Everyone is a critic when it comes to athletics, but most importantly, everyone knows the exact method to win ballgames. At least, that’s the way most carry themselves before, during and after games.

As Friday’s tight playoff battle raged on between Ferriday and Northeast, Ferriday fans shouted the same thing on repeat.

Almost in unison, folks repeated — “That’s all you’ve got to do.” This, of course, was directed at the team’s offensive method of getting the ball down in the paint to Ferriday’s big freshmen, Dantrieze Scott and Dare Rosenthal. Without saying out loud, I too joined in. These freshmen are massive and skillful with the basketball, so getting the ball to them as much as possible is only going to help Ferriday’s chances of winning, right?

Their play certainly illustrated such, as Rosenthal tipped in a basket in the third quarter by palming the ball like a beach ball and knocking it in the hole. It was like watching a big bear swat at a beehive.

Ferriday head coach K.G. Watkins seemingly heard the fans in the crowd, as his team continuously passed the ball down into the post to Rosenthal and Scott, but something unexpected transpired. Both big men began to struggle late in the game, missing easy buckets they could probably knock down with their eyes closed on any other night.

Ferriday lost the game 61-57, and it seemed to be when Watkins finally listened to the fans’ gripes and put more weight and responsibility on his freshmen’s shoulders, the game got away from Ferriday. After the game, after addressing his team, Watkins sat on the bench in Vidalia’s gym, where the Trojans were forced to play by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association because of seating. He sat back, his eyes red and watery, visually disappointed his No. 7 team was upset by a No. 26 seed. I gave him a moment to collect himself, but I knew he had to be thinking about those voices that will only get louder. Those same voices that wanted him to feed the freshmen, and those voices that will criticize his decisions, even though he gave the people what they asked for.

The problem was it was both Scott and Rosenthal’s first playoff game, and when shots weren’t falling and free throws were missing their mark (Ferriday missed all eight attempted free throws in the final quarter), the moment may have gotten to Ferriday’s two studs. These are young kids after all. Blue chip recruits or not, freshmen have to mature before shouldering a team in the playoffs.

Knowing this all season long, Watkins tried to rotate them in and out with upperclassmen like Shannon Morales, Ronald Williams and even sophomore Jayshon Foster. In doing so, fans would gripe and complain, despite Ferriday winning seven of its last eight games. I, too, would scratch my head at certain points of games during the regular season, sizing up Scott on the bench after he rocked the house with an electrifying alley-oop finish.

Perhaps it takes a loss to realize that at the end of the day, coach was right. I know how it is — like most of you, I want to see these big boys bang around in the post all day, but against a smaller, more experienced team Friday night, that simply wasn’t working in the fourth quarter. In fact, it was Morales and Ronald Davis who made some big baskets toward the end that kept Ferriday in the game.

Experience is one of those factors in sports incapable of measuring, but you better believe it has a huge implication on the outcome of a game. Just ask Northeast coach Darren Taylor, who after the game revealed his strategy.

“I said, ‘They’re not experienced. Let’s go after them,’” Taylor said.

Most conversations I had with Watkins this season always reverted back to his team’s youth, so though the loss is devastating now, it’s hard for me to believe it completely caught Watkins by surprise. Neither will the continued complaints amongst fans, but then again, we all know better than the coach, right?

JAKE MARTIN is the sports editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or jake.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.