BOYS’ BASKETBALL SPORTS SHORTS, 2008-09–
(Latest boys’ basketball shorts will be at the top of the section. Scroll down to check out past results. Tournament games do not count toward win/loss record. Visit the Sports Section for boys’ basketball features)

For the 2008-09 schedule or stats and standings click on Maxpreps.com. FC finished the season at 9-15 overall and 2-6 in the West Sequoia League.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL, 2008-09

[Season End]

FC DEFEATED IN LAST GAME–Feb. 20
A one-sided affair went to the visiting Parlier Panthers, as they beat FC in their own gym on senior night, 80-58, Feb. 20.

“This game was filled with tons of emotion to end the season strong for a our seniors,” junior Tyler Revis said. “They had given us a lot and deserved to go out with a win.”

The Eagles were led by junior Landon Martens who scored 26 points, and senior Michael Raymer with 15. Senior center Taylor Brouwer, who exploited the under-sized Panthers for 24 points and 12 rebounds on Feb. 3, did not find the post as easy this time around and scored only 7.

“They played Taylor much tougher this time,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “Every time he caught the ball he was double or triple teamed. It was much more difficult for him to score, he had to go and attack the boards to get his points.”

As the senior’s favorite memories from the season were read, Raymer’s caused a little drama as the announcer stated that the guard’s top moment was beating Parlier with a buzzer-beater. Visibly agitated by the remembrance of the game, the Panthers came out hot in the first quarter.

Senior guard Jonathan Aguayo sank an opening 3-pointer, and Parlier forced multiple Eagle turnovers in taking an early 9-0 advantage. However Martens and junior guard David Heartfield combined for a few answering 3-points helping FC grind out a 25-17 first quarter deficit.

Senior guard Juan Ruelas dropped a game-high 30 points for the Panthers, while Aguayo finished with 13.

“It’s a disappointing way to end for the seniors,” Schultz said. “But it doesn’t take away from the season we had and the effort that they gave. This was a good group of kids to work with. They stayed committed, worked hard and enjoyed being around each other. I’m proud of them and the season we had.”

Parlier will head in the CIF playoffs with a 16-8 overall record including 5-3 in West Sequoia League. league play. FC finished the season at 9-15 overall and 2-6 in league.

FOWLER DOMINATES ON EAGLES’ HOME COURT–Feb. 17
In winning their third game in a row, the Redcats defeated FC, 59-39, Feb. 17, to bump their West Sequoia league record to 7-0.

“Fowler is by far the best team in our conference,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “They have outstanding talent, play hard, and have quality senior leadership. They are a deserving champion for our league this year.”

The Eagles were led by junior guard Landon Martens’ 11 points, while senior center Taylor Brouwer scored 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Fowler got a game-high 18 points from senior guard Anthony Carares. The Redcats made their move in the game’s opening quarter when they used a trapping full-court press to outscore FC 20-6.

“For some reason we started the game like we were scared of the other team,” junior Andrew McCormick said. “We shouldn’t have been intimidated because Parlier beat them and we beat Parlier earlier in the season, but we blew it.”

Despite an early timeout called by Schultz, FC failed to put up resistance against Fowler in the 1st half. The Redcats dominated the second quarter as well, and went on to lead 36-15 at half-time.

“We got in such a big hole early in the game and never gave ourselves a chance to be competitive,” Schultz said. “Fowler jumped all over us and never let down during the first half.”

FC DISRUPTED IN ROAD LOSS–Feb. 13
Despite holding an early advantage, the Eagles slipped up against Caruthers leading to an 81-51 blowout, Feb. 13.

“As a senior on a good team, it is frustrating when stuff does not go our way,” Tyler Graham said. “They were able to do everything they wanted.”

The Eagles were led by senior guard Michael Raymer’s 13 points, senior center Taylor Brouwer’s 12, and junior guard Landon Martens’ 11.

“Michael gave us a shot in the arm with his aggressive play,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “He did a good job of coming off the bench, attacking the rim, and playing hard defensively.”

FC started off the game effectively on offense, running multiple plays to get the ball to Brouwer. The first 3 minutes of play saw the Eagles jump ahead 17-3.

