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In sports teams earn the right to be called champions.
The New York Giants aren't the only ones who woke up this morning calling themselves champions.
The girls basketball players from St. John, Monroe Central, Barnesville and Indian Creek went back to school today with some shiny new hardware to show off.
Those four girls' basketball teams laid claim to OVAC basketball championships during Saturday's inaugural Wheeling Hospital OVAC Girls Basketball Championship and by virtue of their victories earned the right to be a champion.
It's been well documented how OVAC champions in the sports of boys and girls basketball had previously been known as paper champions because the standings system determined who would receive the pennant at the annual OVAC Banquet of Champions in the spring.
However, thanks to the OVAC's willingness to think outside the box and try something new, the tournament system came to fruition and teams had to earn the title.
And earning was needed for a couple of teams. St. John and Indian Creek were the top seeds in the 1-A and 4-A tournaments, respectively. By that we mean, those two teams would have probably been the champion anyhow, but those two games this week completed the 20-game slate, so they would have two additional games somewhere along the way.
But for Monroe Central and Barnesville, they'd be sitting at home right now preparing for the Ohio post-season tournament not giving the OVAC title a second thought because of their spot in the standings. Monroe Central was second to Steubenville Catholic and heck Barnesville was third, trailing Martins Ferry and Wheeling Central.
The point we're trying to make is that this is the way it's supposed to be done. Teams should have to go out and earn a championship. We understand that the teams who won the past championships earned them per say through their regular season accomplishments, but take the 2-A final for instance.
Monroe Central and Steubenville Catholic play totally different schedules. They don't play each other, so who's to say who's the better team. A guy with a calculator or a spread sheet? We don't think so and the OVAC didn't think so. It's just one example.
Barnesville is another prime example. The Lady Shamrocks could have folded their tents during a stretch of the season when they lost five games in a row. In the old system, the Lady Shamrocks wouldn't have a prayer of winning the title if you go through a stretch and lose five in a row.
However, Jamie Carpenter -- who's done a tremendous job in his first season -- continue to drill his team that if they got it turned around in time, they could still sneak into the fourth spot. Well, they snuck into the third spot thanks to a Megan Kemp buzzer-beating trey almost two weeks ago against Shadyside and from there the rest is history.
But, it's just another example as to why the tournament format was needed. The entire body of work a team puts forth deserves some consideration, we agree.
If you look at it, the entire season does earn you something. It earns your spot on the bracket. But, if you are playing well this time of the year, you know the end of the season when teams hope to be their best, good things can happen, I.E. Barnesville, a team can make ammends for a bad stretch and walk away with a banner.
Every coin has two sides, so is there bitterness from Steubenville Catholic and Martins Ferry, the teams that were denied the OVAC title because of the new system.
Not a bit, at least from what their coaches said during the press conferences Saturday.
Kevin Barr of Steubenville Catholic told reporters, "Before this event, it was a paper champion. We like this event and this is the way a champion should be decided, and that's on the court."
Dave Reasbeck -- who guided his Lady Purple Riders to a 15-5 mark during the season and also a Buckeye 8 championship -- was already thinking about next year's event and hoping to return.
While the teams were strutting around their trophies and individual medals, there was a group of people strutting around with nice red shirts on. The OVAC Basketball Committee deserves another pat on the back. The group -- spearheaded by Rick DeLuca and Tom Rataiczak -- did a super job of having everything run smoothly.
We're told that DeLuca arrived at the site before 7 a.m. and it was well after nine when we left and he was still there. Quite a day. But, if you want something to go well and be the class event that it was, those are the kind of man hours that are needed.
The OVAC has its critics for one reason or another. However, no one can criticize the effort the conference puts in to make its championships a first-class event for the kids, coaches, schools and fans.
No conference tournament -- short of the Big Ten or Big East -- gets the amount of media coverage that the OVAC gets. No conference tournament at the high school level gives the type of awards and no one treats the kids quite like the OVAC.
And while people can argue about things the OVAC does until they are blue in the face, the fact of the matter is the OVAC does it for the kids. And isn't that what it's all about?
BOYS TOURNAMENT
The committee went back to work early Sunday morning at the OVAC office to set up the boys tournament, which opens Tuesday and again the match-ups appear to be fair on all levels.
The races for the conference banner are going to be heated. Each of the four classes has chances to be tremendous games Saturday at OUE as well as the semi-final games.
The Class 3-A battle was one that definitely came down to the final weekend. Union Local -- which lost late in the season to Harrison Central and Martins Ferry before beating Buckeye Local last Friday -- was left out in the cold. The Jets were nosed out by six-hundredths of a point for the fourth spot by Wheeling Central.
Taking 3-A a step further, how about the St. Clairsville Red Devils. They sat around and waited for the announcement not to see whether or not they'd be in, but where they'd be playing. The Red Devils led the 3-A chase most of the season, but were defeated at Martins Ferry last Wednesday and therefore left its fate in the hands of the dreaded calculator.
Well, Magnolia's Friday game with John Marshall was postponed due to weather issues and couple that with St. C.'s win over Edison and the result is the Red Devils will welcome the Blue Eagles to Belmont County.
We really feel that all of the divisions are wide-open. That should lead to great games come Saturday.
Again this week, The Times Leader will publish a preview edition similar to the one that was produced for the girls' weekend and it will be included in Friday's edition.
QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND
While being stationed in each of the four press conferences after the OVAC Girls Championship games, there were several one-liners and cliches passed around, but one quote seemed to jump out at the media contingent.
It was after the Barnesville-Martins Ferry game. Allie Doan -- a senior for Barnesville -- was being interviewed about the game she produced, which included 16 points.
Asked what she thought allowed her to play that well she responded with, "I ate my Wheaties this morning."
Endorsements for prep athletes aren't allowed, but she could find herself on the front of a box of cereal in local groceries stores soon for that type of publicity she gave.
OFFICIATING
While the players, workers and tournament staff have been patted on the back all weekend, I thought the officiating crews for the games were outstanding.
During the regular season -- no matter the gym you go into -- there's always chirping on the officials. No matter who it is, who's playing or the call that was made, someone is going to be chirping.
Well, there was still a little bit of that and that's going to happen, but for the most part the officiating was outstanding. There's always going to be questionable calls and the official will probably see something different than someone sitting in the stands. However, the officials were in position to make calls and most importantly worked extremely hard. Sometimes, people get the impression that officials don't like to do girls' games or don't feel they are as important.
Well, the 12 guys who worked Saturday earned their pay checks.
Working tournament games in Ohio or Wes Virginia is an honor because it's through a system of coaches votes, which select the officials. Working an OVAC Championship game is an honor that's been earned as well.
Staskey can be reached at sstaskey@timesleaderonline.com