Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: And welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to in the Nessie Emmaus athletic podcast. I'm your co host Shane Douglas, here with my other co host, Matthew Thomason. Matt, how are you doing today?
[00:00:24] Speaker B: Am. Good, Shane. Welcome back, by the way.
[00:00:27] Speaker A: Thank you, man. I have been traveling a lot.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Yeah, thanks for doing that.
[00:00:30] Speaker A: I've gone to over 16 places just within the past couple of weeks, which has been really insane, but it's good for the school. And the jars of clay.
[00:00:41] Speaker B: Jars of clay. Fill the jars.
[00:00:42] Speaker A: Not jars of clay, but fill the jars. So I actually do like that reference, but either way, big news.
Bubbler has a new flavor.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: They do.
[00:00:55] Speaker A: That's the news to really talk about here. That's why you guys all here. And we got bubbler. I'm not big lemon lime guy. I said it earlier. Definitely bottom tier. If you're a bubbler fan, I think this is a consensus bottom one. If you like lemon lime, please message us. I haven't met someone who is a fan of it.
This has been in my mini fridge for, like, two months. Dang, will you like lemon lime? Dang will put your mic on.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: What I do? Yeah, it's actually one of the only.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: Ones that I like.
That's insane.
[00:01:27] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like what? I don't know. Some of the other ones just aren't that great, I guess. Most of the popular ones.
[00:01:34] Speaker A: I don't really don't.
Well, besides Will, if you also like lemon lime, then crazy.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: Our local bubbler ambassador, Landon, and, yeah.
[00:01:46] Speaker A: He'S got nice hair, so I'm sure the Festlers will be loving that comment. But the new bubbler flavor is wild cherry.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: Interesting.
[00:01:57] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:58] Speaker B: That's the video they released this morning, right?
[00:02:00] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a wild cherry thing.
[00:02:05] Speaker B: That's it.
[00:02:07] Speaker A: It's called wild cherry chiller. That's what it's called. So if you're a cherry fan, you love it. But there's already a cherry flavor.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: I know. That's why it's like, what so stupid interesting.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: Whatever. I'm not a big cherry fan. But moving on, another good surprise. We have a new mascot for our show.
Here he is. He's a little beautiful creature. Matt doesn't like him, but I love him. I got him for free.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Nice.
[00:02:32] Speaker A: Just let him be sitting here representing the eagle shirt, holding the bubbler. All right.
[00:02:38] Speaker B: And then he is.
[00:02:39] Speaker A: He's our number one fan. He's been around.
[00:02:41] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: Besides that, pew pew.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: But before we start, if you guys missed our most recent episode, where I interviewed our former volleyball coach, coach Neil Pittman, and we talked about the history of Emmaus women's volleyball, I would really recommend and suggest that you guys go back and watch that episode, because there's a lot of great information just about Emmaus and kind of the steps they took to make volleyball, intercollegiate, and just the whole history in these last 15 years of it. So would really encourage you guys to check out that episode if you haven't already. Good.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: Listen, it's pretty long. So something you can put in the background. Just listen. Which essentially is what every podcast should be. You have not liked my little party starters of Bubbler and the little guy. You don't like this. You're not talkative. Do you want me to talk? See, every time I talk about the other topic, you love to talk about that. But now that I'm letting you do.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: Your thing, what, I bring up Taylor.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: Swift, then you just love it. But then now I don't. I want to go one podcast without talking about this.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: But you brought it up. Yeah, because you love talking about her zero days. See, there it is.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: See, there it is.
[00:03:49] Speaker B: You shane brought it up.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: See, now you're talking. But you weren't talking before. Okay, let's move on.
[00:03:53] Speaker B: Anyway, moving.
