For the first time in campus history, the 8th grade boys’ basketball team will play for the Fresno Unified Championship on Dec. 12 at 6 PM at Bullard High School. The Eagles earned the right to play in the game by avenging their only previous Fresno Unified loss, to the Hamilton Hurricanes on Dec. 10.

FC battled their way to a 45 to 35 victory, paced by solid team defense, and led by guard Joel Ruble and forward Bart Allen.

“We knew we had to get after their little point guard and make somebody else beat us,” said Allen. “Last time we played them, he had 31 points. This time, we limited him to 11, and none in the second half. We wore him out and shut him down by pressuring him full court.”

The Eagles were paced offensively by center Jeremiah Brown and guard Chandler Vargas’ 13 points apiece, while point guard Brady Lee sealed the deal with 8 4th quarter points. Lee’s 3 pointer followed quickly by two free throws with less than a minute left was the nail in the coffin, much to the delight of a raucous home crowd.

“We had a gameplan, and we knew we were going to win if it was a close game in the 4th quarter,” head coach C.J. Haydock said. “We always want to be in better shape than our opponent, and wear them down throughout the game with tough, aggressive, in your face man to man defense. We did that today.”

After trailing by 3 at halftime and 1 at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Eagles held Hamilton to just 6 points in the final quarter, while scoring 17 of their own.

“We executed and held true to our gameplan, and then our playmakers made plays when they had to,” Haydock continued. “Brady came up with two huge threes, tough shots that he knew was going to make. To win a game like that, with the crowd there to support us and love on us, is something our boys will never forget.”

Lee found the game environment intimidating, but was proud of the way his team played.

“It was the most intense game I have ever played in,” Lee said. “It was close the whole game, and an ecstatic crowd was cheering us on. I would say the game was a perfect example of ‘Eagle basketball’.”

The Eagles will battle Carver Academy Middle School in the championship game. FC has an overall record of 12-3, and a record of 10-1 against Fresno Unified opponents. The Eagles play in the finals on Dec. 12 at Bullard High School. Game time is 6 P.M.

“We hope our Eagle faithful, and really our whole school community show up and root us on,” Haydock said. “We want to go out and accomplish something special, making our friends, families, and teachers proud by the way we represent Fresno Christian.”