What is it that the person in charge of report cards usually says to all but the 'straight-A' students? "With a little more work you could turn that 'B' into an 'A'." Or, "You are so close to getting a higher grade if you would only (fill in the blank)." You get the idea. That's how I felt when assessing the holiday tournament performances of the six Patch Hardwood Tour teams that competed last week. As a group they compiled a combined record of 10-14, but five of those losses were by three measly points or less, meaning that just a slight reversal of fortune would have made a major …

From the heady 5-1 start of the Grayslake North Knights to the rugged 1-4 beginnings of a Prairie Ridge Wolves team still finding it's basketball legs, Patch.com-area teams have already experienced wide-ranging degrees of success this young season. But all the clubs and their coaches have the same overall goal in mind, even this early in the campaign. They all want to put the game experiences into proper perspective, learn something from each outing  and, most importantly, improve in the process. Here's a few examples of  highs and lows  witnessed in Week 2. Losing With Grace It can oft-times…