[00:03:54] Speaker A: So today's podcast, guys, we're going to talk about a couple things. We're going to recap conference play this past weekend and talk about postseason action. Yeah, we are into postseason action. So recapping conference play from last weekend as well as regional play this weekend with all fall sports all going at it. So that's going to be great. Basketball starting up this Friday, tomorrow, let's go. It's going to be awesome. So a little bit of the basketball season. We're going to talk about what we're looking forward to for the winter and early spring sports of basketball, men's and women's. And then we're going to highlight a specific individual, which will be awesome, and see what they have given to the Emmaus student campus as well as the athletic program here at Emmaus Bible College. So let's get started with conference play. Matt, let's talk about it. What are the results? Man? Give it to us.
[00:04:47] Speaker B: Yep. So we're looking at volleyball. So volleyball came into conference as the fourth, but first off, I want to say conference this year has been nuts because we've consistently had three, if not usually four teams in our conference in the top ten in the nation. So conference has been it's been extremely competitive this year. This has been one of the better conferences in a long time, which is really cool to see.
[00:05:12] Speaker A: And you don't want to put anything down, but typically the MCC hasn't had this level of competitive teams for a long really because what we've talked about a lot in the past is Manhattan has always been in conversation for Nationals, for Regional, as one of the top teams in the nation, we've always been top five. Yeah, but then every other team like Faith, faith, US, Calvary, Calvary, Barclay, Ozark, we always switch central. Yeah, usually it's like, okay, Manhattan and Faith, and then next year is Manhattan and Emmaus.
[00:05:47] Speaker B: But this year, yeah, I've seen four teams. I mean, in this last poll, I mean, it was Manhattan one, Calvary five, Faith ten. So right there. So we started the tournament in the fourth seed, and we ended the tournament in fourth place. So we had kind of like the playing game. We played the fifth seed Ozark, who we split in the regular season and we ended up winning three one, which.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: Was started off pretty rocky.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: Started off we lost the first set, but then we won the next three, which was good. That they were able to take that surprise and then win shows a lot.
[00:06:20] Speaker A: Of confidence and maturity of the team, which is what we've been talking about.
[00:06:22] Speaker B: It does. And then after we won, we played the one seed Manhattan, who ended up winning conference undefeated in conference play. They've had such an incredible year.
[00:06:36] Speaker A: Did they only take any sets off them at conference?
[00:06:39] Speaker B: They only lost like four sets total.
[00:06:42] Speaker A: Like within 15 NCAA.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: Yeah, something like that. Which is crazy.
The power ratings come out later, but we'll see what the national rankings are. Excuse me. And then so after losing that, they went to the championship. We went to the third 4th place game, which was another rematch against Faith, who was the 10th seed, who we split in the regular season.
We won 30 at home. We lost three one there and we ended up losing 30 to take fourth place. So it was unfortunate that we did not take a set or we didn't play as well as we were hoping to in the third place game. But we started fourth. We finished fourth. Some really good moments were Caitlin and Jenica both got second team all conference as freshmen.
[00:07:31] Speaker A: That's nice.
[00:07:32] Speaker B: Which is really awesome. And another thing which is cool is are we in the upside down, the lights are flickering.
We got the sportsmanship award again. So good job.
[00:07:43] Speaker A: That's good.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: To our volleyball team, which is cool. Like, hey, you can be competitive. Yes, you can be good and you can be nice.
[00:07:50] Speaker A: I'm going to say this, it's easy to get the Sportsmanship Award when you're the worst team in the conference or in whatever region you're in, but to get it when you're actually competing and you're beating the teams is even more cool because honestly, we've both been a part of the teams in the past. And I'll be honest, I don't think there's like a team, the EMEA soccer team I've seen or been a part of that didn't deserve it. I'll be like, there are some other teams like Calvary, there's either Calvary or us. But once when we started doing good in soccer, our teams and our attitude honestly did not change.
[00:08:23] Speaker B: But the award, we joke, but seriously, we always say it's actually the Faith Emmaus award. Yeah, but yeah, so that was really cool to see that they won they especially how they won it last year, where they were at last year, to just the great lengths they've come to this year and they still got it. So keeping the main thing, which is really awesome.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: Our girls just got more awards in heaven.
