My Column By: Dan Watts So, based on the opinions of our message board, nobody likes the words coming off the fingertips of Chris Wrobel. So I feel obligated as the webmaster to save this column from obscurity.

Preseason-Nov. 30th 2003 By: Chris Wrobel It's hard to believe that it's that time again. That time is intramural time. Intramural time brings an excitement with it unmatched by most other times of the school year. That excitement stems from the fact that at this point of the year just about every team in the league thinks they will be champions come February. That excitement also stems from the pride each team has. Every team talks smack to other teams, and bets are wagered on games and personal performances. This is the time of year I love. The competitiveness of intramural teams surpasses that of school athletic teams. The reason for that is simple: pride. Pride is the only "reward" of intramurals. Every team wants to be able to come to school and have others know that they are the best. Intramural victories give you the right to hold your head a little higher the next day. You're not competing with kids you never see... you are competing with kids you see every day. That brings the competition of intramurals up a notch. When you beat a rival team, you can tell those kids all year that you beat them. Whether your team goes 1-11 or 12-0, you always have something on the team(s) you beat. Excuses are bound to come, but the fact remains that you beat them. No one or no thing can take that away from you. I’ll always remember the night the V-Men topped the Plantation or the night the V-Men obliterated the 50-Pound Bench Club (Editor's note: the 50 Pound was in the game until the last couple minutes when the V-men ran up the score). It is these memories that will last a lifetime, and it is these memories that no one can take away from me. While much of that was B.S., the 50-Pound Bench Club is for real. I think our team will be overlooked by many teams, but that may be an advantage. The 50-Pound Bench Club resembles nothing of the team they were last year. The only remaining members of that extremely mediocre team are Bryan Chappo, Dan Watts, Richard Scuderi, Matt Stipp, and Chris Smith. To those studs have been added Devin Henson, Danny Sontag, Craig Van Soest, and myself. Craig, or "Gunner", as he is commonly called, will be what the team sorely lacked last year: an inside presence. Our team will definitely not shoot the lights out, but we will be able to hold our own on the offensive end of the court. I believe this team's strength lies in its defense, and it all starts with our two ball hawks, Richard Scuderi and Devin Henson. We won't be the most athletic of teams, but we will out work most teams. We're not the most talented, but the best teams are rarely the most talented. If we can keep team turmoil to a minimum, we have an opportunity to have a good season. The league this year is a little different from last year in that there is not one dominant team like there was last year. There will be a lot of parody in the intramural league this year. I look at about five or six teams as being a little better than everyone else, and then a group of teams with a lot of potential I think it's very possible for the regular season champ to have 2 or 3 losses. There will as always be great competition, and many players on many teams have already begun running their mouths which makes intramurals all the better. Before I close my column I would like to hand out some preseason awards. Most Underrated Player(s): I give this award to two players actually. One of these players is Austin Huck. Austin has never achieved stardom in his school playing days, but he has worked extremely hard at developing his game over the past couple of years and has developed into a very good all-around player. He could turn out to be the key component for a very underrated team. My second award goes to Craig Van Soest. Now I know most people will I say I’m bias because he’s on my team... and that’s probably true. But I really think Gunner could have a huge impact. He's easily one of the hardest workers once that ball goes up, and he has developed some range to accompany his array of moves around the basket. Most Underrated Team: I believe the most underrated team this year is Andrew Rodenbarger's team. Now I'm not saying this team will challenge for the league title or anything. All I'm saying is that this team could surprise many teams. For one they will outwork just about every team. The also have some big, strong kids who while they may be perceived as "fat", are decent athletes. The problem is that a lot of teams will think this team is like the unforgettable Hogs of last year, but that line of thinking could be a fatal mistake. Favorite to Take the League: I don't think my assessment will surprise anyone, but my pick as league favorite is Tim Van Lann's team. They have some of the best athletes in our school on their team, and they have some players who could easily be playing some varsity ball right now. If they come mentally and physically prepared each night, I see them very tough to beat. League MVP: My pick for league MVP goes to Mike Hrunek. MVP stands for Most Valuable Player not best player. "Bigkat" is not the best player in the league, but in my mind he is the most valuable player to his team. As he goes, so will Hang 'Em High. Bigkat proved to be one of the best if not the best shooter in the league last year. He is very difficult to defend, as he is deceptively quick. His defense is another story, but in my mind, Bigkat is the player in the league who is most vital to his team’s success.

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