Depth Finder

No matter the sport, "bench warmers" get a negative reputation. Like they aren't good enough to start, but they are good enough to fill in where needed.

Guess what? That is actually critical to the game. Any game.

If you follow sports at all, you probably heard about the Gopher men's basketball game two weeks ago. Alabama was forced to finish its game against Minnesota with just three players after its entire bench was ejected following a wild scuffle – and then two of its remaining five players departed because of fouls and an injury. Those three played the final 10-plus minutes and nearly won the game, just losing by 5 points.

That's not typical. Five on five is usually pretty well-matched, at the collegiate level of playing anyway. High school... not so much.

The bench is critical. A team without depth has challenges due to foul trouble, fatigue, injury, maybe even academic eligibility. It's a tough situation.

And we, the Royal we, are in it.

First, take a look at our JV bench. This is tonight at Auburndale. The 6th man is sitting behind the coach and the bench, recovering from an injury. That means all 5 starters were also all 5 finishers. And with high school games played in just 2 halves now instead of quarters, there are no breaks. Except timeouts and brief rests during free throws.

Yikes. I gotta give our JV boys credit, though. They hung with the opponent and lost by less than 10. That is not bad. Thankfully, no one fouled out or there would have been a Minnesota-Alabama situation.

I didn't even take a picture of our varsity bench later. Picture the JV bench above and add one. Yup, just one. Actually, the JV are eligible to play for one half if needed. And if they have energy.

Tonight, a few of them were needed to stem the tide of fouls. Oh, you will hear most Royals fans say the officiating was terrible. I won't argue. But we had some missed opportunities and, well, fouls can happen when players are tired and aren't bringing their best game.

That's the unfortunate reality of small schools. And even smaller, private schools. Declining enrollment and the athletic pool gets spread pretty thin. It's tough to see. The players we do have are playing their hearts out. You just want them to be rewarded with a win – more often than not.

I realize it's early in the season. I'm hoping everyone stays healthy and cardiologically fit (yes, I made that word up).

C'mon, Royals. There's lots of season left. Don't let bad calls and missed shots dictate your future. You've got dedication and heart. I think that will go a long way.