Who's the real winner? Moving on.
[00:08:47] Speaker B: I want to talk real quick. So we had some milestones that we've hit this year or about to hit for volleyball. So right now, Caitlin is 23 kills away from hitting 300 kills on the season in her career, which is awesome. Michelle just surpassed 500 assists on the season.
[00:09:07] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: And Jenica, wow, just surpassed 500 digs this season. Wow. Which is crazy. Insert as a freshman, which is awesome. Wow. And then Salah just surpassed 200 kills. So we've had some stats this year, which is pretty awesome to see, but.
[00:09:25] Speaker A: It'S super encouraging for the freshmen to see where we're at with that.
[00:09:30] Speaker B: Those are all four freshmen, and we.
[00:09:31] Speaker A: Just got to see that translate to the field. And the thing is, every game has been close this year.
We're in it.
[00:09:39] Speaker B: So I'm just really excited to see how they take this go with next year with the talent coming in. So it'll be awesome. But yes. Moving to soccer.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: Soccer, man, what a crazy week for.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: It was for soccer.
Two crazy, crazy games. So we came into the tournament as the two seed playing the three seed Manhattan, who we lost at their place, won at our place. And it was funny because coach McHugh called it. He said, our game is going to go to PKS, and then the championship game is going to go to PKS. And our game, lo and behold, witness PKS. It was two to two.
We scored with like we were down to one, and we scored in the final three minutes to send the game to PKS, which was crazy. And then in PKS, we didn't have Tucker at in goal because he got two yellow cards, which was crazy. And up for discussion.
[00:10:33] Speaker A: Both questionable calls.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: As far as we'll go, no, I'll say this. I will say this. One questionable call. One outrageous, hideous made, like, bonehead call. I'll say that. I will say it made no sense. Yes.
[00:10:46] Speaker B: You should not have gotten that other card. It was crazy. So we were without our starting goalie, without a PK, without a kicker for one of the PKS. And so ended up actually Christian came in off the bench and played goalie on that and did pretty good, but they ended up winning. I think it was either five four, it was actually three, four. I think we blocked one, they blocked two. And so they won in PKS to go the championship, which was, like, stinks.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: It definitely would have changed the game a little bit.
You can't say for sure it would change the outcome, but having Tucker and goal would have changed a little bit. But great job. And I think I'm encouraged to see Christian come off the bench hurt.
[00:11:38] Speaker B: It was crazy. He literally went up there, got the first PK, scored it, and then walked up to the goal to do the saves, and crowd was like, oh, my goodness, no way.
[00:11:47] Speaker A: But, yeah, it was really cool to see. And I think if I was a teammate on the bench or on the field and having Christian really put the team before himself is really awesome. Hopefully, honestly, you look at the team, you look at the results and you ask yourself, if we were a healthy team, things could have been different.
So you can't really go more into that. Honestly, we can say here and be like, yeah, we would have won if everyone was healthy, but who knows what everyone all the other teams are.
[00:12:22] Speaker B: I know Manhattan had a couple hurt guys, so you never know.
[00:12:24] Speaker A: And the thing is, at the end of the like with the ref and those calls is you can't let the ref be part of the they if it comes to an end of the game and a decision of the referee is impacting game, you shouldn't have put yourself in that situation before.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: And it's also like how we say in basketball, if I missed the game winning shot, okay, I missed the game winning shot. Yeah, that's unfortunate. But where else in the game could people have done stuff differently so we wouldn't have gotten or even yourself. Or myself, yeah. If you're like, oh, I'm mad at you because you missed the shot, or whatever, it's like, well, what could I have done the previous 40 minutes, the previous 90 minutes to be able to get us to not be in the situation or something like that?
[00:13:06] Speaker A: It's tough.
[00:13:07] Speaker B: Yeah. So we lost Manhattan, ended up going to the championship game in which they played Faith, and then Faith beat them in PKS. So we played in the third place game against Ozark for the third time. This ahead.
