There has been a lot said about the talent on this Highlands team including the D1 commitments. However, there is one player that rarely receives the accolades he deserves. He plays wherever he is needed defensively and hits wherever he is needed in the lineup. He is a gamer and flat out gets the job done in every aspect of the game. The people around this program know how important Sammy Hennigan is.
It baffles me why you continuously reference the first half of the season when talking about Highlands playing poorly. They did start out 11-2 with quality wins over Scott, Conner, Notre Dame and a last second loss to Sacred Heart. They also won the Conner Holiday Tourney.
The change in the offensive system has enabled NCC's recent teams (last 10 years or so) to become the powerhouse that they are. In the mid 80's, they went to the state finals 3 consecutive years, winning one. Those were the days of the wishbone and they were winning on talent alone.
I believe the 86-87 Newcath team ended up 28-4, but lost to Highlands in the regional finals. Newcath was ranked #1 in the region and in the top 10 in the state all season. I don't think they lost to a 9th region team all year until the finals.
In their second game, they were down by 18 with 5:00 left and came back to win. It was like they all of a sudden turned on the switch. It was awesome to watch.
I agree completely. The game played between these two teams at Highlands was very physical because the refs allowed it to be. The physical play certainly seemed to favor HHS. IMO the way fouls are called in this game will go a long way in deciding the outcome.