Boys basketball prepare for league play

League play starts for the Eagles after a tough preseason, playing teams like Washington Union, Memorial, Coalinga, Central Valley Christian, Kerman, and Madera. The Eagles are battle tested and ready for to soar through league.

The FC boys will play the Minarets Mustangs on Jan. 13. A win would be great for the boys after coming off a win against Yosemite, Jan. 11. The Eagles will come into the game confident after the win. James Backmann, ‘17, is the main scorer for Minarets averaging 12 points a game. Stopping him will be key to shutting down their offense.

This game will not be as easy though considering Joel Martinez, ‘17, is out due to illness and his presence on the court will surely be missed as the Eagles depend on his facilitating. Despite Martinez’s absence the team has proven they can still win tough games against teams like Firebaugh and Yosemite.

It will be up to the bench to keep the starters fired up by cheering them on. Bench players will also need to step up to replace the exhausted starters since Martinez is gone. I predict that the Eagles will be up in the first by 5 points. Nick LeBlanc, ’17, Trevor Trevino, ’17, and Daniel Walker, ’17, will be leading the team in scoring.

The Mustangs are an experienced team with 11 seniors filling out the roster. This will be a good game and no one should expect a blowout.

With the Eagles up in the first quarter, the Mustangs will feel pressure to climb back into the game. This will cause the Mustangs to force up shots and passes which will lead to Eagle rebounds and steals. As the game progresses, the Eagles will slowly pull away from Minarets.

Phillip Christopher, ’17, will have the most put back points with 12, Walker will lead the team with 5 rebounds, and Damien Boyce, ‘17, will lead the team in steals with 3. Our Eagles will beat the Mustangs, 51-42.

Read last week’s FC Insider: Clovis Elks Tournament