It was everything the Trojans had hoped for. The undefeated Douglass High School Trojans destroyed Bishop McGuinness on Saturday, 86-51. It’s been four years since McGuinness’ victory over the Trojans in the 4A State Championship Game. That was a game people were talking about for awhile. This game will probably erased from the Irish’s memory fairly soon.

Douglass trailed one time, and that was when Joe Edmonds cut through the baseline and scored the first basket of the night. However, Edmonds and his teammates wouldn’t get that look any more after Douglass started their rampage.

The Trojans were on fire in the first quarter, and didn’t hesitate to attack the basket. The Irish certainly were in for a long night of basketball with a Douglass team that continually created second chance opportunities for themselves. McGuinness found themselves in a hole, and were down 11-27 at the end of the first period.

Douglass was aggressive, and hustled up and down the court. Matt Christiansen poured in 14 points in the first half, but the Irish were cold anywhere other than from the post. Douglass was ahead at halftime, 52-24. Kevin Caruthers and Joe Edmonds struggled, and couldn’t buy a basket. Jameel Whitney started to hit some towards the end of the game, but it was too late.

Douglass focused on running down the clock in the third quarter, and led the Irish, 67-33, entering the fourth quarter. The Trojans were able to trap the Irish, and then run the court and add more buckets to the huge deficit. It was all over for McGuinness, and the Trojans won their first state championship since 1989.

This same Douglass team will be back, and probably even better, next season. There isn’t one senior on the squad, and the Trojans proved to the state that they are arguably the best high school basketball team in Oklahoma amongst all of the classes.

Bishop McGuinness was led by Matt Christiansen, who gained most of his points off of put back shots. Christiansen finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The Irish were unsuccessful in their fifth consecutive state championship game appearance, but return some key components which make the Irish a contender for the title next year. However, McGuinness loses starters Kevin Caruthers, Jameel Whitney, and Patrick Daneshmand.

Coach Tondrell Durham will have to replace those three talented young men, but it should be no problem for the three-time state champion.

This season is done, and the Irish have surpassed the expectations. The boys worked hard to get where they got, but it might’ve been different with a more experienced group of players.

Congratulations to Douglass on their undefeated season. It is no easy task to run the table, but the Trojans accomplished a perfect record.

I’d like to also thank the unbelievable response from all the fans who have embraced IOD. It means a whole lot to me, and I appreciate the kind words. Stay classy, McGuinness.

It’s been a year since their last meeting. Star Spencer ruined the Irish’s four-peat, and the Bobcats were hoping to stop McGuinness from appearing in a fifth consecutive championship game. Joe Edmonds stole the show on Thursday, but it was Jameel Whitney (14 points) and Matt Christiansen (15 points) who came up big in the semi-final game.

Many doubted that McGuinness could beat the defending champions, but the Irish are completely deaf when it comes to having to hear what the haters say. An early tip-off of 10:30 AM didn’t faze Coach Durham’s boys, and they jumped out quick on the Bobcats.

The momentum was in favor of the Irish after going up 6-0, and finishing the quarter with an eight point lead. Star Spencer tried to adjust, but the Bobcat defense couldn’t manage to contain the Irish starting five.

It wasn’t what anyone expected, but somehow McGuinness found a way to gain a 33-15 advantage over the Star Spencer Bobcats at halftime. The fans at the State Fair Arena saw a true title contender in McGuinness and a collapsing Star Spencer team that was clearly not ready for the match-up.

The Bobcats had one last shot at narrowing the deficit, and the ten-minute halftime break was necessary to switch the momentum of the game. The third quarter was a productive one for Star Spencer, and outscored the Irish 15-11.

Though with eight long minutes left in their season, it just wasn’t enough time to make a comeback against McGuinness. The Irish tacked on 11 more points by the end of the game, and eliminated the Bobcats from the state tournament.

Bishop McGuinness moves on to their fifth consecutive championship game, and will tip-off tomorrow at 5:45 PM at the State Fair Arena. It is uncertain who their opponent is, but the consensus believes it will be Douglass.

You can follow the entire game from our Twitter page, and video highlights will, without a doubt, be available, win or lose! Stay classy, McGuinness.

There isn’t one McGuinness fan smiling after the dominating performance by the Irish this afternoon. Oklahoma Christian University hosted the 3rd-ranked Bishop McGuinness Fighting Irish and the unranked Cache Bulldogs. Cache was one of two teams unranked who made the dance, and their position in the 4A polls were clearly for a reason. The Irish dismantled the Bulldogs, and the Cache fans left with a humiliating loss to end off their season.

