Perkins, Margaretta to play twice in two days because of makeup

It wasn't like it was something the Margaretta Polar Bears and Perkins Pirates boys basketball teams wanted to do.

But sometimes, things happen.

 That is about as easy of an explanation as one can get heading into tonight's makeup game between the visiting Polar Bears (9-6, 6-5) and host Pirates (11-6, 8-3).

So they are playing a makeup game on a Thursday night, no big deal. But here's the catch.

The same two teams will then meet again 24 hours later at Margaretta High School, meaning after having played 11 of 14 Sandusky Bay Conference games to date, the teams will have gone from not seeing each other at all to completing the season series in back-to-back days.

"I just thought it would have been stupid to try and play on a Monday and have to practice on Sunday," Margaretta head coach Troy Roth, who also is the school's Athletic Director, said. "We couldn't find any common off days between us on a Saturday, so we decided on this."

While every conference game is important, the back-to-back set with the Bears is doubly important for Perkins, which sits one game behind SBC leader Edison with three to play.

"It's different, but it is what it is and we have to make sure we take care of Thursday before we think about Friday," Perkins coach Scott McVeigh said. "These kids have faced adversity all year, they've been flexible all year, so I'm sure we'll get in the mindset to take care of Margaretta Thursday night and then worry about Friday adjustments."

But what about those Thursday adjustments for Friday? Little time will remain between games with Thursday being a school night.

"It will be a long, late night with the film, but we'll talk to the kids Friday and see what we have to do adjustment-wise," McVeigh said. "And hopefully we got confidence from Saturday night (95-87 overtime win over St. Paul) that we can take into the first game (tonight)."

Both coaches agree the situation is just simply...weird.

"It's just a weird situation going into the last two weeks of the regular season having not seen a good conference team yet that appears to be getting better each time out," McVeigh said.

Added Roth, "It's been kind of a weird process really. Instead of preparing for two opponents we have to prepare for one this week, yet we still play twice. I've heard some suggestions as to how to approach it, but I don't know how to look at it until we do it."

Roth also believes the quick turnaround may make for easier preparation.

"It's not like we have to wait two or three weeks to see them again," he said. "I'll watch the game again afterwards like I always do and everything will be fresh in our heads. he said. " We've scouted Perkins in person three times this year and have some film, so we are very familiar with them.

"It should be easy to prepare for, I just hope it don't go totally wrong Thursday night or else we'll have to start over for Friday."