[00:13:23] Speaker A: It's just really tough to see and we got to wrap this up, but it's just really tough to see that. We have always been so close. We've only won conference once, but we've always been right there. We've been to semis and the championship so much and it's just like I'm excited to see this team moving forward.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Me too.
[00:13:41] Speaker A: Of how literally, it's such a big.
[00:13:44] Speaker B: Learning moment, like how we kept saying last year and even early this year, a lot of it comes down to just learning how to win. You got to learn how to win. You learn how to be clutch in those moments because you take that and you're like, okay, this is where we could have been. What do I got to do now this offseason to get better so that we're in the same position but better? Yeah.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: And I see if we retain the players that we have this year, I don't just see an impact on the field we have. I see an impact in the community here at Emmaus and seeing them get more involved.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: I mean, how fun was it seeing half the team, most of the team doing trunk or treat?
[00:14:17] Speaker A: I know.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: Super cool.
[00:14:18] Speaker A: Super cool.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: Yeah. So we ended up going third place game, played Ozark for a third time. It's always hard to beat a team three times regardless of how good they are, how not good they are.
[00:14:26] Speaker A: It's true.
[00:14:27] Speaker B: But it was really good because Pogs, Caleb Pogon, got his first starting goal and 10 shutout.
[00:14:35] Speaker A: Yeah. Clean sheet.
[00:14:36] Speaker B: Clean sheet. So super proud of Pogs for that. That was awesome.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: No shade on Tucker, but I don't think Tucker had a clean sheet.
[00:14:44] Speaker B: They did.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: They both had one.
I'm so sorry, Tucker. I didn't mean that.
[00:14:50] Speaker B: He's not going to want to talk to you either now. I'm just kidding. But yeah. So that was awesome. So they finished third place. Christian, Josh and Tucker received first team all conference.
[00:15:00] Speaker A: Well deserved.
[00:15:01] Speaker B: And then Caleb, Hunter, Edwin, and Bennett got second team. All conference.
[00:15:04] Speaker A: Also well deserved.
[00:15:06] Speaker B: So we got some awards coming back.
[00:15:08] Speaker A: Who got second team?
[00:15:09] Speaker B: Bennett, edwin and Caleb Hunter.
[00:15:11] Speaker A: Awesome.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:15:11] Speaker A: Sweet.
[00:15:12] Speaker B: That's awesome. I know. So that's really cool.
[00:15:14] Speaker A: I'm looking forward to this team moving forward, and we can talk about soccer team and volleyball team a lot. And either way, both teams going to conference, volleyball had a tough schedule ahead of them, but looking at it and I think both teams could see a path to victory.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:15:29] Speaker A: Especially on the soccer standpoint, especially with health. But moving forward, in five years, we're not going to be talking about we're close. We're going to be talking about how we're there. We're there.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: Ahead to regional, both teams. So volleyball got the three seed.
[00:15:46] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:15:47] Speaker B: And they're playing the two seed marinatha. So they're playing Friday. So tomorrow at 06:00 P.m.. And then soccer, we got the one seed.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: There we go.
[00:15:56] Speaker B: Power ratings, which is awesome.
[00:15:57] Speaker A: That helps.
[00:15:58] Speaker B: So we're playing the four seed marinatha at 1230 tomorrow.
So volleyball is at Moody for regionals and soccer is at Marinatha, so it'll be at Marinatha's home court, which we won and tied. And I've heard to mention for soccer, we haven't lost in, I think, seven games. So we're like four and three in the last seven games. Haven't lost in seven games.
Because I guess I was talking to Coach McHugh and he said that I.
[00:16:23] Speaker A: Guess well, we lost him.
[00:16:24] Speaker B: Well, he said that going into a tie and losing in PKS doesn't count as a loss.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: No, it's a tie.
[00:16:31] Speaker B: And I was like, oh, interesting. So we haven't lost seven games. So yeah, we play both marinatha, volleyball and soccer.
