AHCP | Unioto Boys Coach Matt Combs | 2.14.2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I appreciate you calling in tonight. First thing I'll do
is ask you a little bit maybe to put your
ad hat on. It's kind of a weird situation for
the SBC coming up on this Friday night not playing tonight.
I know, FAC scheduled to play, sc scheduled to play.
Was that by design for the league to be wrapped
up in terms of league play by now?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
You know? When we for some reason this year the
schedule was a little bit different in terms of start
and end dates. I mean, if you remember the girls
first league game with the night before Thanksgiving this year,
which I think is a little different. So I can't
you know, I'll be honest with you, I can't speak

(00:43):
to exactly whether that was by design or not. I
think that looking at the schedule next year, I don't
think it's going to be that way. So they'll still
they won't start as early at least, but they'll still
be there may still be a gap there at the end.
I think, honestly, we've got to get used to the
the you know, this tournament set up and kind of

(01:05):
the way it's going to be, and then teams can
teams and leagues can sort of get their schedules worked
out to where you don't have the long gaps, you know,
because if it wasn't, for like an our case, a
makeup game tomorrow night, we would go about nine days
before we play in the tournament. I know there's some
teams that you know, are looking for scrimmages and things
to try to fill that gap, because it does seem

(01:26):
like there's a you know, it's a new seven seven
division format, there's some there's some gap there between the
end of the year and the first tournament game.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, well, let's talk about that makeup game tomorrow night.
WKKJ will be out there for people that don't notice
that the scene there. Unioda, at currently at eighteen and
three overall, has already cleansed the share of the of
the title with an outstanding Zane Trace team. Sant TRACE's
conference schedule has already been completed. So a Unioda win
would be an outright title for you, Matt. A Paint

(01:56):
Valley win, you would share it with Zane Trace, and
I know and talking to you off the air, you
have an incredible level of respect for for Paint Valley
and some of the talent they and the matchup issues
they present. Talk talk a little bit about tomorrow night's opponent.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Well, definitely, I mean, I mean, there's they've got two
outstanding players and three and Robertson and really a kid
in Reinehart is truly coming on as that third option.
And uh, you know, when you watch Paint Valley, they're
they're really talented offensively, They've got weapons. I mean, you

(02:33):
know the other night, uh last night, I guess the
roberts and kid really got it going and they they
scored quite a few points. They have that ability. So yeah,
I mean they're concerning matchup on the road and and uh,
you know the first time they played and they didn't
have Robertsons, they were a totally different team and it
was actually the first game of the year, believe it

(02:53):
or not. So we're gonna we're gonna end up playing
Paint Valley in their first game of the year in
their last game of the year. So that's a little
unique obviously in league play with the makeup. But yeah,
very very challenging game for sure tomorrow and I and
you know, we've talked to our kids all week about
you know, we're gonna have to be ready to go
over there no doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
You know, Matt, with your your team, you're you're starting
five is extremely talented and and and I'm sure they've
they've received a lot of of of credit throughout the
years they as they rightfully should. But you know, two
of your staples, in my opinion, come with the energy
on the defensive end, and then the ability to utilize
some depth to I don't know, kind of stay fresh

(03:37):
and run a lot of different athletes at people. I
wanted to ask you a little bit about those guys,
you know, Welch and Koy and Long and Mitchell. You know,
even through Patterson in there at the beginning of the year,
I know you lost your outstanding freshman who's going to
go on to be a really good player for you
the next three years. But talk to me about what
that group is meant to your team. Even though they
don't play the same level of minutes, they play really

(03:59):
important minutes.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Well, they've been absolutely crucial to us this year. I mean,
you know, and I think I think it says a
lot about Isaac and Jack, especially that you know they
accepted the fact that we wanted them to play a
couple of quarters JV, which is kind of unique when
you think about it, because I mean those are often
times our first two guys off the bench, and and

