A REAL TREAT...it is to see the young talent of players like Wade Gelhaus of Mississinawa Valley.

JANUARY 31, 2008 – UNION CITY
It was the premier game of the evening as fans filled the gymnasium to the rafters in anticipation of a highly touted match-up between two unbeaten teams.

No, it wasn't a high school boys or girls game.

Heck, it wasn't even an eighth grade game.

It was a seventh grade game that has been talked about for quiet some time. That's right, a game between seventh graders.

The 12-0 Covington Buccaneers traveled to Union City to face the 12-0 Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks. Upon arrival it was obvious the interest in a game between kids who haven't even reached puberty was at an all-time high. One look at the stands filled to the rafters was all you needed to see.

And the little guys didn't disappoint.

Covington jumped out to a 19-10 lead after one period as Cole Owens appeared to have too much size and strength for the Blackhawks to handle. The Buccs kept feeding the 6'0" Owens the ball and he hit shot after shot inside the paint.

But Mississinawa Valley had its own special weapon in Wade Gelhaus, who is a joy to watch with a basketball in his hands.

Gelhaus would can a long trey on one possession and weave his way to the basket on another to get the Blackhawks back into the game.

By half time Mississinawa Valley cut the score to 27-23 and left the floor to a standing ovation from the hometown crowd.

But both teams were more than one-man shows, which was apparent in the second half.

Long three bombs by the Blackhawks were countered by back-door cuts by Covington, but after three periods of play Mississinawa had taken a 34-31 lead.

Mississinawa would eventually push its lead to seven points, but Covington came back with a vengeance.

In spite of missing 11 of 14 free throws on the night, Covington was able to cut the Blackhawk lead to 40-38 with under 1:00 to play.

With the Buccs only having four fouls showing on the scoreboard and needing the ball back for a potential tying score, Mississinawa smartly utilized the corners of the court to spread the ball around. Covington gave chase in an attempt to foul the Blackhawks to the free throw line.

With just 19 seconds left Covington was finally able to pick up its seventh foul and send the Blackhawks to the line, but Gelhaus pulled down the one-and-one attempt to preserve the possession.

One final Covington foul with seven seconds left sent Mississinawa to the line again, but another miss gave Covington one last chance as Owens pulled down the rebound.

The pass down the court was too long, however, as Mississinawa regained possession and killed the clock for the 40-38 win.

It was a game of hype and one that lived up to the hype. Both teams have some unbelievable talent for their age and they were a joy to watch.

For those who missed it, don't worry, you may get a second chance as these two teams could very well see each other in the seventh grade tournament. Should that happen, don't be surprised if you have a hard time finding a seat.