MONTAGUE — Montague coach Nick Thaler likes to talk about “fixing it” on defense, by which he means, talk to each other. Communication is key, and for a generation with more technology at their fingertips than any before, that’s not always easy.
“Because kids are always on their phone, they’ve always got their head down,” Thaler said. “That communication piece is really hard for these kids to understand. We want to get these kids communicating on the basketball court so it just makes everything easier.”
The Wildcats displayed an ability to communicate and defend last Thursday against Mason County Central, shutting out the Spartans in the first quarter and earning a 42-24 win.
Sheer effort was a major factor in that early success on defense, as Montague didn’t let a shot go uncontested; Isaiah Atchison was especially imposing in the lane, swatting away several early shots. The Wildcats also crashed the glass on offense, earning second and third chances. Owen Raeth capped the successful opening quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give his team a 12-0 edge.
Raeth had 10 points at halftime, but left the game in the third quarter after taking a poke in the eye while going for a loose ball. Thaler said his senior guard should be fine going forward, but his absence allowed classmate Atchison to get a leg up in a friendly competition between the two.
“Owen and I have a little competition where we see who gets the most points every game,” Atchison said with a laugh. “So when he fouls out, or is out, I always use that to my advantage on points.”
Atchison did just that Thursday, taking over the bulk of the offensive load in the second half to end with a game-high 17 points. He also grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked six shots.
Thaler said Atchison and other Montague forwards have worked hard on taking advantage of whatever mismatch a defense presents them.
“I feel like we have an advantage down there with Isaiah,” Thaler said. “You put a bigger guy on him and I can just bring him outside and he can drive past him. You saw that tonight with Riley Mulder when he brought it out outside the paint and I just told him to drive right by (his defender), and he did. He scored two points.
“That’s going to be exciting for us to see as we go on here, the growth of that inside presence and having those guys play inside out, because I think it could be a big factor for us.”
However, it all came back to defense Thursday. After keeping up with Montague in the third quarter, MCC managed only four fourth-quarter points, which enabled the ‘Cats to put the game away.
“Any time that you’re holding a varsity team under 25 points, I think you’re doing a really nice job defensively,” Thaler said.
That will be a much tougher task in Montague’s next game, a Grand Haven Lakeshore Cup showdown with Division 1 Holland. It’s made even more difficult given Atchison will be absent, as he’ll be on vacation in Florida. However it goes, though, Thaler is thrilled his team will get exposure to that kind of competitive environment.
“He’s probably going to have more fun than we are, being in Florida while we’re going to Grand Haven,” Thaler chuckled. “Their program has a rich history, with how they played in the ‘90s and the early 2000s. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”