(04:24):
you know, normally, back you know, I think normally or
maybe old school way of thinking about it, you probably
wouldn't have played those guys JV. But now with the
six quarters, we just felt like as sophomores, they would
help their development just to get more playing time, you know.
And they've accepted that. They've played two quarters two quarters
of d V all year and I think it has

(04:46):
helped them develop. But they've had some really really big
moments for us. I mean, Isaac Cooley had a ten
point game against Courthouse in the middle of the year
that you know, in a game we won by six,
and you know, Jack Quelch and several moments this year
is hit big shots at the end of quarters when
we played over at Piked and he came up with

(05:07):
two big steals in the last couple of minutes and
kind of changed that game. And you know, so you're
talking about guys who have come off and really given
us quality minutes. Not to mention, you know, I don't
want to leave Dolphin and Mitchell and David Longow, you know,
as well, because we've pretty consistently went nine deep. But
you know, those guys have done a nice job for

(05:28):
us two coming in and playing the post position for us,
and David plays a little bit of post and a
little bit of wings, So you know, it's just it's
been good to have that depth because you know, not
every team has it, and you know, when you can
only go five deep, it's fine if everything works out
perfectly right, but a lot of times it doesn't without trouble, injuries, whatever,
And it's nice to know as a coach that we

(05:51):
can go a little deeper into our match.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
We'll coach the that me and the last show of
the regular season for basketball, we always like to give
coaches a chance to talk seniors, coaching staff, wherever you
want to go with it. There's no wrong way to
do it.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
You know.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
As a first year coach, I always think there's challenges,
but I always thought, I don't know your take on this, uh,
that that can be a difficult relationship with the seniors.
You know, talk to me about the seniors and and
what that's been like for you in your transition here
into UNIODA this year.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, you know, we've had a good group of three
three seniors for us, you know, Blake Hoops and KB
Perkins and Cave and cut Right, and it's a good
group of kids. It's a group that's easy to get
along with off the court, you know, just kind of
in the hallways of school, and you know, in terms

(06:42):
of them, you know, when we meet as captains or whatever.
It's been a good group of kids. And on the court,
I feel like they've given us just a lot, honestly.
I mean, I think you know, KB, we played without
him all summer and he didn't get cleared off that kneeend,
you ready to even start playing until about first November.

(07:06):
I honestly would have never guessed he'd be ready by
game one, but he had. He was, and he's played,
you know, every game for us, but says a lot
about him. I think, just to just to play basketball
when he could have easily said, you know, I'm not
full go yet, I'll just wait for baseball. Whatever he's played.
And you know, I can tell you from the summer
we weren't as good without him as we've been with him.

(07:30):
Cave and cut Right is just I think had an
outstanding breakout season. You're talking about a kid who played
limited minutes early last year, and then once Showbotz Showblock
got hurt, he played a little bit more. But he's
really stepped into a whole different role this year. I
think he's one of the better defenders and you know,
in our league, and a kid who's given us some

(07:50):
scoring punch and just some you know, just the dynamic
transition type player that gets us out running a little bit.
So I'm really proud of the progress he's made than
Blake Hoops, you know, being a fourth year varsity kid.
I mean, obviously it's probably even a tougher transition for him, right,
you know, with with his dad always having coached him,

(08:12):
and then you know, his dad steps away and here
he is a senior having to get used to somebody new.
And you know, I think I think he's handled it
really well. He's been certainly you know, supportive of me
and cooperative with me and what I've asked him to do.
And I think that he's had a really good year.
You know, you're talking about somebody who's he's averaged twelve
thirteen points, about six rebounds, about three assists. You know,

(08:34):
I think he's really put up some good numbers. And
so yeah, those three guys for a for a first
year coach at a school, I think that's pretty fortunate
to have seniors like that.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
Well, that sounds good. W KKJ will be out there
tomorrow night. Then we'll follow into the tournament trail next
week where I know you'll have a tough opponent and
logan ELM and just best of luck to you as
you try to finish this off tomorrow night and end
of the postseason.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
All right, I appreciate you guys. Thanks