However Caruthers’ junior guard Dilpreet Thind hit a running 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first quarter to get his team to within 7 points of the lead and switch the momentum. The Blue Raiders then used a trapping full court press to outscore FC 21-11 in the second and grab a slim 32-30 lead at the halfway point.

FC seemed poised to regain the lead early in the third quarter, when Schultz received a technical foul for arguing a controversial fourth foul called against Brouwer. Caruthers went to make the free-throws, and also capitalized on their next 2 possessions ? sparking a 13-0 run which put the game out of reach.

“The technical was my attempt to defend the players and get the officials to make some calls in our favor,” Schultz said. “That obviously did not wok and it ended up being a swing that we couldn’t recover from.”

The remainder of the second half saw FC players pick up 2 more technical fouls as the Blue Raiders ran up the score via their press.

Thind led Caruthers with 32 points, while senior guard Amarpal Batth collected 30 mostly on transition lay-ups.

“Give Caruthers some credit,” Schultz said. “They played hard and within the context of what the officials allowed. When they got us down, they just stepped on us and finished us off. Thind and Baath were unstoppable in that second half and kept making shot after shot.”

For the game, the Eagles shot only 12-28 from the free-throw line and 3-16 from beyond the 3-point arc. Missed opportunities led to Caruthers outscoring them 49-21 in the decisive second-half.

With the victory, the Blue Raiders (3-4) moved into solo second in the West Sequoia League behind Fowler (6-0). FC dropped to 2-4 in league and 9-13 overall with the loss.

The Eagles will next host Fowler, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m.

TRANQUILLITY EDGES FC BY 4–Feb. 11
In a evenly-matched contest, the Tigers narrowly defeated FC, 59-55, Feb. 11.

The Eagles did not get the job done hustle-wise according to head coach Chris Schultz.

“We just didn’t come ready to play,” Schultz said. “We said that we were going to have to play harder than Tranquillity to win and we never played with much energy or passion. It was disappointing.”

Though they trailed 34-27 at halftime, and 45-36 after 3 quarters, FC staged a fourth quarter comeback.

With 5 seconds remaining in regulation, the Eagles had possession of the ball trailing 57-55. However Tranquillity intercepted an inbounds pass intended junior guard Landon Martens, and 2 free throws later the game was over.

“The game was extremely frustrating,” Brouwer said. “As a team we have made so many strides forward but still were unable to get a win. The past two wins have been critical and this game was just as important. Although the team has suffered some incredible setbacks there is still no excuse for losing a very winnable game.”

Martens led the team with 24 points, and senior Tyler Graham scored 12 on 3 of 6 shooting from 3-point range.

“Landon kept us in the game with his shooting,” Schultz said. “We just couldn’t muster anything against their zone inside and had to rely on the outside shot. He made some big shots for us to stay in the game.”

The Eagles will next play at Caruthers, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.

FC DISPATCHES RIVERDALE–Feb. 6
In a close ball game from start to finish, the Eagles came through with a victory for the second straight game, beating Riverdale 57-50, Feb. 6.

Junior Landon Martens scored a game-high 22 points, and senior Michael Raymer added 11 to give FC the 2-1 season series lead over the Cowboys. Currently in his third year on the varsity team, Martens is leading the West Sequoia League in scoring, averaging 16.8 points-per-game.

The Cowboys received 16 points from senior guard Ronnie Ybarra.

A back-and-forth first half saw the Eagles go to into the locker room leading 25-24. The lead was too slim for head coach Chris Schultz.

“In the first half we gave up too many offensive rebounds and transition buckets,” Schultz said. ” But we made adjustments and limited their opportunities later on.”

Springing out of the locker room with energy, the Eagles were able to extend the lead to a high of 7 points. However when starting center Taylor Brouwer was gone after his 5th foul (a technical) with 3:23 left in the fourth quarter, things got more complicated.

Following a Ybarra freethrow, senior Matt Merrit stepped in to make 2 more and push Riverdale within 2 points of FC. The Cowboys hung around untill the end but the Eagles closed them out with a couple free-throws from both Martens and junior point guard David Hartfield.

