Overconfidence: the Quality that Ends Seasons Early

Jaguars teams in the past have gone into regular season and playoff games with overconfidence that ended in an unexpected loss. I've seen it way too often, with the 2003 boys basketball loss to Hancock rising to the top. (We had smoked Hancock in January 56-34, then fell in the second playoff game in March 68-59 in a nightmare of a loss.)

In the case of our Jaguars volleyball team facing Osakis, it is a factor that could come into play.

The Silverstreaks were soundly beaten on September 24 when the Jaguars hosted them in a non-conference match. An easy judgement would say that the sub-section championship on Tuesday night will be a cakewalk. I believe if our volleyball team is overlooking Osakis, there is a chance that we may lose.

Why leave it to chance? I don't think they will, and I predict they will come out fired up and hitting, ready to add this year's Osakis volleyball team to the list of other Silverstreaks teams that B-B-E has happily knocked out of the playoffs (i.e.= 2003, football - 2004, boys basketball - 2005, girls basketball - 2006, baseball - 2007, girls fastpitch). In every case but the 2006 baseball team, the Jaguars were seeded lower than the Silverstreaks. (This time the Jaguars are clearly the favorite going in.)

If we don't come out fired up, there is a chance we will lose the match.

**No word yet on where Saturday's section final match will be played. The moment I find out it will be posted here. I've got some leads but I have to get confirmation on all of it before posting it here.

**At 3:44pm, I just got off the phone with one of the Section 5A administrators, in Hawley, MN, and he said there are 3 locations that are in play for Saturday's match.
They will wait until the conclusion of Tuesday night's matches for the sub-sections.
This makes sense, they want to name a location that works best distance-wise for the final two teams left standing. So often we see the "Final 2" heading to a location that makes no sense for either team.

I'm thankful that Section 5A was smart about how they split up the entire playoff schedule. The "pigtail" matches began last Monday. With most sections, I've learned that they began last Thursday instead, and this week many will have three matches. (Sub semi-finals on Tuesday, Sub finals on Thursday, Section final on Saturday...that's brutal!)

In the days of cell phones and the internet, it won't be hard to get the word out about where Saturday's match will be played at.

**Directions to Brainerd High School: I'd run up to Long Prairie, then to Little Falls, going onto MN-371 N (state highway 371) from there. After 27 miles on Highway 371, you turn RIGHT on MN-210 E / MN-371 BR S (2.1 miles) After that you turn RIGHT on N 6TH ST / MN-371 BR (0.4 miles) Then take a RIGHT on Pine Street, then a quick LEFT on 5th Street South.

The address for Brainerd High School is 702 South 5th Street, Brainerd 56401.