BMCHS found their touch early, and were heating up an already very hot gym. Today’s top performance was none other than Joe Edmonds. The kid was on fire, and wouldn’t be stopped by a bad Bulldog defense.

Edmonds’ average game against Woodward last week was certainly made up for. The super sophomore reasserted himself as a scorer on the team, and in the state tournament, there isn’t any room for inconsistency.

The Irish’s victory was set up by an 18-point tear in the first quarter. Cache couldn’t catch a break, and were unable to score on a regular basis. The Bulldogs put up a measly 4 points in the first period of action, and things didn’t get any better in the second quarter.

The Irish put on another 12, and the green and white attack was simply enough to say the game was over. Matt Christiansen played exceptionally well down low, and no one got by the 6-8 sophomore without a hand in the face.

Things didn’t slow down, and the Irish were embarrassing the Bulldogs on defense. Picking off passes, and going coast-to-coast for the easy lay-in. It seems that McGuinness has found their rhythm, but three straight days of basketball is going to be hard on a team that has an uncertain amount of depth.

Coach Durham knew the game was well in hand by the end of the third quarter, and decided to start getting some fresh legs off the bench. Durham usually keeps the starting five with a few subbing in and out at times, but you could tell the guys needed some rest for an early semifinal match-up with Star Spencer at the Fairgrounds tomorrow.

The Irish’s run towards the gold ball stays alive another day, and the fans are hoping for a revenge victory against the Bobcats of Star Spencer. The Bobcats defeated the Irish in last year’s state championship game, and sent out those seniors with a loss to look back on.

This season wasn’t full of high expectations, but the guys have put the puzzle pieces together and are legitimate contenders for a fourth state title in the last five years.

As always, don’t forget to check our twitter feed (conveniently located in the side of every page on the site) where we will update you die-hard Irish fans with the score after each quarter. Video highlights will be available again, win or lose.

So set the alarm clock, and make it to the Oklahoma Fairgrounds by 10:30 AM for the Irish’s semi-final game. IOD hopes to see you there! Stay classy, McGuinness.

Those who showed up early were very wise in doing so. The greatest atmosphere for a basketball game you could imagine took place tonight. The 2010 Junior Homecoming week ended in excitement and joy, as the Irish defeated the Bishop Kelley Comets on a crazy night of basketball. Words can’t fully describe the pure sweetness of beating the team that this school most hates, but as a reporter, I’ll do my best to give all those people who weren’t able to attend a fairly accurate report.

Girls: Irish 39, Comets 35
The McGuinness girls are riding high on momentum, and don’t expect any decline. These girls came in to the game hoping for an easy night of basketball, but Bishop Kelley gave the girls a run for their money. It was a low scoring game to say the least. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm in their shooting, but that all started to change in a more exciting second half.

Elyse Hight was a huge factor in the game for the Irish, and put up a game-high of 20 points. The Irish were surging past their rivals, but in basketball, just about anything can happen.

The Comets reduced a comfortable McGuinness lead, and put out everything they could on the floor. However, time wasn’t on their side, the shooting lacked in the last seconds, and the Irish post game was way too much for Kelley to overcome.

The Irish girls should be patting themselves on the back once more with another impressive win over a higher class team. With only three losses coming from 6A opponents, these girls are a team on a mission. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a new trophy to be added to the Irish collection come March in the state championship.

Boys: Irish 52, Comets 41
When Principal Morton told the Irish students to pack the place during the pep rally today, the students did not disappoint. By the time it was the end of the first quarter, there was standing room only. The McGuinness fans came by the bunches, and were as loud as I’ve ever heard McCarthy Gymnasium.

The Irish had beaten down the Kelley Comets the last time they played on McGuinness’ court, but this game tonight was a bit more exciting. The Irish were red hot to begin things. Although, how could the team not with a crowd and atmosphere that was set up so beautifully? The Irish were in the saddle with a 30-15 lead going into halftime.

After seeing the Comets come out of half time and making shots of their own, I started to think the Homecoming Queen Crowning Ceremony gave the Comets too much to rest and time to gather themselves. Coach Durham gave the boys one of his famous pep talks, and the Irish hit huge shots late in the game.

The outcome was a nice result, and the fans were also able to see the old Matt Christiansen. Since coming off Matt’s injury, his recovery slowed him down, and not as effective as the team would like. However, Matt said after the game that he believes he’s out of the funk, and thinks the team is ready to get back on track to state.

