JAY HOCK'S INJURY HURTS HESHIONS CHANCES...
It all started so well for the Heshions. They had a great training camp, and started the season with a first half for the ages! That first half was during their first game...against the Cowboys, when they enjoyed an impressive lead at 22-12 with 6:01 remaining in the first half. After that, the Cowboys went on a 19-12 run, and collected the victory. But the loss for Brett Hock and bunch wasn't the worst one that they would experience during the 2008-2009 MVBA Season. Jay Hock, their center and court leader, was injured Christmas Eve in a freak accident. A torn ligament and broken ankle was the end result for the 6'4" center out of Chino, CA....and the Heshions luck seemed to take a hit. Jay Hock was their inside presence, their rock upon which their offense rested on. As a result, the center position (and more importantly rebounding edge) is in question for the La Verne club. Brett Hock, GM of the Heshions, was very candid about his brother's injury: "We are very disappointed in losing Jay for the season, needless to say. Besides the fact that he scored points for us...and collected boards for us....he was our emotional leader. He set the stage for our rookies....as far as game intensity goes. We have been playing our back-up centers evenly, to help us shoulder the burden. I thought Jeff Andrew did a great job in helping us with our toughness up front. But we are going to need more from our front court....no question about that...." Can the Heshions re-establish their post game? We will see....
WEEK 3: ONE.....AND JUSTICE FOR ALL...HESHIONS WIN FIRST GAME!!
There were several stories before the Heshion/Cutters game in Week Three last Sunday. The Heshions 0-2 start, the Cutters inconsisentcy, etc.
The Cutters had no idea what the story would be after the game, though.
The LaVerne Heshion's defeated the LaVerne Cutters 38-30 in Week 3 at the Lutheran Gym, grabbing their first win of the year. The Heshions went on a late, second-half run, outscoring the Cutters 15-5 in the last 3:23 of the game. Chad Coffman had a team high 18 points and 13 rebounds. It was a group effort, though, as the Heshion bench caught fire. Brett Andrew's 3 steals set the table for the second unit, and Mike Clapp's 10 big points iced the Cutters. Jay Willman's 6 points were simply icing on the cake. For the Cutters, it was a great effort wasted. Chris DeLang scored 19 points, and Scott Harvey added 11....but the wheels came off the wagon late in the game. The real story was the lack of Cutter's bench players. Three members of the club were present, as Rhett DeLang, Scott Harvey and Chris DeLang all played 30 minutes. Without a chance for reinforcement, the Cutters succombed to the late game Heshion onslaught. C. DeLang's wild bank shot with 2:10 left tied the game at 30-30. The Heshions finished the game on a 8-0 run....
CUTTER GUARD AWOL?
G Matt Clement, who was scheduled to play against the Heshions after missing the previous week with a groin strain, did not report for treatment, and did not report to play. Sources close to the matter speaking on the condition of anonimity said that the Cutter guard did not inform management or teammates that he planned to skip the game. General Manager Chris DeLang was shocked to see that Clement wasn't in warm-ups. After the Game, The Cutters issued a statement of "No comment" when asked about the where-a-bouts of Clement. The club still wasn't able to field a solid roster, as they fell to 1-2 on the season.
We caught up with GM Brett Hockenberry after the game via phone from Tile Expo, and he had this to say: "Great win! Wow, we were fighting it for a little bit early in the season there, but I told our guys to stick together....and to play with heart as if the game was our last. They responded great. We had good presence inside, and were able to wear down their shooters in the second half. I wish I could have seen our first win in person...but I did watch it at work on the computer I use to watch all my internet porn, er.....I mean......Sports. I love that MVBA Webcam!!!"
Next up for the Heshions....the Cowboys in Week 4.
HESHIAN PRIDE, BROTHER!
The Heshians are starting to win games. But if it wasn't for the men behind the curtain.....where would they be?
Brett Hockenbery sits at his desk on a Sunday afternoon, pressing numbers into a calculator feverishly...as if he was avoiding the plague. He is not at home. He is not playing with the La Verne Heshians...the MVBA team that he runs. He is at work, at Tile Expo, working on selling his next item. Brett Hockenbery, along with G Dominic Skahill, can't probably play in one game this year. They work to keep the Heshians alive.
"It's not that we don't love the game of basketball....we do. We love it. It's just that we have a vision....and that's to run a very successful Tile, flooring and basketball business..." remarked G Dominic Skahill, who has taken on the role of assistant GM. "We tried to assemble the best roster with respect to longevity...that is, those players that were commited to the team FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. That means we lost out on free agents that team's like the Cutters signed.....those players have not been very reliable. We are happy with the players that we have. We'll take it."
There is no doubt that the Heshians are a good team. They have the length, and at times the defense, that can win consistently. But who knows what party lurkes around the corner, stretching into the wee hours of Saturday Morning and threatening the fate of the Heshian players..........?
PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:
Name: Jason Willman
Position: Guard/Forward
Team: Heshions
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Occupation: Marketer/Scratch Golfer
Hobbies: Golf, Texas Hold 'em Poker, Vodka with Chaser, Golf, Dancing like MC Hammer
Favorite Band: English Beat
Favorite Drink: Monster/Vodka
Favorite Holiday: Halloween
Favorite Bar: Friar Tux (Pomona)
Favorite Super Hero: Flash
Favorite Underwear: Hanes
Favorite Movie: Ghost