“We want to make sure that we compete for all four quarters and learn to bring out the best in ourselves and our opponents,” Schultz said. “Riverdale played hard and physical tonight but we responded and found ways to win the game. This group of kids is resilient and simply a joy to work with.”

The Eagles will next play at Tranquillity, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.

LAST-SECOND SHOT BEATS PARLIER–Feb. 3
Senior Michael Raymer and the Eagles used a last-second buzzer-beater to down Parlier 64-63, Feb. 3.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “They kept fighting and playing hard and never gave up. We could have folded but we played ourselves back into the game and gave ourselves a chance to win it. It was an unbelievable game and a fantastic finish.”

FC put forth a hard-fought first half, however all they had to show for it was a 38-28 deficit. Then trailing by as many as 8 points in the fourth quarter, they completed their comeback to beat the 2nd place Panthers.

Though they turned the ball over 16 times in the first half, FC coughed it up just 7 times in the second.

With 45 seconds remaining in the game, and his team down by 3, senior Tyler Graham stepped up, hitting a game-tying 3-pointer. The Panthers got possession of the ball and after 3 misses and 3 offensive rebounds, head coach Raul Alverez called a timeout to talk it over with his squad.

Coming out of the timeout, senior guard Jaun Ruelas drove the lane, drawing a foul on Graham. Ruelas headed to the line for a 1-in-1, and sank both shot to put his team up, 63-61, with 3 seconds showing on the clock.

FC in-bounded the ball to junior Landon Martens who was immediately double-teamed by Parlier defenders, and passed to Raymer who was streaking down the sideline.

At the buzzer, Raymer released an awkward contested shot from his right-hip, which banked in off the glass ? stunning the Panthers.

Raymer, who just checked into the game during the Parlier timeout, was not even supposed to take the final shot (designed for Martens, but credits his teammate for the heads-up pass.

“I was set up on the other side of the court when I saw the ball thrown in to Landon way above his head,” Raymer said. “He made an incredibly athletic move to go get the ball and throw it up to me. I thrilled to have helped with a real team victory with contributions from every individual.”

Senior Taylor Brouwer took advantage of undersized Parlier, leading the Eagles with a game-high 24 points and 12 rebounds. Martens scored 13 points, and junior point guard David Hartfield chipped in 11 to round out FC’s top 3 scorers. Senior Tyler Graham put up 8 points and grabbed 12 rebounds (11 defensive), while making things happen for FC.

“Tyler played the game of his life,” Schultz said. “He made so many things happen for us on both ends of the floor. He hit a huge 3-pointer to tie the game in the fourth and then even talked the ref out of giving David his fifth foul. He played like a senior and a leader and I’m proud of him.”

In an effort to keep the Eagles in the game, Hartfield and Martens played the entire fourth quarter with 4 fouls and neither fouled out. Martens also set a new personal record with 4 three’s in the quarter.

FC shot just 12 of 27 from the charity stripe, but made up for it by sinking 7 of 14 3-pointers.

The Panthers dropped just their second game in the past 2 months and are currently 14-7 overall. FC improved to 8-11 and will try for 2 in a row as they face Riverdale next.

“This was a huge win, no doubt about it,” Schultz said. “To go on the road, get behind early and then rally for a win should convince the boys that while we have faced a lot of trials this year, we’re still kicking and can continue to be competitive against really good teams.”

REDCATS PUMMEL EAGLES–Jan. 30
In front of a hyped up home crowd, Fowler defeated the Eagles 74-44, to retain the top spot in the West Sequoia League.

“It was a tough game for us,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “Fowler is a really good team and when they wanted to, they just separated from us. We played hard but weren’t always able to match up.”

The Eagles were led by senior Taylor Brouwer’s game-high 18 points and 7 rebounds and Tyler Grahams 9 points and team-high 8 rebounds.

The Redcats used Eagle turnovers off of at their full-court press to score the majority of their baskets.

“They were ahead of us the whole game because of turnovers on our behalf,” junior David Hartfield said. “Their pressure was tough because they were athletic and big causing back-court turnovers. When we broke the press they couldn’t stop us from getting good shots. We just need to improve on breaking the press.”

