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| BROSSART BLESSED WITH TIMING Mike Fields, Herald-Leader Staff Writer BoysSweetSixteen At the beginning of the season Bishop Brossart wasn't ranked among the top 12 teams in Northern Kentucky, and it didn't rate among the top five in the 10th Region. At the end of the regular season the Mustangs lost five of their last six games, and weren't even a blip on the Sweet Sixteen radar screen. So guess who's making its first trip to the Boys' State Basketball Tournament? Yep. Bishop Brossart. So much for pre-season polls and late-season momentum. Coach Willie Schlarman's Mustangs discovered some March magic, escaped with last-second victories in the regional semifinals and finals and now find themselves galloping into Rupp Arena feeling their oats. "We kept stressing to this group that if we played to the best of our ability, it was possible to win the region," Schlarman said. "And we played our best when it counted the most." In the region semifinals against St. Patrick, Brossart's Jeff Clark drove the baseline for a layup to put his team ahead 61-59 with 16 second left. St. Pat had a chance to tie when it had two free throws with three seconds remaining. But the Saints converted only one. In the region finals the next night, Brossart and host Mason County were tied 50-50 when Mustangs star Justin Seiter drove the lane and hit a shot as time expired, sending his team to the state tournament. It was no surprise that Seiter played the role of hero. The 6-foot-2 senior has been Brossart's leader all season. "He's just an incredible athlete," Schlarman said. "His best sport is baseball -- he's a super, super baseball player. But if he'd pursue basketball in college, he'd do great in it, too. "He has a great mind for the game. He understands how to do the right things, and how to lead. He's gotten the most out of his teammates the last two weeks." Seiter and junior Chris Ryan are the Mustangs' go-to guys. Seiter is second in scoring (15.9) and first in rebounds (6.7), assists (3.7) and steals (3.9). Ryan tops the team in scoring (16.1) and three-pointers (55). But this is very much a "team." Scott Ruth also averages in double figures (10.8), while Dave Enzweiler and Clark combine for 11 points and eight rebounds a game. "We've got real good chemistry," Schlarman said. "Everybody understands his role and they realize everybody's got to do their jobs if we expect to win." Brossart didn't get the job done in the All "A" regional when it was outscored by Nicholas County 24-12 in the last quarter. The Mustangs' goal of reaching the small school state tournament got trampled. "It wasn't as much disappointment as it was frustration with ourselves," Schlarman said. "We went back to boot camp after that. It was not a fun three-week period. But that may have been what the doctor ordered." Brossart has a difficult first-round test in the Sweet Sixteen. It faces 1st Region champ Graves County. Coach Allan Hatcher's Eagles are always well-disciplined and tough defensively. "I really have no idea what we're getting into," Schlarman said, "and we might be better off that way. "All I know is nobody gave us a chance when the season started, and our guys rallied around that. They wanted to be a good basketball team, and they've become that." While this is the Mustangs' first Sweet Sixteen, it is Schlarman's fourth experience. He played for Highlands' 1982 and '83 Ninth Region champs, and was an assistant coach when the Bluebirds reached the 1997 championship game before losing to Eastern. Bishop Brossart vs. Graves County, 1 p.m. Thursday * State tournaments past: This is Brossart's first Sweet Sixteen. |