Old School Bows Out in Sweet 16

Well, the dream run ended last night but not without a fight. We fought to the bitter end and were only down 19-16 before they scored the two last buckets to win 21-16. We represented ourselves very well, but it wasn't really a fair fight. Turns out the team we played was made up of current players from the Holy Cross College (small school located across the street from ND) basketball team. The tournament has very clear rules about how many NCAA players can be on each team (1) but doesn't say anything about NAIA which is what Holy Cross plays. Needless to say, they had slightly fresher legs than us and knocked down a few more open jumpers than us.

As a side, I have to say that I have played a lot of ball games in my life in front of a lot of different crowds, but nothing is more fun and more special than playing ball and looking over at my beautiful wife and two children watching. It's so hilarious to be involved in this highly-competitive game and then hear this little girl's voice chanting "go, daddy, go!" or look over and catch glimpses of Luke just sitting in his stroller intently watching all the action. My goal is stay competitive long enough for Myla and Luke to one day watch a game or two that they will actually remember. If not, I'll have to rely on Kasey to tell embellished stories about how good their dad used to be and the days when he whooped up on the kids that were 12 years younger then him. Here's some pictures and a copy of the article in today's campus paper:

Size helps Texas Roadhouse defeat Old School to advance
Texas Roadhouse used experience and height to tower over Old School, as athleticism proved victorious over Old School's older but well-conditioned squad in a 21-16 Texas Roadhouse win.

Staff member Matt McCubbins and graduate student Luke Chicoine kept Old School in the game all night long, playing scrappy defense in the post against Texas Roadhouse junior Taylor Williams. Texas Roadhouse junior point guard JT Breveard ran up and down the court tirelessly during the entire game, adding energy at the point guard position.

"It's a tough matchup for us because they had both height and a quick guard out there," Old School coach Todd Hill said. "They started draining outside jumpers there, and we had a letdown."

Texas Roadhouse struggled to pull away, as Old School was almost always within two or three points. Offensively, Old School continued to fight back with the help of staff members Joel Dosmann, Matthew Blazejewski and Mark Bennett. Texas Roadhouse took an 11-8 lead into halftime.

Old School's average age of 34 presented a challenge against a college-aged Texas Roadhouse team.

"We had a comeback, but I think it was a little bit too late there; we couldn't finish," Hill said. "Given we're double their age, I think it's pretty impressive what we've done. We know athletic-wise, we're not going to match up with these guys."

Texas Roadhouse senior Adam Dobrzykowski's height on defense ultimately served as the difference in the game, however, as he held an advantage against all of Old School's guards.

"Going into these games, we expect to win as the fifth seed," Roadhouse freshman Pat Derksen said. "We're pretty confident going in, and we just try and work the ball around, get good shots, box out, grab the rebound and just run — run those guys off the court."

Two Kids, One Tub

Luke is finally sitting up well enough that we can give him a bath in the big tub. This means he and Myla can take baths together, which saves time but also seems to be fun for both of them. Luke likes to splash a lot, and Myla likes to brush Luke's hair/bonk him on the head with the brush.

Old School in the Sweet Sixteen!

Matthew has been playing in Notre Dame's 739-team Bookstore Basketball Tournament this year. Most teams are comprised of ND undergraduates, but Matthew has a team of staff and graduate students that has run through the tournament like a knife through butter. Tonight they play in the Sweet Sixteen--which means they have already made it further than they ever have before. Here is an article from the Notre Dame student newspaper about tonight's matchup.

No. 5 Texas Roadhouse vs. No. 12 Old School
When Texas Roadhouse takes on Old School in the round of 16, the age-old themes of new vs. old and potential vs. experience will be on full display. As evidenced by its name, Old School readily embraces the fact that it is composed of players older than those on the average Bookstore team, ranging from their mid-twenties to their early-forties. Captain Todd Hill, a 1991 Notre Dame graduate, said that his team understands both the problems and benefits that come with his team's collective age.
"At our more mature age, we typically won't be out-athleting any teams," Hill said. "[However,] maturity does have its strengths and we play to them. We have a high basketball IQ, and we know who we are and who we aren't. We have played the burn offense for years, long before Coach Brey picked it up and made it part of the identity of the Irish men's program.

Hill is joined on the court by HR employees Matt McCubbins and Matthew Blazejewski, OIT employees Joel Dosmann and Mark Bennitt and graduate student Luke Chicoine.
Despite being matched up against younger teams in every game, Old School has yet to be seriously tested. Still, the age difference between Hill and many of his opponents is quite significant.
"When I told one of the guys I graduated [and] about us making it to the Sweet Sixteen, [he said], ‘Do you realize that most of the students you are playing against were not even born when you played your first Bookstore game as an ND freshman 23 years ago?'" Hill said.
That will be the case once again tonight when Old School meets Texas Roadhouse in the Sweet 16. Senior captain Adam Dobrzykowski leads juniors Zachary Cook, JT Brevard and Taylor Williams and freshmen Pat Derksen and Dane Okuda.

The young guns have not been tested in their games to this point either, having advanced by relying largely on their speed. "We score fast and play clamps ‘D,'" Cook said. However, Cook also said that his team has the versatility needed to match up against the advanced talent level in the later rounds.
"We feel privileged to play in such a prestigious tournament and showcase our talents," he said. "We feel that our team has achieved success because we have the necessary size, speed and basketball IQ. We look forward to competing against some very talented teams in the later rounds."

Old School and Texas Roadhouse will battle for supremacy and the right to keep playing at 6 p.m. on Court 4

Easter Treats

Last week our nanny Holly brought the fixin's to make a special Easter treat with Myla. They molded Rice Krispie treats into egg shapes and filled them with M-n-M's. Yum!

Dentist

Last week we took Myla to the dentist for the first time. As we were preparing her for it in the days beforehand, she kept talking about Hermie, the dentist/elf from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We were thinking that this would be a disaster--she was expecting Santa and elves and was going to get her gums poked by a stranger.

Once we got in the exam room, she climbed up in the chair without any hesitation. There was a moment of lip-quivering at the beginning, but she fought it off and got through it like a champ. Sheila, our dental assistant, was wonderful, and Chi-Chi the monkey helped out too.

Diagnosis: 20 healthy teeth, four more baby teeth to come in. There isn't a lot of space between her teeth which means it's more likely she'll need braces later, but with my genes we figured she was destined for that anyway.

Past and Future Wildcats

After the Cats made it to the Final Four, Matthew and Myla had a little flag-waving ceremony in the yard. Ohhhh, C! A! T! S! Cats! Cats! Cats!

Chunky Monkey

Luke was feeling extra-heavy to me last night so I weighed him (using the classic method of weighing myself with and without him). He weighed 24 lbs. According to the CDC growth chart, that is the median weight for a 15-month old.

Thoughts:
1. So that's why the 12-month pajamas I just bought him are already getting too snug.

2. We have got to get the boy into a car seat so I can stop breaking my back every time I try to lift him in the Chicco carrier.

3. He is probably going to weigh more than Myla by the time he can walk. Big sis had better learn some self-defense maneuvers, stat.

4. Luke's height percentiles match his weight; if he keeps on this trajectory he will be taller than me by age 13. That's a big 'if,' of course, but I already have visions of being one of those moms who look like a midget next to their teenager. Freak me out! :)

Luke: 7 Months

Myla Moments