12-25-07
BY JACK BULLOCK
DIETERICH - In an eight-team bracketed event – the Dieterich Holiday Tournament turns 24 this week as the Movin' Maroons host seven other foes December 26-28.

Newton returns to the tournament after spending the last few winters (five) at the Vandalia Holiday Tournament.

Vandalia's loss is Dieterich's gain as the Eagles (8-2) are the top-seed and will face the eighth seeded Panthers of Oblong (1-9) in the opening rounder played Wednesday at 5 pm.

The DHT is an unorthodox event where the times of the games don't run in bracket order.

At 2 pm on Wednesday as four-seeded North Clay tangles with West Richland.

Both of those teams have struggled this season and with this pairing the two Midland Trail Conference members could meet four times this season.

Arcola is the defending champion but have struggled as well – hobbling into the tourney at 2-9.

The Purple Riders are seeded sixth and will take on the number-three seed Red Hill. That game will be played at 3:30 pm following the North Clay-West Richland contest.

Those Salukis (1-5) have played a tough schedule and are resourceful enough to snap out of their recent losing skid.

Dieterich (6-5) will face winless Windsor (0-8) at 7 pm the first night.

In appraising this group of teams – Newton is the prohibitive favorite with wins over Stewardson-Strasburg and a 3-1 showing to win the Cumberland Tournament back in November.

Newton has 6-foot-3 senior Eric Schackman has been a starter for two seasons for the Eagles. This one is averaging 20.8 points a game for head coach Doug Mammoser's club that have just a Mount Zion loss to go with a defeat at Cumberland by Beecher City. Five-foot-eleven junior Scott Mammoser (17.3 p.p.g.) and 6-foot-3 senior Corey Hahn (6.2 p.p.g.) have been a big part of the success so far. Newton has Senior Nick Mammoser played in his first game of the season against Stewardson-Strasburg scoring 11 points in the 63-48 win.

The host Dieterich and head coach Jamie VanScyoc have had some off the court problems as well as some difficulty on the floor.

Two players – 5-foot-9 senior guard Brock Teichmiller (foot) and senior forward Ethan Heuerman (disciplinary reasons) have missed some important contests. When he played in three games – Heuerman averaged 11 points a game.

Six-foot-three starting senior forward Darin Worman missed some games with the passing away of his father and his two grandparents on his father's side of the family.

The Maroons won three games at the Cumberland Tournament but lost a pair of tough games to Newton and St. Elmo. Dieterich would like nothing better than to get some revenge against Newton in the championship game after losing to the Eagles, 37-36 at Cumberland. Dieterich is above .500 after a 76-52 win at North Clay on December 21.

Red Hill – in spite of just a single victory on the season – have gotten the attention of the other teams in the event as they are seeded third. Head coach Bryan Havill relies on Chris Wampler – a 5-foot-10 senior guard – in the starting backcourt. Six-foot-three senior forward Bradley Padgett is also a returning starter from last season.

Arcola has a pretty good scorer in Zach Ozee – a 6-foot-2 senior who is netting 14.5 points a game. Six-foot-one junior David Myers is adding 8.6 p.p.g. while 5-foot-11 junior Kenneth East is averaging 10.1 points per outing.

West Richland is now 3-7 after a 75-69 road loss at Patoka on the 21st. Five-foot-eleven senior guard Parker Mitchell and 6-foot-2 senior forward Chris Brant are statistical leaders for the Wildcats. Brant had a double-double in points and rebounds in the Patoka loss.

North Clay is 2-6 losing to South Central on December 18 in the Cards most recent contest.

Five-foot-eleven junior John Logan Zink is one of the top players for head coach Brian Wattles.

Oblong and Windsor have just one win between them and they should end up in the seventh place game where someone will get a victory.