By Staff
The Dowagiac varsity basketball team has reached a critical point in its basketball season.
The Chieftains are 4-6 heading into tonight's contest at Battle Creek Harper Creek.
Dowagiac had a chance to reach .500 on Tuesday night against a Cassopolis team it defeated by 22 points earlier in the season.
The Chieftains didn't get the job done and are now facing must wins against Harper Creek and Portage Northern on Tuesday night.
The Chieftains were poised to potentially put together a five-game winning streak and creep above .500 for the first time in a couple of years this late into the season.
Dowagiac quite frankly didn't come ready to play against the Rangers, who are much improved from their Dec. 29, 2003 meeting in White Pigeon with the Chieftains.
You could see a let down coming from a mile away on Tuesday night.
Dowagiac came out flat, expecting to just show up and beat the Rangers.
You would think by now that this squad would have learned that it must come to play every night. It must give 100 percent effort every night or it's not going to win.
There aren't any teams on Dowagiac's schedule that the Chieftains can just go through the motions and defeat.
Tuesday was the second time this season that Dowagiac has tried that.
The Chieftains failed to play hard against White Pigeon in the championship game of the holiday tournament and it cost them a title trophy.
I honestly hope that this group of players learns from those past mistakes and shows up tonight ready to play, both emotionally and physically.
Dowagiac still has a chance to have a solid season under their new head coach and in order to do so must win these next two games.
Dowagiac will then head back into Big 16 Conference West Division play against St. Joseph and Lakeshore before seeing Sturgis and Coldwater.
I believe Dowagiac can compete with the Bears and the Lancers. I know they have a shot at beating Sturgis and Coldwater as well.
But those games are down the road and the Chieftains need to focus on tonight's non-division contest with Harper Creek and then take care of business next Tuesday when the Huskies come to town.
Then they can worry about getting back into the West Division race.
When the Chieftains are playing well they are moving the ball around and are aggressive on defense. In five of their six losses that hasn't been the case.
Hopefully they will get back into that frame of mind beginning tonight.