[00:16:37] Speaker A: I think we still lost.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: Yeah, because we didn't make it championship. So that's looking ahead. So soccer, if they win, they play the winner of Grace and Great Lakes, who are the two, three seeds. And then volleyball would then play most likely if they won, they would play most likely Grace. Christian.
[00:16:54] Speaker A: It's kind of funny, the contrast here of with the volleyball team going into our conference play.
It was a very tough road that you could see the end, but it's very tough. A lot of teams are going to have to play your best and they're going to have to not play as free. Exactly.
[00:17:09] Speaker B: Free.
[00:17:09] Speaker A: Exactly.
And then soccer is like, this should be ours, right? You flip it for regionals. Exactly. Like the volleyball team open.
[00:17:19] Speaker B: But we got really fortunate to get that one seed. So we don't have to play Great and Great Lakes, we just have to beat Marinatha and then beat one of those two powerhouse.
[00:17:28] Speaker A: It's still open for both, but for volleyball, it's like anyone, it's with more reach.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: Volleyball. Yeah. So we'll see.
[00:17:37] Speaker A: That was fantastic example.
[00:17:39] Speaker B: Yeah. And then looking ahead, cross country. So cross country didn't have anything this week, but they go to the national race next week, so that'll be in Warsaw, Indiana, at Grace College in Indiana. They're hosting the D one and the D two cross country. And so unfortunately, we did not qualify as a team for the girls. Tough in super regionals, but so Kate and Anna are racing for the girls and Christian and Caleb are racing for the guys. So that'll be next week.
[00:18:09] Speaker A: Okay.
That's going to be looking forward to that and see where they stand and how they can grow the program with these four individuals.
[00:18:18] Speaker B: And it's fun too, because it's a totally different because the last two years, the national race was at Ozark in Missouri. So now it's totally new.
[00:18:26] Speaker A: Cold.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: Yeah, it was cold on Saturday watching them play Ozark, but yeah, but no.
[00:18:32] Speaker A: I'm looking forward to regional players. Going to be awesome. Both Marinatha games this weekend, soccer and volleyball.
[00:18:38] Speaker B: Send both teams home any day.
[00:18:40] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:18:43] Speaker B: No, we'll see.
[00:18:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:18:52] Speaker B: So yeah, a lot of excitement looking ahead for regionals.
Like we said, it's postseason. You never know what's going to happen. Just like earlier today, we were watching some Iowa State volleyball where North Scott beat Clear Creek Amana and Clear Creek Amana was 46 and had lost four sets all year and lost 30.
[00:19:10] Speaker A: So, like, anything can happen any given day. Really looking forward to regionals. The door is open for both teams. You just got to win a game. Win a couple of games and you're in. So good luck to the men's soccer team and the women's volleyball team this weekend against Marinatha and hopefully they can push it through to the championship. Let's go for regionals. It'll be super awesome if one, if not both of them can get to nationals with a freshman heavy team.
[00:19:38] Speaker B: Because soccer, we've never been to nationals for soccer. Never been. And volleyball, this would be like the third time.
[00:19:44] Speaker A: It would be just the story of the volleyball team and where they've come.
[00:19:48] Speaker B: From would be insane.
[00:19:49] Speaker A: It'd be awesome. So it would be an extremely tough play for the volleyball team and the soccer team if they do make it to nationals. So let's move on. But send your prayers up. Send your comments up to those teams going to regionals this weekend and to our cross country team going to nationals next weekend.
[00:20:06] Speaker B: Let's go.
[00:20:07] Speaker A: But Matt, as we are wrapping up the fall sports, we get to your favorite season, which is basketball.
[00:20:16] Speaker B: Oh, man. Well, Christmas came early because basketball is here.
[00:20:19] Speaker A: There you go.
