Combine one part cold, two parts boredom and three parts of life's complications and you had the awkward siutation that North Shore Conference boys basketball leaders Germantown (10-0) and Whitefish Bay (10-1) found themselves in the weekend of Jan. 15-18.
With brutally cold temperatures that reached 15 below without the bone-crackling wind chill much of the weekend, schools throughout the area and therefore all basketball games and all other assorted extracurricular activities were postponed. Furthermore, since buildings were (supposed to be anyway) locked up, practices were curtailed or called off all-together. Games slated for Friday, Jan. 16, it seems, have been re-scheduled from now until the first day of spring (it only seems that way).
Take into account the fact that some schools are still trying to get in games in that were canceled by the blizzard of Dec. 19 and you had some seriously frustrated coaches. Including one that couldn't find enough for his team to do and another who had too much to do in too short a time.
Bay coach Dave Shaw was in the former camp, as he was at loose ends trying to keep his charges sharp. His team had not played since a win over Port Washington on Jan.9. They were fortunate enough to make up their postponed contest with Nicolet just this past Tuesday (Jan. 20) after 11 days off, but in a conversation after that 60-44 win, Shaw said that prior to that contest, his senior-based squad was literally bouncing off the walls looking for something to do especially in light of what seemed to be an endless series of practices.
"It was tough to keep them motivated at times (during practice)," he said. "I had to really work some motivational magic at times (laughs), so it was good that we got this one (Nicolet) in to take the edge off things."
His star, Princeton-bound senior guard Jimmy Sherburne, agreed.
"All those practices with no competition," he said. "Man, were we glad to get started again."
Germantown coach Steve Showalter, however, was in a different situation altogether. The Warhawks had made up their Dec. 19 contest with Nicolet on Jan. 13 just a couple of days before the deep freeze set in (an 82-60 win). But Showalter, a Germantown police officer by day, suddenly found himself busier than he wanted to be due to the well-publicized Wal-Mart evacuation on Jan. 15, the first full day of the Arctic blast. He was one of the officers on duty when the event came about.
"We had to do all kinds of rescheduling as a result," he said. He was fortunate that he was able to find a kindly school official who allowed his team to get into the building Jan. 16 for a little badly-needed practice. Further, he also caught another break when his non-conference game with Milwaukee Madison, which had already been rescheduled from Dec. 23, stayed on schedule for Jan. 17.
The Madison game was also a good chance for him to catch up with his old semi-pro, AAU and collegiate playing partner Aaron Womack. Womack, a native of Brown Deer, is coach of Madison. The 58-37 win before a surprisingly big crowd at Madison on a cold night, took a bit of the chill out of Showalter's bones despite temperatures that still hovered well south of the discomfort line (zero).
But there was still no doubt about it, Showalter was a tired man by the time Sunday, Jan. 18 rolled around and he was going to take the tradiitional day of rest at face value and very, very seriously.
"Trust me," he said. "I was looking forward to today (a quiet Sunday)."
Because he knows it won't be quiet for long. Germantown, the two-time North Shore champ, will visit Bay on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The Warhawks edged the Blue Dukes, 53-51, on Dec. 13.
