getting stops.”

Cloverdale fans celebrate their sectional title with special edition pages printed by the Banner Graphic.
Contributed photo
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