With most of the Fowler starters on the bench by the fourth quarter, their reserves shone. Fowler got 16 and 15 points respectively from seniors Anthony Price and Anthony Casares. Redcats leading scorer Christian Martinez settled for 13 points.

With his team in a league with aggressive pressing teams such as Fowler, Parlier, and Caruthers, Schultz cited improvement on the press break as the catalyst for improvement.

“We’re going to get more chances to deal with pressure with games vs. Parlier coming up so we’ll try and make adjustments and improve,” Schultz said. “Its all we can do to compete.”

ATHLETIC CARUTHERS OVERCOMES FC–Jan. 27
Behind hustle and athletic play, Caruthers defeated the Eagles 72-48, Jan. 27.

It was not looking pretty for FC after the first quarter, as they trailed 20-8. The Blue Raiders attacked the Eagles on defense with a full court press forcing numerous mistakes and turnovers.

“We just turned the ball over way too much,” junior Andrew McCormick said. “If we would have turned the ball over half as many times as we did, we would have easily beaten them. We basically lost our composure.”

The 2-2-1 press forced 33 Eagle turnovers, which led to Caruthers’ layups. West Sequoia League leading scorer, (junior) guard Dilpreet Thind, scored 15 points despite facing one of FC’s best defenders, junior Landon Martens.

“Caruthers does a good job of getting in the passing lanes,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “Their guards have quick hands and anticipate well. You have to make good passes and quick mental decisions or they eat you up.”

Senior guard Amarpal Batth led the Blue Raiders offensively with 19 points, and FC countered with a game-high 20 points from senior center Taylor Brouwer, and 16 by Martens.

In a bizarre end to the first half, Batth drew a foul on a last-second prayer from well beyond 3-point range, which sent him to the line for 3 free-throws with no time remaining. He went on to sink 2 of the 3 to give the Blue Raiders the momentum going into the half, and a 36-27 lead.

Caruthers exploded out of the locker with their press hitting on all cylinders. After a couple of turnovers and back to back 3s by Thind and Batth, head coach Chris Schultz was forced to take a timeout in attempt to stop the opposition’s surge.

Though trailing by as many as 17 at the beginning of the third, the Eagles battled back to take a 1 point lead with 4:08 remaining in the quarter.

However the Blue Raiders went on a 10-2 run following 2 Brouwer free-throws and proceeded to extend the lead to over 20 points.

FC was undone due partly to 2 technical fouls called on junior David Hartfield and senior Michael Raylmer ? both in the disastrous third quarter.

“I thought the reason we lost the game was because of the technical fouls,” Martens said. “They really demoralized the team and just put us in a hole that we could not climb out of. If we can play smarter the next time we play them it will be a completely different game.”

The win pushed Caruthers’ record to 11-4, while FC fell to 7-10 overall.

“What a strange game,” Schultz said. “Down by 17 in the first half, taking a one points lead in the third quarter, and losing by 24. It was definitely a game of momentum shifts. In the end we were on the short end of the swings.”

TRANQUILLITY POWERS PAST EAGLES–Jan. 23
By beating FC in transition getting more loose balls, Tranquillity rolled to a 61-47 victory, Jan. 23.

Despite playing without point guard (sophomore) Niko Ezernack, the Tigers outran the Eagles for easy layups. Tranquillity was led by 6’4″ senior center Miguel Arrdondo’s 18 points.

The Eagles did not help themselves by going 10-26 from the free-throw line and shooting 29% from the field.

“We’ve shot the ball poorly all year long and this game once again revealed our weakness in the worst way,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “You just can’t be successful shooting thirty-eight percent from the charity stripe.”

FC got a game-high 20 points from junior Landon Martens which included an array of 3-point bombs.

“Something has switched in Landon and he’s realizing how good he can be,” Schultz said. “He’s playing hard and really aggressively attacking the basket. It’s fun to watch and we’ll keep encouraging him to keep it up.”