[00:20:19] Speaker B: So yeah, we have some it's crazy that this semester has just flown by. Oh, my goodness. First off, but yeah, basketball. So basketball tomorrow. Basketball Saturday. So kind of funny. We're playing Trinity Baptist from North Dakota twice. Men and women are playing them on Friday night and then we're turning around and playing them again on Saturday.
[00:20:38] Speaker A: Oh, double I didn't know about the.
[00:20:40] Speaker B: Third team we're trying to get ended up backing out, unfortunately.
[00:20:42] Speaker A: So just double header.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: Yeah. So just double header. So, yeah, we play Trinity from North Dakota, who is we were in the same region last year, but yeah, they're an NCCAA Division Two team and so I'm just really excited just to have basketball back and just brand new year for both men and women, and a lot can happen. And we're just excited to have year two in Coach Parker's system and just I don't know. It's been a fun group.
[00:21:07] Speaker A: The women's team grew a little bit. The men's team grew as honestly, like, I know we were going to talk about players specifically, but I'm really excited to watch, you know, Noah Eels was a Debuker growing up here, or actually.
[00:21:20] Speaker B: No, he was mike played on the men's team.
[00:21:22] Speaker A: He wasn't a Debuker, but he was pretty much like Emmaus Eagle from childhood.
But then they moved to Dubuque when he know in middle school, high school ish age. And ever since then everyone's been saying, you're going to be an Eagle, you're going to be an Eagle. And he's an eagle.
[00:21:39] Speaker B: An Eagle.
[00:21:39] Speaker A: So it's really cool to see his upbringing. And a lot of the faculty and staff here have known Noah since he was a really so I'm excited to see him hit the court, see what he can do and how he can improve the Emegus basketball team this year.
[00:21:55] Speaker B: Yeah, so it's going to yeah, like I said, we're just super excited for this team and just see how it goes.
[00:22:01] Speaker A: I know we weren't going to like.
[00:22:02] Speaker B: I said, keep an eye out on social media for the game. So home game, obviously. So come to our home game or watch the game on our YouTube stream.
[00:22:10] Speaker A: It's going to be fun.
[00:22:11] Speaker B: Yeah, it should be.
[00:22:11] Speaker A: Double header.
[00:22:12] Speaker B: Kind of thinks that both soccer and volleyball won't be here, but it is what it is.
[00:22:17] Speaker A: Might be a little quiet in the gym, but hopefully, honestly, we don't need.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: We need to make our own energy.
[00:22:23] Speaker A: Yeah, we would love the volleyball team and the soccer team. We know they would be there. The athletic department supports one another. But for all you students I don't know if you're listening or not, but if you are, come out, man. Come out to Pollard. Support the men. Support the women that are playing tomorrow, playing Saturday.
[00:22:43] Speaker B: More importantly, if either team makes it to the regional championship game on Saturday, go to that game instead because they're both just two and a half hours away.
[00:22:51] Speaker A: Hey, that's true, actually.
[00:22:52] Speaker B: That is true.
[00:22:52] Speaker A: Maybe I'll do that. Yeah, actually, I totally will. Thank you.
[00:22:56] Speaker B: If we have a game if we'd have a game that day, I would.
[00:22:59] Speaker A: Go out, but no, that would be exciting.
[00:23:01] Speaker B: Yeah. Come to our game and definitely go to the championship games. If they go.
[00:23:04] Speaker A: What if they both go?
[00:23:05] Speaker B: That'd be wait.
[00:23:09] Speaker A: They're both wait. Where's the women playing?
[00:23:11] Speaker B: Moody in Chicago.
[00:23:12] Speaker A: Oh. And then marinatha. Marinatha.
[00:23:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:15] Speaker A: 3 hours to 2 hours.
[00:23:16] Speaker B: Tough.
[00:23:17] Speaker A: But yeah.
[00:23:18] Speaker B: Just super excited. Basketball is here and just not I can't wait for the season.
[00:23:22] Speaker A: I'll ask you this, you're part of the coach, you're part of the team more and your sister is the head coach for women's. What is one of the things that you're really looking forward to this season, specifically with this new men's team and with this new women's team?
