Mount St. Mary continues impressive season with District title
As I entered Mount Saint Mary High School on Tuesday night, I noticed so many familiar things from my playing days. I spent many summer afternoons in Mount’s hot gym and played them in school ball as well. While the…
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Continue ReadingAs I entered Mount Saint Mary High School on Tuesday night, I noticed so many familiar things from my playing days. I spent many summer afternoons in Mount’s hot gym and played them in school ball as well. While the gym was virtually the same, the team that stepped on the court most certainly wasn’t, and that’s thanks to Rockets head coach Brandon Jackson and his coaching staff for putting together a well-constructed squad.
The Rockets played Plainview for the district championship and never struggled, knocking off the Indians, 87-52.
While the Rockets struggled shooting early in the game, they got any and everything they wanted in the paint against the undersized Indians. While the Rockets aren’t the tallest team in 4A, they have a bulldog mentality mixed with a plethora of talented sophomores. They only start one senior.
While they may not be as noticeable as other 4A powerhouses like Kingfisher and Heritage Hall, especially offensively, what sets them apart is their ability to play stifling defense, which everyone witnessed against Plainview, who didn’t get many clean shots off.
The players that carried Mount to a District title were Luke Harstad and C.J. Johnson, who combined for nearly half of the team’s points. Harstad did a little bit of everything for the Rockets: playing superb interior defense, serving as a vocal leader on the court, and of course, using his large frame to draw defenders in the lane in the first quarter, only to open up the perimeter in the second and third. He finished the game with a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds through two quarters.
As for Johnson, he may only be a sophomore, but his calm demeanor and poise throughout the game supersedes his age. While he didn’t attempt any 3s, he didn’t have to. He had a few other teammates to do that for him. Instead, he manipulated Plainview’s anemic interior defense by getting into the paint whenever he wanted. He scored 19 points exclusively off taking defenders off the dribble and getting to the basket. He also got to the free-throw line five times, hitting three.
The Mount has a reliable team around both Johnson and Harstad. Diante Palmer Diante Palmer 6'0" | PG El Reno | 2023 State OK has been extremely reliable for the Rockets all season long, as well as Michael Rischard, who’s Mount’s primary 3-point threat, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3.
After winning the District championship on Tuesday, the Rockets will have a quick turnaround to regionals, where they’ll travel to Plainview to play Cache.