Matt’s mindset is something positive for Irish fans, especially considering he put up 12 points for McGuinness from the post. Let’s not forget senior Jameel Whitney with a game-high of 15 points, and a good, solid effort from sophomore Joe Edmonds with 11 points.

Both teams sent Kelley fans home with nothing to cheer for, and the Irish expect to do that to several more fan bases in the near future.

For additional thoughts on the game, IOD presents a few post game thoughts from McGuinness students who had an important role in the game:

After their success in the Classic, the Irish experience their first road bump between them and a state championship. Stillwater is a very inconsistent team, but they took advantage of a McGuinness team that only had two days off following three straight days of games. The Irish had their opportunities to win, but the Pioneers were just too much.

Hats off to Stillwater for not allowing McGuinness to ever take the lead. Stillwater found ways to get the ball in the hoop, and the Irish were simply having a bad night on the offensive end. The Irish tried making it a game, but the Pioneers pulled away every time McGuinness tried closing the gap. Stillwater was able to not allow any Irish player go off, but their may be a secret weapon for McGuinness.

Sophomore Miles Newcomb was a big spark on the offensive end. He knocked down two three’s in the first half, which helped Irish get back in position to try and rally. Newcomb has been a regular man off the bench for the Irish, but give the sophomore some time, and he might be able to get in a rhythm from beyond the arc.

Speaking of sophomores, Matt Christiansen made his first appearance since injuring his shoulder. Christiansen didn’t have an amazing game offensively, but he certainly was a huge help on defense. Matt wasn’t 100%, but still could shot block, and not allow easy shots in the paint. It would have been nice for Christiansen to get a win in his first game back, but every Irish player has to be on top of their game whether he is in action or not.

McGuinness’ loss will hopefully serve as motivation to get back at the Pioneers later on the season. As well as to not let anyone step in McCarthy Gymnasium, and control the pace of the game, like the Pioneers were able to. The Irish are back in action tomorrow against Northwest Classen, and the Irish don’t need allow the Knights to control the game. They need to go out there, and play like Coach Durham intends them to.

After much anticipation, the Irish basketball season is finally here. Bishop McGuinness tipped of their season with the Lawton MacArthur Highlanders on Tuesday night. Many questioned where we’d see a rebuilding year for McGuinness or the same old dominance. MacArthur hoped to spoil the night for the green and white, but they must have overlooked a few players on the Irish roster.

Things started off with a bang for the 2009-2010 Fighting Irish. Defense was stellar in the first half, and Lawton MacArthur was being brutally beaten by the end of the first quarter. The star of the show was Joe Edmonds, who was making it look like shoot-around. The Highlanders were clumsy with the ball, and McGuinness attacked on the fast break. It was exactly the way Coach Durham drew it up on his clip board. The guys were running the floor, hitting the open baskets, and being aggressive on defense.

Sophomore giant Matt Christiansen was battling allergies according to a few sources, and did miss a few shots that he would rarely miss. However, Matt’s performance was mediocre. The big man inside was powerful, and went up strong to the basket. Whether it was allergies bothering him or not, the Irish were definitely not put at a disadvantage.

Kevin Caruthers was also great to see in this game. You couldn’t complain for the way Kevin ran the offense, and found the open guys on the court. Jameel Whitney as well, who just came off football season, played a good game of attacking the basket, and putting up points for the Irish.

The first half was great, the Fighting Irish led 30-12. The Highlanders ultimately could never get a rally going. Their shots weren’t on target, and the explosive offense continued to dominate. McGuinness did get a bit sloppy with the basketball towards the end of the game. MacArthur was able top pick up on some silly turnovers, but the Irish didn’t totally break down.

If you weren’t able to attend the game, and haven’t heard yet, a little student-player interaction took place. Lawton MacArthur senior guard Rileigh Linville made two free throws with the noise of the student section. After he drained both shots, he made a “hush” gesture to the McGuinness students. As we all know, the Irish students aren’t the friendliest of people. Rileigh Linville received the loudest boos and all variations of noise when he had the ball. Take note, don’t ever tick off the McGuinness student section.

In the end, the Irish had the last laugh. McGuinness topped their first opponent, 54-36. The Irish will travel to Ardmore this Friday, and are in search to stay undefeated. If you can’t make the Ardmore game, the guys play again on Saturday against Northwest Classen.