[00:23:35] Speaker B: Like, we kept talking about how just everything's so new because we're in a new region, because the regions got realigned, anything could happen year one in the region. So I think just coming out there, being ourselves, being who we are, not being who we think we are, who we want to be or who we wish we were. Just being ourselves and going out there competing every single game. Not just a game here and there or play here and there or 38 minutes, but competing 40 minutes. And just really we've really been talking to the guys.
We are brothers on and off the court. We are a family. You want to do everything you can to support each other and to uplift each other and just be the best you can because you're not playing for yourself.
First of all, you're playing for the Lord. Secondly, you're playing for the guy right next to you. Yeah. And so I just can't wait. It's so fun. I love basketball. I know you didn't know that, but I love basketball. This is year nine, being a part of men's basketball program.
[00:24:31] Speaker A: Dude, congratulations.
[00:24:32] Speaker B: And a coach. So every year I just get super excited.
[00:24:35] Speaker A: I love watching you on the sidelines. Like, you're a fun coach to watch, but you're even more fun player to watch.
The thing that's great about you is a lot of athletes, they like, they're so focused in the sport, they're so focused in what's going on. You're focused, but then you also pay attention.
Have you see the joy and you see the fun.
[00:24:52] Speaker B: Mike, did I ever high five you on the sideline?
[00:24:54] Speaker A: I think so.
[00:24:54] Speaker B: You definitely have.
[00:24:57] Speaker A: That's the thing you give, you listen.
[00:24:59] Speaker B: Yeah. And you just have to have fun, supporting or love each other and just thanking the fans.
[00:25:06] Speaker A: On the soccer field. Like, Josiah Tuttle, he's, like, winked at me before. So just like, some of those guys are fun, too. I love it. I love that community, that aspect of the sport. But something I'm really looking forward to the basketball teams this year is, first off, I'm in the seniors. You got a couple of seniors?
[00:25:25] Speaker B: Yeah, we have four seniors on the guys team and three seniors on the girls team.
[00:25:28] Speaker A: Yeah, shout them out real quick.
[00:25:30] Speaker B: We have Jacob Leslie, Seth, Curtula, Quan, Patterson, Zach Schole on the guys team. And then we have Hannah Boyer and we have Brooke. And then we have Anna Harwood and Abril, I guess Abrel, too. So we have yeah.
[00:25:46] Speaker A: So I'm looking forward to see those seniors really put in that effort for this year and see what they can honestly leave out on the court, you understand?
Exactly. But also, I'm looking forward to seeing Coach Parker in his second year really making the team.
[00:26:00] Speaker B: His Coach Parker second year, Sharon's third.
[00:26:01] Speaker A: Year, kind of inheriting a team and trying over the past, I guess, one season and a half, he's trying to reshape it to his team. So looking forward to that. As well as the new assistant coach for the women's team, alex May. Looking forward to see what she kind of brings in schemes as well as how she.
[00:26:24] Speaker B: This is year two for coach Parker, but this is also year. Two for us being together as a coaching staff and just figuring each other out and knowing each other's strengths, the weaknesses and how we can both help each other. A lot of that's due.
[00:26:36] Speaker A: I might have mentioned this in another podcast, and just to be really quick here, but that's something really I love about our athletics department, is I feel like everyone has the same, like, mindness when it comes to competitive nature on the field, on the court, as well as a Christlike spirit. On the field, on the court and off.
[00:26:53] Speaker B: It's not like the assistant coach is preaching one thing and the head coach is preaching other thing. It's not like we're pulling at each other like, oh, we have to be competitive over being spiritual, or we have to like, we're on the same page. And it's all across the board, which is really like, as a whole. I'm shout out to Coach McHugh. I know we're running out of time, but shout out to Coach McHugh just for building this team and just keeping, like I said, the main thing. The main thing, like, keeping us spiritually minded, keeping our teams discipleship focused while still being able to be competitive and performing at a high level.
