By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
When he was nine years old, Washington (Mo.) shooting guard Scott Suggs played a friendly game of one-on-one basketball with University of Washington head basketball coach Lorenzo Romar. Now he says he will play for him.
Suggs made his intentions clear last week when he announced his decision to continue his playing career with the Pac-10 Conference Huskies for the 2008-09 season. The 6-foot-6 180-pound guard tried desperately to school the then St. Louis University head basketball coach with his moves that night, and of course he failed.
But a lasting relationship with the family friend developed and was the primary reason for his commitment. "Our relationship was the deciding factor," Suggs said by phone Wednesday. "But their style of play fit too. They like the up-tempo style of offense and they get up on you on defense and get stops."
To the rest of us, Suggs' decision to play for Romar may have appeared to be a done deal long ago. But in reality it was a tug of war up until he made his announcement. One day, Suggs was leaning toward Washington. Then Missouri seemed like the place to play. Then Illinois. Then Washington again. It wasn't until the eve of his announcement on August 15 that Suggs knew in his heart that Washington was the place for him.
"At that time, I think it sunk in that Washington was the best fit," Suggs said of the night before his announcement. "It was the best fit for me, overall."
When Romar, who was a two-year starter for the Huskies and played in the NBA with Golden State, Milwaukee and Detroit, decided to take his coaching talents to the Pac-10 beginning in the 2002-03 season, he continued teaching and mentoring the young St. Louis area talent from afar. He did what he always does. He tried to make Suggs the best possible player he could be growing up.
"He's helped me fine-tune a couple of things (over the years)," Suggs said. "He would give me tips on my footwork and he taught me a lot about reading defenses. He tries to get the most he can out of every player he comes in contact with. He wants to make you the best player possible."
Last March, Suggs got his first taste of Washington Basketball when he witnessed the Huskies' 61-51 win over UCLA before 10,000 screaming fans at Bank of America Arena at the Hec Edmundson Pavillion. The contest, pitting the two Pac-10 heavyweights, made a lasting impression on Suggs.
" Those fans are so loud," Suggs said. "They really got behind their team and helped them rally in a close game."
Although Suggs has been a shooting guard during his high school career, he said he might play point guard or small forward at Washington. In order to prepare himself for the rigors of a Division-I schedule, he is working on his strength and conditioning, ball handling and shooting. Suggs is also working to improve his overall game.
Washington's recruiting Class of 2008 is starting to take shape just like the program Romar is building in Seattle. Joining Suggs (a four-star prospect) in committing to Romar and the Huskies are four-star prospects Tyreese Breshers (Frederick K C, Price HS, CA.), a 6-6 power forward, Elston Turner, Jr. (Roseville HS, CA.), a 6-4 shooting guard, and Isaiah Thomas (South Kent HS, CT.), a 5-9 point guard.
Romar's Huskies went just 10-17 during his inaugural season and finished ninth in the Pac-10 standings. However, he's had nothing but success since then. The sixth year coach finished second in league play three straight years from 2003-04 through 2005-06. Last season Washington finished 19-13 overall and 8-10 in league play. His record at Washington now stands at 103-55 (.652). Romar owns a 196-143 career mark in 11 seasons with stints at Pepperdine, Saint Louis and Washington.
Volleyball: Heisserer Will Coach Both Volleyball And Softball This Fall, Several Athletes Will Join Her
Sara Heisserer's first season at her alma mater will test her mettle and her ability to survive. The Oran alum has chosen to take on the task of coaching both volleyball and softball this fall.
"Right now, I'm enjoying it," Heisserer told the Southeast Missourian last week during preparations for the upcoming seasons. "I've been very busy. But today (Thursday, August 16) was just the first day of school; we'll see how next week goes."
Last March softball was still a spring sport at Oran. But in order to compete in the Missouri State High School Activities Associations playoff series, the Oran school district voted to move the sport to the fall season starting in 2007-08.
The Williams Baptist graduate's work ethic appears to have rubbed off on her athletes too. Ten of the 17 girls she has out for softball don the Eagle volleyball uniform as well. The Eagles will play a nine game softball schedule.
Heisserer earned her first career softball win with an 11-1 triumph over Perryville St. Vincent Tuesday.
Before making her way back to Oran, Heisserer spent two years at Chaffee as the head volleyball coach and an assistant basketball coach.
Football: Ressel's Foot Is Deciding Factor In 31-28 East Win
There were plenty of big plays during the East's high scoring, seesaw triumph over the West at the 31st annual Missouri Lions Club East-West All-Star Football game played at Walton Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg earlier this month. But it was the foot of Grant Ressel (Jackson) that decided the 31-28 outcome late in the game.
Ressel's 27-yard field goal with 1 minute, 3 seconds remaining in the contest completed the East team's rally from a 14-0 deficit late in the first half.
The East cracked the scoreboard, for the first time, with 22 seconds left in the opening half when Tanner Dinsdale (Rolla) connected with Byron Bundy (Hickman) on an 18-yard scoring pass to cut the deficit to 14-7 at halftime.
Dinsdale then scored from a yard out halfway through the third quarter, and Ressel's second point after of the game evened the score at 14-14.
Kyle Nixdorf (Wellington-Napoleon) temporarily gave the West the lead back at 20-14 following a one-yard plunge with about two minutes remaining in the third quarter. But it was short lived.
Kendrickus Reed (Caruthersville) gave the East its first lead of the game following his 41-yard romp. Dinsdale then connected on his final scoring strike of the game by hitting Derrick Smith (Hickman) with a 10-yard score 1:09 later to put the East up 28-20. Ressel connected on both PAT kicks.
The West tied the game with just over nine minutes left when Mark Lawhorn (Bishop LeBlond) latched on to a Kaleb Fillis (Warrensburg) pass from 37 yards out and scored. Nixdorf's conversion run knotted the score and set up Ressel's heroics.
The West ended a defensive standoff in the second quarter when Fillis and Caleb Sanders (Carthage) connected on a 68-yard scoring pass with 3:27 left in the frame to open the scoring. Following his two-point conversion catch, Dan Reichert (Harrisonville) got in on the action by hauling in a 42-yard pass from Michael Admire (Lee's Summit West) to give the West a 14-0 advantage with 1:27 left in the opening half.
The East pounded out 184-yards on the ground and threw for another 182 yards on its way to 366 yards of total offense. Reed led the East ground assault with 75 yards on 10 carries. Dinsdale threw for all 182 yards for the East on 12 of 25 passing and an interception. Bundy was on the other end of six of Dinsdale's passes for an East-leading 87 yards receiving.
The West relied primarily on the passing game, throwing for 404 yards. The West's 26 yards rushing gave them a total yard advantage of 430-366 over the East. Fillis led the West ground game with 29 yards rushing on four carries. Admire led the West's two prong air attack by throwing for 208 yards on 16 of 27 passing. Fillis connected on 14 of 21 passes for 196 yards. Sanders led all receivers with 138 yards on seven catches.The three-point win for the East was their first since 1999.