Westside Has "Confidence" Heading into Postseason

Friday night after his teams' 83-70 win over Thomson, Westside Coach Marvin Fields said simply that the season-ending win would give his team "confidence."  Now, that game was not a region game.  So, maybe you are wondering why a non-region win would give the Patriots confidence going forward into the region tournament.  I am going to try to tell you in my opinion (which does not mean much) why I think the win should give Westside confidence.


First, let's take a look at what happened during the game.  Thomson was very much in control of the game Friday night for the majority of the first half.  And they were doing this at Westside's home court.  So, with the game not being a region game it would have been very easy for Westside to just "lay down" and take the defeat knowing it would not hurt them much.  But, instead the Patriots showed a lot of poise, heart, and determination as they slowly crept back into the game.  They did not get rattled at all; rather, they chipped away at the lead until finally in the fourth quarter they ran away with the game.  And lets not forget that they did this against a Thomson team that finished the season 16-6 and the #2 seed in region 3-AAA. Friday night, they showed a lot of characteristics that will suit them well in the playoffs.

Probably the most obvious reason for "confidence" is the fact that Westside has Frank Booker.  We all know how talented Booker is.  Each night he reminds us of that, as he knocks down deep 3 after deep 3.  He has also shown the knack for showing up big in big games, as well.  In two of Westside's biggest wins, against Laney, Booker scored 30+ points each night.  So, he is a talented, senior leader who also seems to have a "clutch gene" and an ability to take over games.  That is a plus for Westside and a negative for everyone else in the playoffs.
 
Now, the region 3-AA tournament also sets up well for Westside.  They have already played Harlem, Screven County, and Laney.  They are a combined 6-0 against those teams with an average margin of victory of 34 points.  While this is not a reason to become complacent, it is a reason for "confidence".

So, going into the region tournament I believe that Westside has these few reasons to be "confident" (among others I am sure).  Let me know if you agree or disagree with my opinions. I would love to hear from you.