Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) was last season's No. 1 in the final Super 25 rankings and is often on the winning ends of routs. Coach Michael Peck said his team plays an up-tempo game similar to Yates, but there are ways to keep routs in check.

"I don't know what he's trying to prove," Peck said. "I look at their roster, and they have a legitimate team. I can't see them losing the rest of their schedule. They play a lot like us with in-your-face defense. They have a senior-laden roster, and they may think this is their year to make a statement. My thing is, act like you've been there before. If we're up by 40 and we have our bench in, every one of those guys better play hard. But we won't trap on ball screens and do things like we normally do in our game plan."

No. 15-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) defeated Westminster 91-64 on Tuesday. Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said he didn't play his top six starters against the 4-9 team.

"I had them do cheerleading," McKnight said. "The guys who were my seventh through 17th men all played. It was a fundraiser for their school, and we were doing them a favor. You want to be compassionate, and this was a chance to get my other kids to play."

And here's a columnist from the Houston Press , who even *I* think is way over the top, starting with the first sentence:

It was the biggest rout since Hitler's Panzers took on Poland's cavalry, and showed about as much sportsmanship: The powerful, undefeated Yates High basketball creamed not-so-powerful Lee 170-35, pressing and gunning all the way.

The halftime score was Yates 100-12, so obviously the Lions couldn't take their foot off the gas for fear of a Lee comeback.

Yates coach Greg Wise, who we can only imagine was interviewed in between tripping old ladies with walkers and giggling, told the Houston Chronicle that his mad coaching skillz demanded no less than what happened.

"We practice running, pressing, trapping every day," he said, probably while he idly picked the wings off an insect. "If we get to a game and I tell them not to do what we do in practice, I am not coaching well. I am not leaving my starters in the whole game. We have 15 guys, and all 15 play."

Shades of former UH football coach (and sleazeball) John Jenkins, who used to complain that he got a bad rap for continuing to pass as his team won by scores like 95-21. His offense just wasn't designed not to score (against pathetically overmatched teams), he said.

Lee's coach admitted last night he felt "disrespected." He shouldn't: He's not the one who comes off looking like an a-hole.

The Houston Chronicle brings us the latest lack-of-sportsmanship news:

The Yates High School boys basketball team set a state record and set itself up for controversy Tuesday night at Butler Fieldhouse.

The Lions beat Lee High School 170-35, setting the single-game state scoring record. Hardin-Jefferson had owned the record of 166 points since 1992.

But the Lions' brush with history was marred by a second-half scuffle and questions of sportsmanship.

In the third quarter, a fight erupted after an intentional foul was called on a Lee player. After breaking up the fight, the referees told both coaches they would have to play just five players the remainder of the game. The other players for both teams spent the rest of the second half sitting in the stands.

“I feel very disrespected right now,” Lee coach Jacques Armant said. “I don't understand why Yates just kept scoring and pressing when they were up so much. These are kids. It isn't good to do that to other young men.”

Yates, which led 100-12 at halftime, is 14-0 this season and has won 39 consecutive games. The 100 points in the first half is also a state record and the second-most ever in a boys high school basketball game.

It was the eighth time this season Yates scored more than 100 points and the sixth time the Lions won by more than 60. It was the first time this season Yates' margin of victory topped 100.

What cel phone service provider do you use? Just curious

Current Location: Desk of phone contemplation

Current Mood: curious

OK, sure. While I started the year off by getting back in the LJ saddle, as it were, the slacking I did for most of the end of last year is still slacked.

So I need to wish a happy belated birthday to some December folks who I missed: little_rowan, eldrichgaiman, spinpsychology, ldycat1170, and merricke.

There's someone else, I'm sure of it... I just can't put my finger on it.

Nope.

Ah, it'll come to me.

-ir out.

PS: Hi oaken_glen! Noogies? XD

I blame the badgers.

OK, as many of you have already figured out, part of today's to-do list was to send out reminders about two Travel Fund fund-raisers going on this month.

If you have seen this before, I apologize.

You may feel free to forward these judiciously, knowing that anyone on EK List, Concordia, Glenn Linn or the SCA LJ has seen it already. It's going to Royal Household lists, too.

1. There will be a second edition of the Princess’ Cookie Caper at 12th Night, Saturday, Jan. 16, in Barre, Vt.

 We need people to bake cookies and people to buy cookies.

 The cookies will be $10 a pound and all proceeds will go to the  Royal Travel Fund.

 This sale is being coordinated by me and Lady Frigga from Glenn Linn. We could certainly use a couple of people to take shifts at the table.

 The sale is planned to run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 Please send me a note privately if you would like to help or if you are going to make cookies.

 All donations should include recipe cards.Your cookie choice is limited only by your imagination.

 2. The  “By Our Own Hands” exhibition and silent auction, which will be held at the Marketplace at Birka, Jan. 30, in Manchester, NH.

All residents of the kingdom are invited to use their arts & sciences skills to create something to be raffled off to benefit the Royal Travel Fund. These can be items you have already made, something you might make between now and then or promissory notes for items such as scrolls or clothing you will make at a future date. (If you are offering a promissory, it would be great if you could include a picture or examples of something similar you have done. Bards are welcome to donate promissories for songs, poems or similar pieces.

In all cases, we would like the item to have an information sheet, with some documentation about it and its creator.

I think we can really have some fun with this.

Please contact me privately if you would like to donate, and let me know the logistics as well.

My e-mail is liamstliam@gmail.com

1. LJ Details: If you are not on my friends' list, you still have the chance to be No. 1 of 2010.

I have blown my chance to post every day in 2010.

That's "Twenty-ten," by the way.

2. Weather: Snow last night, more snow coming. But at least it's 28 degrees.

3. Movies: As I may have mentioned, we were gifted with a 32-inch, flat-screen TV by alethea_eastrid's parents. It has a DVD player in it, so suddenly, I am the library's best DVD customer. I have watched  Dirty Harry," "Under Seige," and the first eight episodes of "NCIS." I have "Taking Chance," which I have really been looking forward to, the updated "Red Dawn" DVD with new features, and the good "Highlander" movie up next.

4. Books: I read 2.5 books at alethea_eastrid's parents -- Stuart Woods' "Chiefs," John Grisham's "Playing For Pizza," and half of "Here if You Need Me."

I have had great luck at the library, finding unexpected new books by P.T. Deutermann and WEB Griffin and stumbling onto "Boneshaker," which I really want to read.

5. New Year's Eve: Low key and enjoyable at knoggleknot's with alethea_eastrid , jenphalian, zarhooe , slipjig , and rafaela .

6. Cooking: Made the Guinness Beef Stew for New Year's and also made the bacalhau. Both were great. Cooked breakfast for four yesterday, including cheesy eggs, home fries and pumpkin pamcakes (from a mix).

7. Photo: This is just amazing!