Web posted
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Rohrs on tear from behind the arc
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File Photo by Mike Beauchamp
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By DAVID WOLMAN
Traveler Sports Editor
sports@arkcity.net
Arkansas City senior Ryan Rohrs will attack the basket if there is an opening, but he prefers to shoot from the perimeter.
That's where Rohrs has made a living this season. He has been the Bulldogs' three-point specialist.
After sporadically hitting three-pointers at the beginning of the season, Rohrs has made them in bunches lately. Over the last three games, he has connected on 14 three-pointers, including six in last Tuesday's loss to Newton. He's led Ark City in scoring all three games, and in a short time took over the team lead in made three-pointers with 23 -- 12 more than Jordan Fields.
Rohrs said there was a transition period at the beginning of the season from football to basketball, in addition to Tayler Rock's play down low, that caused him to get off to a slow start.
"Football season kind of ruined my shot a little bit," Rohrs said. "I came in and got better."
Rohrs noticed his shot started to take off last month following the Chaparral tournament.
As the season has glided along, so has Rohrs' confidence from behind the arc.
"Being a guy who didn't play varsity last year, it takes a little bit of time to get that confidence," Ark City coach Ben Proctor said. "I definitely think he's found it."
Perimeter shooting didn't always come naturally for the 5-foot-10 senior. He spent several hours every week developing it.
As a freshman, Rohrs went to the Rec Center during the off-season and attempted 1,000 jump shots per week. He started to notice a difference his sophomore season.
In a starting role this season, Rohrs has been given the freedom to shoot at-will from behind the three-point line.
"When he gets open, we're confident that he's going to make it," Proctor said.
Even when Rohrs takes a shot from seven or eight feet from behind the arc, such as he did on a few occasions in the first half of last Tuesday's game against Newton?
"He's got the green light. If he's open, he's free to shoot it anytime he likes," Proctor said.
A majority of Rohrs' three-pointers over the last two weeks have come in the first half of games. That's only helped to free up his teammates.
"Even if he's not making his three's, the other teams are learning his ability to hit the three," Proctor said. "Sometimes, that's going to open other things in your offense. Maybe some teams are adjusting to him, and in the process are opening things up (for us) inside."
Rohrs will continue to have the green light in the Class 5A playoffs, which start Wednesday night as Ark City hosts Valley Center.
Comforts of home
The Bulldogs certainly didn't make things easy for themselves down the stretch. Holding the number two seed in their eight-team region just a few weeks ago, Ark City came into last Friday's regular season finale losers of four straight. Still, all the Bulldogs had to do was defeat Valley Center to secure a home playoff game. The Bulldogs did, surviving a late Valley Center run to pull out a 45-42 win over the Hornets.
"It kind of made it a little bit more exciting," Proctor said. "It also makes it pretty exciting that it's the same team that we just played and get to play again."
Ark City will host its first playoff game in four years. The last time didn't go so well, as it lost to Bishop Carroll in the first round of the 2004 playoffs.
It doesn't appear that this year's version is ready to call it a season.
"I don't see anybody that's ready to be done yet," Proctor said. "Attitude-wise, we're at where I want to be. We had a good practice today. So, I think that we have a lot of confidence."
Proctor believes that his team has been playing its best basketball of the season recently, despite a 1-4 record to close out the regular season.
Fewer turnovers and an increased effort on the defensive end have him feeling good about his team heading into the playoffs.
"Like I've said most of the year, if we don't turn the ball over, we're pretty solid," Proctor said. "I think that's the biggest thing is to take care of the ball and take good shots, and our defense looks a little better, also."
Expect both teams, who split their two regular season meetings, to display new wrinkles on both ends of the court Wednesday night.
"We're planning some different things and they are, too," Proctor said. "I think both teams will be a little better than what they were Friday night."
Above: Arkansas City senior Ryan Rohrs, pictured in a previous game attacking the basket, prefers to shoot from the perimeter. Rohrs has made 14 three-pointers in his last three games.
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