Brian Roper
Brian Roper
effort fourth proud state tournament
I'm more proud of our effort than our win. That was an unbelievable effort for the fourth day of the state tournament after a disappointing loss.
best effort gritty player puts
The effort (Dallas) puts out there is the best I've ever seen. He's gritty and the kind of player that has an edge.
balance good strengths team
It was a good team win. We had good balance which has been one of our strengths all year.
escaped expected glad tough
We expected Ferndale to play tough and they did. We're glad to have escaped with a win.
close kids
This was a close the whole game. The Blaine kids really scrapped and hustled.
allowed
We got a little perimeter-oriented, which allowed them to become more and more aggressive.
call control focus quality somewhat teams telling
That's why they call it a draw. It's somewhat random. There are some things you can't control, and like we're always telling the kids, you have focus on what you can control ... There are 16 quality teams down there, and we're one of them.
solid
Defensively, we were as solid as we've been all year.
ball best
I wanted the ball to be in Brady's hands; he's our best playmaker.
ways
Sometimes you've just got to find ways to win.
almost football guys none played playoff state tournament
None of these guys have played at the state tournament before, but almost all of them have played in big football playoff games.
acceptance asked change dan last rode shots team took year
Dan took the second-most shots on the team last year and I asked him to change his role. He has rode his acceptance to success.
caring leads
Dan's a very caring kid. He leads vocally and also by example. He is our anchor.
state
They are a very disciplined team, and you can see why they are two-time state champions.