Random thoughts from the Peru-Southwood game

By AUSTAN KAS
Tribune Sports Editor
Friday, December 05, 2008

- Anyone that read my random thoughts during football season knows how fond I am of Beef O' Brady's. They had food in the pressbox at every home Peru football game. Well they're at it again this winter. Beef's brought a fantastic spread of wraps, chips and wings to the game Wednesday night. I was very happy and disappointed at the same time. Happy because I love the food, but disappointed because I didn't know it was going to be there and had already eaten. Lesson learned.

- The opening half of the season opener looked like the opening half of the season opener for both teams. Defense is always ahead of offense early in the year, and this game was no exception. Open looks were hard to come by in a bruising, physical first half.

- Peru coach Eric Thompson needs to bottle up whatever he told the team at halftime and use it every game. The Tigers exploded in the third quarter, playing fierce defense and rarely misfiring offensively.

- Wes Zimmerman sparked the Tigers big quarter by knocking down three quick buckets. Zimmerman had a very efficient, solid evening netting a game-high 19 points.

- Peru routinely forced Southwood into one tough shot each possession and got themselves good looks on the other end.

- I think something that separates good teams from great ones is that 'killer instinct.' Peru had a chance to ease off the accelerator in the fourth quarter. But after letting the Knights rip off seven consecutive points to start the stanza, the Tigers went in for the kill. They not only got those seven points back, they extended the lead even further.

- One game is one game, but at the same time, I left Tig-Arena very impressed with Peru and looking forward to the rest of the season. Make that the next two seasons. I just scanned the roster and only saw two seniors - lookout.

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