Martens shot 3-7 from the 3-point line, while grabbing 3 rebounds. Despite recording a double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds), senior Taylor Brouwer left the gym frustrated with his teams 2nd straight loss.

Sophomore Kasey Thompson provided a spark off the bench for FC, playing pressure defense and hustling up and down the court.

“Kasey has had to play a lot for us recently with all the injuries and I’m really happy with his performance,” Schultz said. “He plays hard, makes things happen for us and gives us a boost with his toughness and attitude.”

FC STUMBLES DOWN THE STRETCH–Jan. 20
A poor 3rd quarter cost the Eagles as Riverdale raced home to a 70-55 victory, Jan. 20.

“Riverdale just outplayed us today,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “We seemed fatigued and never played with the kind of energy and determination that has highlighted our past two wins. They grabbed every loose ball and converted too many offensive rebounds.”

Behind an 18 point outing by senior guard Ronnie Ybarra, the Cowboys coasted to a smooth finish after outscoring FC, 17-6, to start the 3rd quarter.

The Eagles were led in the scoring department by junior guard Landon Martens’ season-high 25 points, and senior center Taylor Brouwer’s 12.

Foul trouble and controversial calls plagued FC throughout the game, but came to a head in the 3rd. With 5 minutes to go in the quarter, Martens went to the bench following his 4th foul, and Riverdale took advantage by converting several fast-break opportunities for transition buckets.

“We had taken some steps forward recently and then took one back tonight,” Schultz said. “This was a game that we felt we could get and to not give our best effort was disappointing. But we’ll get back at it again in practice in preparation for Friday against Tranquillity.”

EAGLES STEAL ONE IN MENDOTA–Jan. 16
Though trailing by as many as 8 points versus Mendota, the Eagles battled with only 7 players in uniform, and won 58-56, Jan. 16.

Junior Landon Martens provided the climax of the nights’ excitement, scoring the game-winning layup with 3 ticks remaining in the 4th quarter.

“It was the greatest feeling ever,” Martens said. “Especially when the whole team started jumping around like a riot.”

The Aztecs’ (senior) Emilio Valdez hit a 3-pointer with just under a minute to play, giving Mendota a 2 point lead. However senior Taylor Brouwer took a post entry pass and attacked straight to the rim to tie the score at 56 a piece with 30 seconds to go.

Mendota went back on the offensive, but a turnover with 12 seconds remaining, gave the ball back to FC, and led to Martens’ layup. After an Aztecs prayer missed from half-court at the buzzer, the Eagles exploded in celebration.

“Landon was huge for us tonight,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “He made some big threes in the second half and then continued to attack the rack. I couldn’t be happier for him; he’s really been playing well lately.”

Brouwer had another solid game, scoring 22 points to go along with 7 rebounds. Martens scored a season-high 19 points, and junior David Hartfield contributed 11 to round out FC’s top three scorers.

The Aztecs hung around by sinking 9 timely 3-pointers for the game, and taking advantage of open shots, however they were undone by turnovers down the stretch.

“This was a great win for the team and one of the best that we’ve experienced in this program for years,” Schultz said. “To have only six players and perform the way we did and respond when we were down was outstanding. I couldn’t be prouder of the kids.”

The Eagles have won their last 3, and currently hold a 7-7 record going into league play.

INJURY-PLAGUED FC SHORTHANDED IN VICTORY–Jan. 14
Despite suiting up only 7 players for the game, FC simply outplayed a deeper Firebaugh squad in route to a 54-48 win, Jan. 14.

Junior guard David Hartfield led the way with 20 points, as his team rolled to their 2nd straight victory.

“David has really improved recently,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “He’s playing hard and making plays and knows he’s got to step up with all the guys we’ve lost. He had his best game of the years so far.”

Also stepping up their game for FC were junior Landon Martens with 15 points and senior Taylor Brouwer with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

“We went out brought the intensity and played hard with the few that we had,” Hartfield said. “We got the job done, because our team stuck together and our scorers scored. When we do that it will keep us in games.”

Though they only held a slim 23-21 lead at halftime, FC broke the game open in the 3rd quarter by outscoring Firebaugh, 20-8, and increasing the lead to 14 points. They combined tough defense with aggressive offense, creating a cushion going into the final quarter.