[00:27:26] Speaker A: And it always sucks when you come across an athletic department, when you get to know athletic departments from other schools and you just see how everyone's a little different when it comes. To schematics or schemes and just how they want the team to be on and off the field. It's like one side of athletics, whatever sport is acting completely different than the other.
It's sad. But like here, Adamaeus, I can speak guarantee that the athletic department is going to try to pour into they're going to disciple you on and off the court and that's going to show, that's.
[00:28:02] Speaker B: Going to show develop you as a player and as a person and as a spiritual leader and that's awesome. 100%.
[00:28:09] Speaker A: You get that here and there's other schools now.
[00:28:10] Speaker B: You have to want it. You have to want it, first of all. But we are one of the best that does that.
[00:28:14] Speaker A: It's what you put in that you get out.
[00:28:16] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:28:16] Speaker A: Okay, so shout out to athletic department. That is awesome. If you want to join that, fill out a recruiting app. But another thing I want to highlight here is I'm an ex player. So this is just a highlight of a member of an Eagle, former Eagle.
[00:28:33] Speaker B: And a current Eagle coach.
[00:28:34] Speaker A: This is an Eagle impact. Right? So I wanted to highlight, I mean, literally it is Anthony Flores.
[00:28:39] Speaker B: Shout out Coach Anthony.
[00:28:41] Speaker A: Shout out Coach Anthony. Love the guy. I was student with him. You were student with him. And the impact he was on the student body. He really was behind the scenes a lot, kind of really chill, but he came to Emmaus just not really knowing who he was and being discipled by Coach Brown and a lot of other guys really understood who he was in Christ and his identity and has really grown since.
[00:29:08] Speaker B: Seeing from where he was freshman year, where he was a senior year, it was just so cool to see that growth. And he was one of our best players.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: Yeah, he was a great leader on and off the field and you really saw that of his chill, warm persona, of how he was sweet to people but also was able to have fun.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: And just now super thankful he's back as an Eagle helping out our team as volunteer assistant coach, which I'm so thankful for. People in those positions that are able to take time out and just support a place that was so influential in their life.
[00:29:42] Speaker A: He was a conference MVP and a lot of other leader and stack categories for but or should be at least, but he was definitely an impact on the field and off the field and still is an impact to today. So we thank you Anthony, for everything you've done for thank you for your.
[00:29:58] Speaker B: Impact when you're a student and currently.
[00:30:00] Speaker A: Yeah. So with all that, looking forward to regional play, looking forward to start a basketball season. And we're just so thankful for the athletic department and for their like mindedness and their help for the growing the athletic department and the students here as well as for the families. We always talk about you families that travel and support us.
[00:30:20] Speaker B: Thank you so much for your support. Thank you. It means the world not only to your kids, your student athletes, but to everyone else that's here.
[00:30:28] Speaker A: And it's encouraging to future Eagles with their families and how they want us drive and they want to support their kid too. And seeing how you guys are already driving 5 hours and supporting showing up like twice a week sometimes it's super awesome and something that it's a testimony that we can share to others. So thank you so much for you guys. Thank you so much for everyone who's listened to this podcast. We love you guys. We have not really any events coming up, but if you want to schedule a personal visit, please find us on their website emeus.edu apply.
We would love to talk to you about that application process and trying to get you to become a future, become an. Then you know what we should say in every podcast. Shannon shane is coming to Emmaus.
[00:31:11] Speaker B: Shane. And Shane's coming to Emmaus.
[00:31:13] Speaker A: The end of March for Discovery, Emmaus weekend. There's going to be more information about that coming out here soon for that. But besides that, Matt, thank you for today. I'm excited we got our little mascot. I'm going to throw this down real quick. Just get it over with. But excited for regionals. Can't wait to see what happens.
[00:31:30] Speaker B: Here we go, shane it's a great day to be an Eagle.
[00:31:33] Speaker A: Thank you for listening.
