It is hard to believe, but tonight is the end of another regular season. While basketball season is the longest of any sports season, when it begins winding down, I am constantly amazed at how fast it seemed to go by. While this will conclude my 14th regular season as a high school basketball coach, in many ways, this year’s team made it as alive and exciting as my first.
I think it is fair to say that our two seniors this season have played a large part in creating great team chemistry this year. Will Petty and Ryan Martinson have both given a lot of themselves throughout this season and throughout their careers at Cook County High School.
While both of these young men contributed to our basketball family in his own unique way, they both were great role models for their teammates and friends on and off the court. I really respect both of these young men for the good choices that they have made in the classroom, and in the community. While neither of these guys is an overly vocal leader, their actions as positive young men speak volumes about their character.
Left: Ryan Martinson is one of the few boys in Cook County the last few years who can dunk a basketball. The 6’4” guard has some hops and gets the crowd going when he elevates and slams the ball down. Above: Will Petty is getting more and more playing time, and his minutes off the bench are crucial to the success of this team. Will is a great team player, a tough defender who plays within himself and takes good care of the ball.
On the court both young men have played crucial roles for the team, in practice and during games. While Ryan leads the team in scoring, he has brought something to our games that we haven’t seen for a while…the dunk! In the past few years it seems the cold Lake Superior water has blessed our program with either short players or with tall players that just couldn’t seem to jump. Ryan has bucked the trend and treated us to some highlight dunks this season, which has brought smiles to everyone on the court and all the way down our bench.
Will is never going to dunk a basketball, unless he is at home with the Nerf hoop at the top of his bedroom door. However, Will is the consummate team player. As a senior, Will isn’t a starter, but he is vital to our games each and every night. Our team in not overly deep this season, as Will is usually the only player coming off the bench to give a teammate relief. Will’s play is therefore under a microscope, but time and time again, Will has given us a huge lift off the bench.
What I really admire about both of these young men is their personal character. I respect both of these guys a great deal and I am appreciative of how much they have dedicated themselves to our youth basketball program. Every Saturday morning in the winter, they come in to coach our kindergarten through third graders. We may have just played in McGregor the night before, but these guys come in and give their time to our youth.
It has been a personal blessing to have coached these fine young men. Despite the fact that I yell at Ryan for leaving his feet to make a pass, or get on Will for “over-thinking,” I have really enjoyed my time with these two fine young men.
The playoffs start next week and I hope we can make a great tournament run that goes deep into the section playoffs. This has been a great team to coach and I have loved every minute of coaching both Will and Ryan.
Mitch Dorr, a Cook County High School Class of 1993 graduate, is now a social studies teacher and coach at his former alma mater. Mitch coaches Vikings football and boys’ basketball. Coach Dorr’s comments do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ISD 166 school board or administration.
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