Near the end of the 4th quarter, senior guard Michael Raymer went down with a dislocated shoulder, leaving FC to grind out the remainder of the game with 6 players.

“Michael has had a string of tough things happen to him and like always, he’s going hard and trying to make something happen,” Schultz said. “We can’t afford to lose anybody but especially not a senior that plays as hard as he does. We pray he gets bask to us soon.”

EAGLES WIN WITH EASE–Jan. 8
In an overpowering performance FC outscored Clovis Christian by a whopping 29 points, beating the Wildcats, 68-39, in their own gym, Jan. 8.

“We didn’t play our best ball or the year,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “However, we made enough plays to win the game.”

Senior center Taylor Brouwer led the way with a season-high 28 points and 20 rebounds, and junior guard Landon Martens tacked on another 15 points as the Eagles won going away.

After their man-to-man defense led to a 32-15 Eagle lead, the Wildcats switched to a zone. This move would prove to be in FC’s favor as Brouwer dominated the paint, making the opposition pay for the switch.

Also providing an all-around game for the Eagles was senior Michael Raymer who went for 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists. Sophomore Kasey Thompson contributed to the win by adding a season-high 4 points for FC.

“Kasey played hard and made plays and was able to get on the scoreboard,” Schultz said. “I liked his aggressive nature tonight.”

Among many other positives, the Eagles shot 21 for 35 from the field, grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, and jump-started their offense by forcing 22 Clovis Christian turnovers.

FC improved to 5-7 overall with a several winnable games next on the schedule.

“(Former UCLA Bruins) Coach John Wooden said that success is found in the running of the race and how you run that race counts for everything,” Schultz said. “It’s the quality of your effort that matters the most. I pray we continue to give our best and if we win, great. If we don’t, then at least we went down trying.”

POOR SHOOTING COSTS FC AGAINST ROYALS–Jan. 3
With better shooting, a huge frontline, and the home court advantage to top it off, Mission Prep beat the Eagles 52-33, in the Mission Prep Showcase, Jan. 3.

A disappointing 1st quarter for FC saw them make only 2 of 15 shots as the Royals grabbed an early 10-5 lead. Though FC pulled close in the 2nd, Mission Preps exploded for an 11-3 run before the Eagles could counter with a 3-pointer from junior David Hartfield. The score at the half: Mission 26, FC 15.

The height of Mission Prep seemed to disrupt the Eagle offense with the Royals starting frontline standing 6’6,” 6’7,” and 6’8.” As a team, FC shot 43% from the field (9 of 21) and turned the ball over 18 times.

“Their size really made us conscious when we shot the ball,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “We got some good looks in the first half but all of our shots were rushed. We got better as the game went on but it was always in the back of our minds when we shot.”

Despite facing his toughest competition of the year, senior center Taylor Brouwer came to play, scoring 19 points on 8 of 19 shooting and hauling in 15 rebounds. Teammate Hartfield also came through with 10 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals, however the rest of the team combined to make only 2 other shots.

Though usually one of the most consistent players on the team, junior Landon Martens went 0 of 11 from the field and fouled out with 0 points.

“This was a rough game for Landon; very untypical for him,” Schultz said. “He’s played well for us all year and tonight he struggled. He’ll bounce back and have a great game against Clovis Christian.

FC staged a mini-comeback in the final quarter, but the deficit proved insurmountable. Brouwer produced 9 points in the quarter to save his team from embarrassment. The closest the game got was 50-32, and it ended shortly after.

Schultz summed up a frustrating road trip that saw his team go 1-5 overall for 2 tournaments.

“It was a tough week for us in regard to the scoreboard, but we had a good time on these trips and some good team sessions about where we are at and what we need to do to improve. The guys want to get better and they are committed to what we are doing, so we’ll just get back this week in practice.”

2ND HALF COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH FOR EAGLES–Jan. 3
Despite improving their 2nd half play, the Eagles could not match the intensity of Coast Union during a 49-42 loss in the Mission Prep Showcase, Jan. 2.

