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Local Sports from The CourierThursday, February 14, 2013Prep Basketball: Findlay to seek strong finishsTAFF WRITER Findlay High coach Jim Rucki spent a lot of time getting ready for the 2012-13 boys basketball season. It was another season, the cold and flu season, that caught him by surprise. "Either we've been really, really lucky in the past or this is just very unusual because I have never been through anything like this," Rucki said Tuesday after Findlay's 74-43 win over Toledo St. Francis. "I've never seen anything like it. It seems like every day somebody was sick or somebody was injured. Maybe it's just one of those things, one of those years." Michael Clark and Austin Gutting were under the weather Tuesday, but gutted it out to help Findlay notch its 11th win in 19 games. Under the new 22-game schedule, Findlay needs at least two more wins in its final three regular-season games and tournament to be guaranteed of a 14th consecutive winning season. That in itself would be a testament to the depth and tradition of Findlay's program considering only two starters -- Gutting and junior guard Braden Miller -- have been available for all 19 games. "Last year, we had the same starting lineup every single game. The year before that we played 24 games and had the same starting lineup in 23 of them," said Rucki, who has used 14 different players at one time or another. "After the game (Tuesday) we told the guys we were proud of them because we have faced a lot of tough stuff this year, but we've battled through it and we've kept our head above water. "We've not always played real well, but we've stuck with it. We just have to hope that we're going to get completely healthy and we're going to start playing really well and maybe we can do some damage here at the end of the year." Findlay (11-8, 6-5 TRAC) is at Oregon Clay (1-18, 0-12) for a Three Rivers Athletic Conference contest Friday. The Trojans and Eagles will also square off on Feb. 26 in the Division I sectional semifinals at Liberty-Benton. Friday's game is Findlay's last road trip of the regular season. The Trojans will host Toledo Central Catholic (17-2, 9-2) Tuesday and Lima Senior (7-13, 4-8) on Feb. 22. Findlay's girls will also be wrapping up league play this week. The Trojans (16-4, 10-2), who have second place locked up behind league champion Toledo Notre Dame (18-3, 13-0), are at Lima Senior (12-9, 6-7) today and will be at Toledo St. Ursula (5-11, 2-10) on Saturday to make up a game postponed by bad weather on Feb. 4. TRAC Boys Standings League Overall Toledo St. John's 11 1 17 3 Toledo Whitmer 10 2 15 5 Tolwdo Central Catholic 9 2 15 3 Findlay 6 5 11 8 Fremont Ross 6 6 11 7 Lima Senior 4 8 6 14 Toledo St. Francis 1 11 1 17 Oregon Clay 0 12 1 17 FRIDAY'S TRAC GAMES Findlay at Oregon Clay Toledo Central Catholic at Toledo Whitmer Toledo St. John's at Lima Senior Fremont Ross at Toledo St. Francis TRAC Girls Standings League Overall Toledo Notre Dame 13 0 18 3 Findlay 10 2 16 4 Toledo Central Catholic 9 4 12 7 Toledo Whitmer 8 5 15 6 Lima Senior 6 7 12 9 Oregon Clay 3 10 5 16 Toledo St. Ursula 2 10 5 11 Fremont Ross 0 13 5 16 TODAY'S TRAC GAMES Findlay at Lima Senior Fremont Ross at Toledo Whitmer Oregon Clay at Toledo St. Ursula Toledo Central Catholic at Toledo Notre Dame SATURDAY'S TRAC GAME Findlay at Toledo St. Ursula Hanneman: 419-427-8408, davehanneman@thecourier.com Subscribe to The Courier. |
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