A season of ups and downs for the Eagles could explain the 9-15 season over the 2006-07 run. With several new adjustments to the system and new faces in the lineup, Tyrone fought hard to try and establish a name for themselves this season.
Tyrone struggled mostly in the first half of the year, starting out with a (1-6) start, losing by an average score of 62-48 throughout the their first six losses. They picked up a very big win over Bellefonte, who started out very strong over their first 10 games.
Steve Catich came into the season as the “main man,” and every team knew this.
The 6-foot-4 junior returned to average 17.7 points-per-game, and kept Tyrone\\\’s offense moving for the most part. He failed to reach double-figures in just one game this season, and managed to score 36 and 30 in back-to-back games this season against Penn Cambria and Philipsburg Osceola.
The (1-6) record they posted may have given the winless Huskies of Bishop Carroll life as they took Tyrone to the wire in the consolation Christmas tournament at Central Cambria. Tyrone managed to pull of the victory, which sparked the Eagles, passed their next two opponents, Bellwood and Bald Eagle Area. They had some life to make it back into the mix of things with their (4-6) record and continued to play strong.
However, an offense oriented team such as Penn Cambria was shocked to see Tyrone run with them as they squeezed passed the Eagles with a 77-68 victory, allowing 36 points from Catich. Tyrone showed that they too could hang with anyone, but picking up the victories was what Tyrone had trouble with this season.
After the shoot-out loss, Tyrone picked up a win at Philipsburg, taking three out of their next four opponents, improving their record to (6-8). The key was to make it to .500, but Tyrone\\\’s schedule didn\\\’t get any easier.
The next two opponents turned out to be District six champions in Single and Triple-A this season (Bishop Guilfoyle and Indian Valley), which put two more losses on the Eagles record. With a (6-10) record, Tyrone had to win at least five out of their last seven to have a respectable seed in the playoff picture.
Tyrone picked up another victory against Huntingdon, but dropped the next three games to end their season. A heart-breaking loss on senior night against Philipsburg was the highlight of the season for the Eagles/Mounties match-ups, as Matt Curtis knocked a trey down with less than 10 seconds to go to put the Eagles away. This was not their last meeting of the season. A future rubber match was in store for the playoffs which was what Tyrone was happy for.
After playing this team two times in the regular season, Tyrone basically had each game won, but the senior night at home was a very unlucky game for the Eagles. The playoff game was simple; contain the three-ball, win the first round.
Well Tyrone did exactly what they planned and had a really great shot at running to St. Francis if they surpassed the favorite, Blairsville, who “spanked” the Eagles in last years Christmas Tournament at Blairsville. There was no way Tyrone could forget that loss last season and this was their time to get back at the Bobcats of Blairsville.
Tyrone fought hard in the first quarter, lost their lead and basically the game in the next two, but made a nice run to finish the game. The loss ended their year at (9-15), but the Eagles picked up a lot of respect throughout the year, playing primarily juniors and sophomores the entire season. A lot of experience will return for next year, so look for Tyrone to be a favorite going into the 2007-08 season.
This year\\\’s high scorers and leaders in the statistics column was led by Catich, who averaged 17.7 ppg, shot 67.8% from the line, and led the team with 26 three-point field goals this year. The junior stand-out scored 408 points, leading the charge on offense by more than 10 ppg over Matt Brooks. Brooks averaged seven a game and shot 69.2% from the line. Johnny Franco put up a career-high 19 against the Bobcats in the finale for Tyrone, but shot just 34% from the line. The junior was lightning fast when driving to the hoop, drawing contact on almost every shot he took. With a little work in the off-season, this kid should be in the 16-17 point range by next year.
Tyrone struggled on offense this season, averaging just 50.8 points a game, and gave up 57 a game. The defense was there for the Eagles, but with an offense based around one player, it was hard for them to accomplish set offenses and pushing the ball effectively. However, Tyrone did improve their scoring over the year, but it wasn\\\’t enough to pull them to .500.
Tyrone managed to outscore their opponents in only one quarter this season. The third quarter was a slim 289-283, leaving a 317 in the first two quarters and a 394 fourth quarter for their opponents this season. Tyrone had most of their problems in the first quarter, but ended games well as they finished with 327 in the fourth quarter this year. The Eagles scored a total of 1169 to their opponents 1311.
As a team, Tyrone shot 219/354 from the foul line (61.9%), which hurt them in a few games this season. The close losses for Tyrone came down to foul shooting, and they were a little rusty on the line this season.
A tough season, but an even tougher team to look forward to next year. For the four seniors, Jamie Levinson, Wade Branstetter and Doug Morrow, good luck next year in whatever you guys plan to do with your life. Remember these few times you have and don\\\’t forget the fun memories with your coaches, friends and opponents.
The Tyrone Golden Eagles, 2006-07 season finished with a 9-15 output and a returning five for next season. The ball is in your court, gentlemen.