FC came out of the gate cold, falling behind 17-7 after the 1st quarter and 32-15 at the half.

“This was a very poor outing from us,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “We were not ready to play and got into a deep hole that we could not climb out of.”

Junior Landon Martens led the Eagles with 15 by shooting 8 of 13 from the free-throw line, and senior Taylor Brouwer put up 14 points and 10 rebounds earning the double-double.

However it was not a lack of offense but a failure to take care of the ball that led to FC’s undoing as 33 turnovers held back the Eagle attack.

“Turnovers continue to plague us as a team,” Schultz said. “We either don’t get shots because we turn it over or when we do we can’t knock them down. It’s frustrating because we really aren’t playing badly on the defensive end of the floor.”

Though the Eagles hit 23 of 33 free-throws for 70%, their effort was hindered by making only 1 of 13 3-point attempts.

Putting forth an all-out effort, junior David Hartfield contributed 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals, despite only limited playing time.

“David played with a lot of fight tonight and led us defensively in the second half with his hustle and determination,” Schultz said. “He has shown the ability to get it done on the defensive end and I hope he can continue to play that way.”

EAGLES TAKE DOWN MINUTEMEN–Dec. 31
After losing 3 straight, the Eagles took out their anger on Liberty Christian, blowing out the minutemen, 78-28, in the final game of the Tri-City Christian Tournament, Dec. 31.

Unbothered by the early 8:30 a.m. tip-off FC jumped of to a 26-9 1st quarter lead and simply humbled Liberty Christian using their talent advantage.

The game was dominated by the FC big men. Senior center Taylor Brouwer lead the Eagles with 22 points on 10 of 15 shooting, while freshman Jeremiah Brown scored 16 and just missed out on a double-double with 9 rebounds.

“Our post play was outstanding all week,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “Taylor and Jeremiah can be on the floor at the same time and help us on both ends of the floor. I’ll continue to explore how to use both their talents to make us better.”

Junior Landon Martens rounded out a well-played tournament with 12 points and 5 assists, and senior Michael Raymer turned in a duplicate performance also scoring 12 and handing out 5 assists. FC achieved a season-low 16 turnovers and improved from the field, shooting 36 for 56 (64%).

Though he was the only player in an Eagle uniform without a point, junior David Hartfield secure “The Chair” defensive award by grabbing a career high 7 rebounds to go along with 3 assists.

“This was a nice way to end the tournament,” Schultz said. “It was an early game and we could have just packed it in. But the boys played hard and unselfishly and we were able to enjoy this victory Now we’ve got to take what we’ve learned from this tournament and apply it this weekend at San Luis Obispo and for the rest of the season.”

FC DROPS 2ND STRAIGHT–Dec. 30
A poor 2nd half led to an Eagle loss to Hesperia Christian, 54-38, in the Tri-City Christian Tournament, Dec. 30.

As in the previous games, FC competed in the 1st half leading 23-19 at the half, but once again gave it away in the 2nd.

“We played another outstanding first half, playing good defense, making shots, and playing with great effort,” head coach Chris Schultz said. “But we came out cold in the third and just didn’t get it done.”

Senior Taylor Brouwer and freshman Jeremiah Brown each scored 9 points to lead the team in scoring, and junior Landon Martens finished with 8.

Hesperia Christian senior guard Jordan Vargas went off for 28 points as his Patriots gave the Eagle defense fits.

On top of the missed assignment on Vargas, the Eagles also turned the ball over 28 times for the game, and shot 5 of 12 from the free-throw line. The turnovers hit FC the hardest according to Schultz.

“Too many careless turnovers by our guards,” Schultz said. “You can’t give the ball away that many times and expect to have a good offensive output.”

CHRISTIAN LIFE ACADEMY TOO MUCH FOR FC–Dec. 30
In the 2nd round of the Tri-City Christian Tournament, Christian Life Academy hand the Eagles a 54-38 loss, Dec. 30.

As it turned out the game was almost a replica of the Eagles’ tournament opener vs. Canyon Crest: come to play in the 1st half and crumble in the 2nd.

“It was like d