By Joanna Chadwick

The Derby boys and girls basketball teams found themselves short a game this season. Long story short, Blue Valley Northwest and Derby helped each other out.

Derby boys coach Brett Flory is a former assistant for Ed Fritz at BVNW, which also needed a game after a cancellation. After playing top-ranked Campus on Friday, the Panthers played at No. 2-ranked BVNW on Saturday.

But the Derby girls were also out a game, so BVNW said it would host the Panthers against Grandview (Missouri) Christian. It’s a tiny school that, after injuries, entered the game with six players.

Well, Derby is one of Class 6A’s top teams with just two losses. So coach Jodie Karsak came up with a creative plan — she started five, midway through the first quarter, brought in a second five and then brought in a third five to start the second quarter.

I thought it was brilliant. Karsak mixed her best players in with her usual bench players and junior varsity players. It made for interesting combinations, effectively challenging her players, while also ensuring that Derby did not score 100 points.