The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Rivalries, cheerleaders and passionate fan base help make great a good game
* Top 5 places to watch a high school basketball game

By Kevin Spradlin
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
MOUNT SAVAGE, Feb. 28 -- Putting on a high school basketball game can be very similar to staging a Hollywood production.

Players and coaches from the home team serve as the hero while the opponents are the antagonist. Referees often serve as the voice of reason. The fans serve as the audience. And, in this case, at least, PhDispatch.com serves as host of the Oscars.

Personal observation and supporting video clips are the primary tools used in consideration of listing the top five places to see a high school basketball game.

The Dispatch has been on hand to see AMAC teams well over 80 times this season. See the breakdown here in the green box. The Dispatch has been to eight of the nine AMAC gyms at least three times.

And the winner is ...

For different reasons, Northern Garrett and Keyser high schools share the top spot as the best places to watch a boys or girls high school basketball game.

At the Igloo in Accident, the Huskies are supported by a passionate fan base of all ages as well as a corp of parent volunteers that help make a good game great. Parent volunteers get involved like no other AMAC community.

At 1 Tornado Way in New Creek, W.Va., the Golden Tornado fan base is punctuated by an energetic and flip-happy cheerleading squad. Look to the southwestern end of the spacious gymnasium and spectators can enjoy the rants and chants of a zealous student section. It might be the best among all nine schools in the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference.

Several AMAC team members, parents and coaches agree Hampshire might be one of the most difficult places to place to visit win. The Fort Hill girls team was simply overwhelmed there and when Northern Garrett came calling, the Huskies didn't score the game-winning basket until more than 31 minutes and 30 seconds had ticked off the 32-minute regulation game clock.

Without a doubt, the Trojans' fans and cheerleaders played a role in keeping the players upbeat and focused - and the opponents off track.

Of course, rivalries or close games help - and where both are in play, so much the better.

When the Northern Garrett Huskies hosted their rival Rams from south county, parent volunteers created a theme-based "Deep Freeze." In reality, though, the game needed no help. After a lackluster first-half performance by Southern, the Rams staged a comeback and made it a four-point game with less than a minute to go. Northern won, but it helped set the stage for a naturally pumped-up atmosphere on March 1 when Northern hosts Southern in a second-round playoff game.

Southern's cheerleaders - among the most traveled among all AMAC schools - make a difference for the Rams. The Southern Garrett boys hosted Bishop Walsh in a late-season contest of two former top-ranked teams. The Rams had been on a slide, losing six of eight. Turns out all they needed was a quality opponent and some hometown cheer.

Rivalries or not, it's always nice to host the second-ranked team late in the season - especially when you're No. 1. That's what happened last week when the Keyser boys hosted Bishop Walsh. After trailing early and late, the Golden Tornado - juiced by a fervent home crowd - staged a late comeback.

Keyser trailed by 10 with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. But Wes Washington highlighted a momentum-shifting 18-2 run that spanned parts of two quarters with a 3-pointer that gave the home team a 69-67 lead. There were still 5:31 to go in the fourth, but fans were ecstatic. Essentially, the game was over. Washington's 3-pointer might be the most celebrated basket of the regular season.