Our first game of the season produced a victory against a solid Northeast Christian squad. Our shooter, Mason Bent, scored 13 points, most in the second half when we needed him the most. Keaton Hart contributed 8 points and an unbelievable 17 rebounds! John Horsey led the way with our first double-double of the season: 15 points and 10 boards.
I was so proud of the team effort. This breakdown of stats will be a regular occurrence for this true team. Michael Pender protects the ball, high percentage shots are earned, few second shots are given to the opposition, rebounds are abundant, turnovers are rare, and so on. The true fan will enjoy watching our team accentuate our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. Congratulations Coogs on our first victory of the season!
GAME 2: NCS 28, SATCH 36
Wow, they grow home-school students tall these days! Every SATCH starter was taller than our tallest, Keaton Hart. We are a fundamentally sound team, but a short team. We played with grit and strength and only surrendered 3 points to SATCH in the entire third quarter. We only lost by 8 points and only surrendered 36 points to the team that would go on to win the tournament.
I felt great about our heartfelt and sweat-filled effort. We lost to a better team; we did not beat ourselves. Our shots were not falling, but we stayed under control and played smart from beginning to end. We gave up very few second shots; we simply were not tall enough. When our outside shooting went dry Michael Pender took the ball to the glass and poured in 11 points. Keaton Hart had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. Amazing effort.
I was most excited about John Horsey's wild animal approach in the lane. He plays high post and will not be stopped, even when opposing players are much bigger. His tenacity and refusal to move contributed to 3 charging calls being levied against SATCH. I award each player with a no-running pass for each charge taken, so if John keeps playing such solid defense, I will have to revisit this policy. Way to go John!
GAME 3: NCS 57, Cypress Christian 46
With this victory we claimed third place in the Faith West Tournament and returned home with some hardware. We also beat our rival in another spirited, physical matchup. Mason Bent was as sweet as sugar stroking 21 points, our season-high. John Horsey again was all over the place with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Bradley Ward wins my 6 th man award for the tourney. He is first off the bench and contributed solid defense and wins every loose ball battle. He has jumps!
All in all I was so pleased with our showing in this tournament, especially since we played three games in one day and they were the first three games of the season. We were well-conditioned and did not beat ourselves. We are not afraid to compete and get dirty. This is a tough district with mighty Faith West next on our schedule. We will have to be ready to play each game as there are very few guaranteed victories this season. We will be the shorter team almost every game, but the taller team in heart and hustle.
