Titans' Simolke quietly makes impact

Michael Simolke made his first – and probably only – start as a varsity player for the McDowell Titans Tuesday on Senior Night, the regular-season home finale.

His stats were modest: 3 minutes played, no shots taken, one foul.

But after the game, a thrilling, come-from-behind 76-72 win over the Asheville Cougars that clinched the Mountain Athletic 4A championship, Simolke’s coach couldn’t stop talking about the senior guard.

“I’ve got more respect for that kid than any kid I’ve ever coached,” said Titans head coach Brian Franklin. “Not once all year has he hung his head or complained, and he’s played less than anybody on the team. All he wants is for our team to win. I know he wants to play, and it hurts me not to put him in because he’s such a good kid and he works so hard in practice.”

Despite the fact he hasn’t seen much playing time, Simolke has been a big part of the Titans’ (9-1 MAC 4A/3A, 15-6 overall) season, one in which they’ve captured the split conference’s 4A title for the second time in their three years in the league.

Franklin said Simolke’s work ethic and positive attitude have unquestionably rubbed off on his teammates. The coach also said the 6-foot senior with a chiseled physique possesses a rare emotional maturity.

“In my 15 years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid that’s more ready to walk out of here and go into the world than Michael Simolke,” said Franklin. “All of our kids are great, and this is one of the best groups I’ve ever been around because they work hard and they do things the right way and they’re coachable.

“But Michael Simolke is something else; he’s very special. If every year we could have one Michael Simolke on our team, I think we’d always have a pretty good team.”

…Franklin was also complimentary of how seniors Matt Carroll and Daniel Jackson have played all season. Both have come off the bench to log significant minutes, and both have assumed key roles at times this year.

“Matt has really played starter minutes, but he’s come off the bench, and he has accepted that role,” said Franklin. “Daniel has had some key games for us, and he made some big plays tonight.”

Both Carroll and Jackson started against Asheville. Carroll tallied three points, three rebounds and three assists; the 6-foot-5 Jackson scored six points and pulled three boards, and hit a big 3-pointer to help keep the Titans in the game in the first half.

…Both the Titans and Lady Titans qualified for the State 4A Playoffs by virtue of their regular-season conference championships. The boys will be making their 25^th playoff appearance in the last 27 years; the girls have qualified for 28 consecutive seasons.

In years past, the playoff brackets have been preset and teams could easily discern who they’d be playing by penciling in the various conference seeds in the appropriate bracket.

That won’t be the case this year. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will seed the playoffs in the same manner they’ve used for the football postseason.

The Sectionals are set to begin Monday, Feb. 20.

…The Lady Titans didn’t have as tough a time with Asheville as their male counterparts Tuesday; McDowell (10-0, 19-2) scored the first 11 points and never looked back en route to a 69-37 win.

A trio of seniors led the way. Jessica Patrick scored 17 points and pulled seven boards; Tuccoa Brackett had 12 points and seven rebounds; and Taylor Settlemyre added 12 points, seven boards and six assists. Those three, along with Amber Fulbright and Shellie Riddle, comprised McDowell’s senior night starting five.

“I’m so proud of our team, especially the seniors,” said McDowell head coach Jennifer Brooks. “What a special way to celebrate them – with a big win over Asheville and to come out with a conference championship on top of that. It has been such a privilege to have the chance to be their coach and see all our girls’ hard work paying off.

“We did some good things on the floor. Tuccoa had a solid game and Jessica had one of her best offensive games. Taylor made some big shots for us in the first half to pull us ahead. I loved celebrating our seniors and I’m so excited to see what the next couple of weeks have in store for our team.”

…A road game at A.C. Reynolds is in store tonight (4 p.m. start—jayvee girls).

The Titans need to win tonight or in the regular-season finale next Tuesday at Enka in order to capture the unofficial overall conference championship. The split conference recognizes both 4A and 3A champions, but an overall championship isn’t awarded. The Lady Titans secured their overall championship Tuesday.

…Guard play has been a strong point for the Titans all year, and that was especially evident Tuesday. McDowell’s starting backcourt of point guard Ethan Freeman and wings Cedarius Avery and Dalanta Rodriguez combined for 60 of the team’s 76 points, 23 of its 36 rebounds, 14 of its 20 assists and all six of its steals.