Brian Roper
Brian Roper
job nice played shared
I thought we played unselfishly and shared the ball. Defensively, we did a nice job of contesting shots.
beat best coaches respect stuck
I respect coaches who use a different strategy. Scott thought that was the best way to beat us and they stuck with it.
days four goal
Our goal was to play four days at the state, and we accomplished that.
calmed half rushed third
We were too rushed in the first half and in the third we calmed down. We executed better.
close kids
This was a close the whole game. The Blaine kids really scrapped and hustled.
allowed
We got a little perimeter-oriented, which allowed them to become more and more aggressive.
escaped expected glad tough
We expected Ferndale to play tough and they did. We're glad to have escaped with a win.
almost football guys none played playoff state tournament
None of these guys have played at the state tournament before, but almost all of them have played in big football playoff games.
ball best
I wanted the ball to be in Brady's hands; he's our best playmaker.
ways
Sometimes you've just got to find ways to win.
state
They are a very disciplined team, and you can see why they are two-time state champions.
solid
Defensively, we were as solid as we've been all year.
call control focus quality somewhat teams telling
That's why they call it a draw. It's somewhat random. There are some things you can't control, and like we're always telling the kids, you have focus on what you can control ... There are 16 quality teams down there, and we're one of them.
effort fourth proud state tournament
I'm more proud of our effort than our win. That was an unbelievable effort for the fourth day of the state tournament after a disappointing loss.