“We’re a much different team than we were in Week 1.”
Jeff Winchell is locked in as the 4-seed Halfway Crooks get ready for a big Semifinal matchup after coasting past the Duje’s Boys in the Quarterfinals. Next up is a showdown against the top-seeded RI Warriors.
In Week One these two teams faced off and the RI Warriors scraped by with a three-point win. Winchell expects things to be different for both teams this time around.
“Now that we’ve played together all season, we’ve developed chemistry,” Winchell said when talking about what is different now compared to their first matchup against the RI Warriors led by Charles Alexander.
As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Jeff Winchell said it is going to be key stop Alexander, but they have a plan to limit what the RI Warriors are known for which is their fast-pace play, buckets in transition, and their presence in the paint.
Charles Alexander has made his case for not only Rookie of The Year, but Most Valuable Player as he has sparked the RI Warriors with his offensive skills week in and week out. Rightfully so, Alexander and his teammates have earned the 1-seed finishing the regular season with only one blemish, a 5-point loss to the defending champs Lob City.
The Duje’s Boys thought they had what it takes to defeat the Halfway Crooks, but they just could not make it happen. Beforehand on their Low Post Podcast, they made their opinions known, but it did not translate so well on to the court.
The Halfway Crooks have not backed down from any opponent, but Jeff Winchell spoke for his teammates after advancing to the Semifinals.
“People can say whatever they want about the Halfway Crooks,” Winchell said. “We’re a group that let’s our play do the talking.”
The Halfway Crooks have proved themselves, but will they be able to overcome the RI Warriors is the real question. The two-headed snake in Charles Alexander and Marvin Dowdell will not be easy to defeat. The Halfway Crooks have faced doubt from outsiders all year long, but as a team, they have always had trust in one another.
Dating back all the way to after a Week 3 win, Devon Pina stated in a postgame interview, “We’re going to go far (in the playoffs).”
The Halfway Crooks have always been faithful to their abilities and have followed their teammate Joey Zocco‘s motto.
“When it comes to the playoffs, I’d hate to play the Halfway Crooks,” Joey Zocco and Jeff Winchell echoed.
