Out & About: Johnson/Como Park

#2 posting 4.20.2007
your daily dose of badminton news & information

ST. PAUL JOHNSON governors 5
ST. PAUL COMO PARK cougars 2

Johnson won their fourth match of the week and their 6th St. Paul conference match with a 5-2 win over Como Park. Como Park bookened Johnson's wins by taking first singles and third doubles. The match was in the balance with Johnson up 3-2 when fourth singles and first doubles came in on the winning side for Johnson.

I got their at 3:12, but the matches were already rolling by then. They were scheduled for 3:15. It looks like I need to get to St. Paul events by 3 pm. Also for the second day in a row the doors were locked to the gyms. All the city schools have security in place, but the security guard at CP didn't even have keys to the gym.

Both teams have altered their line ups from previous viewings. Der Vang and Lee Fang flipped at 1 and 2 singles for CP, with the doubles all changed with either new partners or new positions. For Johnson, Kao Lee Xiong went from 2nd doubles to 1st singles, and Pang Thao went from 1st doubles to 2nd singles. Ye Thao dropped a spot to third singles, and Desiree Garcia took the spot of Gina Garcia at fourth. The doubles all were shuffled.

FIRST SINGLES
Apparently I came in when Der Vang of Como Park was up 15-9. Kao Lee Xiong started her comeback when I took out my red and black pens. She scored five in a row to close to 15-14. Both players then got involved in a side out game for the next six points. Vang was able to get point 19 on a clear for a side out and then never gave the serve back with a drive and a fan for a 21-17 win in game one.

Game two was tight throughout. Kao Lee Xiong had the early advantage with a 6-4 lead after a drop. Der Vang got the side out and then ran off four straight service points including one ace. That put her up 9-6. Vang pushed the lead up to 13-9. Xiong started to rally with three points to 13-12. Vang kept the lead until My records indicated that Xiong jumped up out in front with four straight points to go up 20-18. Two side outs later I had Xiong winning 21-19, but the game went on. Vang added two points to make it 21 all in my book. A drop gave the advantage to Xiong, but she missed her next serve. Then on Vang's serve Xiong put the birdie in the net and it was over 24-22 officially, 23-22 in my book.

This is my biggest complaint about badminton. No one really screams out the score. That needs to be a point of emphasis. I don't think players are knowingly fudging the score, but they probably get too wrapped up in play.

When looking at these numbers remember that it this is a number crunching for part of game one and all of game two.
SIDEOUTS: Vang s; Xiong x
SERVE RUNS: Xiong 2, Vang 1
POINTS:
Vang 28: Winners: 14 Drives 8, Clears 2, Drops 2, Smash 1, Aces 1
Xiong Errors 14: hitting 12 (fans 6, net 5, general 1); serving 3 (deep 3)
Xiong 30: Winners 20: Drops 7, Drives 5, Smashes 5, Clears 1, Aces 1, Unknown 1
Vang Errors 10: hitting 10 (net 5, deep 3, fan 2), serving 0

SINGLES
1. Der Vang (CP) def. Kao Lee Xiong 21-17, 24-22
2. Pang Thao (J) def. Lee Fang 21-16, 17-21, 21-11
3. Ye Thao (J) def. Mai Yer Lee 21-12, 21-14
4. Desiree Garcia (J) def. Shaundera Worrell 21-10, 21-16
DOUBLES
1. Karen Obermeyer-Kolb/Kia Thao (J) def Shelly Thao/Panhia Lee 21-17, 24-22
2. Mai Ka Yang/Bellick Pha (J) def Mai Tia Yang/Khoua Yang 21-17, 21-15
3. Nou Fang/Mai Ka Vang (CP) def Kao Nou Vue/Shang Thao 21-12, 21-16

BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Johnson 3-1 .750
Games: Johnson 6-3 .667
Points: Johnson 182-145 .557
decided by 10+: Johnson 2-0
decided by 3 or less: Como Park 1-0
DOUBLES
matches: Johnson 2-1 .667
games: Johnson 4-2 .667
points: Johnson 115-113 .504
decided by 10+: none
decided by 3: Johnson 1-0

Next up: tomorrow morning