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By Taylor Kauffman
Chadwick boys basketball is off to an 18-1 start, and much of that success can be attributed a defense defined by a highly effective press.
“You can normally tell pretty quick in the first quarter if it’s going to work or not,” said Paden Gilbert
Chadwick plays a quick game, so conditioning is paramount for the Cardinals.
“They probably get a little bit tired, but they aren’t going to tell you that,” Chadwick head coach Shawn Guerin said.
“We kind of keep the same philosophy going into every game,” Jaron VanHouden said. “Just full court press the whole time, keep the pressure on them, and hopefully our defense can transition into a better offense.”
The Class 1 Cardinals are ruffling everyone’s feathers but their own.
“I think we kind of saw that with their student section tonight. They were getting pretty intense with it, but that’s just part of the game. We can’t be mad at them because they’re supporting their school just like we’re supporting our school,” VanHouden said.
Chadwick has set up a tough schedule that will hopefully prepare the Cardinals for the postseason. They’ve beaten Class 3 Marionville and Class 4 Reeds Spring.
“It’s awesome, we’re just Class 1, we’ve got like 54 kids in the high school, and we come out here and we play hard,” Gilbert said.
The Cardinals know some of their toughest competition will reside in Class 1. If the Cardinals are to make a run to the final four, they will likely have to beat No. 1 ranked South Iron.
“I think we’re prepared, but South Iron is too. They’re playing Class 6 and Class 5 schools, so they’re going to be ready too,” Guerin said.
South Iron just beat Class 6 No. 2 Christian Brothers College 38-35 over the weekend.
We know running doesn’t bother the Cardinals, it’s a marathon and a sprint toward the postseason for Chadwick. The Cardinals are hoping to make it back to the final four for the first time since 2009.
“I think we’ve got a chance. Now, I hope South Iron isn’t watching me when I say we have a chance, because South Iron is waiting over there and they’re really good,” Guerin said.
“I think this season our goal is the same as every other season; we’re here to win games like every other team is. I guess our goal is to keep going until we can’t anymore,” VanHouden said.
