BOYS’ BASKETBALL SPORTS SHORTS, 2010-11, Part I–
(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.)

Be sure to visit the 2010-11 boys’ basketball schedule, home page, roster page, or check out Maxpreps.com. The Eagles are currently 4-9 overall and 0-0 in the West Sequoia League as of Jan. 4. The Eagles will next face the Mendota Aztecs, Jan. 5.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL, 2010-11, Part IBoys’ basketball sport shorts, Part II, for the rest of the 2010-11 season.

SIERRA COMES OUT ON TOP TO OPEN NEW YEAR, Jan. 4
The Eagles traveled up to Tollhouse to face off against the defending D-IV champions, the Sierra Chieftains. Despite FC’s strong play for three quarters, Sierra took over near the end of the game, defeating the Eagles, 84-65, Jan. 4.

The Chieftains controlled the game from the tip, scoring a quick six points before the Eagles got on the scoreboard. FC fought back and made several clutch threes by juniors Cooper Belmont and Chandler Vargas.

The game was tied 16 all at the end of the first quarter. Sierra full court pressed FC the entire game which was made the Eagles tired. Despite the press, FC trailed by one at halftime, 22-21.

The Chieftains full court pressure eventually paid off as the Eagles began turning the ball over near the end of the game. Sierra outscored the Eagles 23-13 by the end of the fourth quarter.

Coach Josh Justin is proud of his guys and knows the final score is not indicative to how the they played. He credits high scorer Cooper Belmont and Chandler Vargas with stellar offensive performances. Belmont’s five thee pointers were highlighted in the Fresno Bee’s sport section.

“We played extremely hard and the game was close until the end of the 3rd quarter when they went on an 11-0 run,” Justin said. “I was very proud of how hard the boys played but in the end we seemed to get tired which lead to some turnovers, and eventually cost us the game. The entire team played well, with juniors Chandler Vargas, 19 points, and Cooper Belmont, 22 points leading the way.”

Sierra’s Derek Ausprum, ’12, led his team with 19 points. Brothers Jake Blunt , ’11, and Casey Blunt, ’13, chipped in 18 and 15 points to help seal the victory for the Chieftains.

The Eagles will next travel to Mendota to face the Mendota Aztecs, Jan 5.

TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT Dec. 28-30EAGLES END TOURNAMENT WITH WIN, GO 2-2 OVERALL–Dec. 28-30
The Eagles traveled to play in a three day tournament in Carlsbad at the Tri-City Christian Holiday Tournament. Although FC began with a narrow loss to Pilibos, 57-50, Dec. 28, they bounced back to overpower Hamilton, winning, 62-45, the next day, Dec. 29. However, later that day Holy Martyrs defeated FC, 96-63, Dec. 29.

For the last day of the tournament, the Eagles took on Hesperia Christian, and went in to overtime to oust past Hesperia by three points to win, 63-60, Dec. 30. FC finished the tournament 2-2.

A more in depth summary of each game is listed below.

TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT Dec. 28-30
EAGLES FINISH TOURNAMENT STRONG WITH WIN IN OVERTIME, Dec. 30
After a tiring few days, the Eagles faced off with Hesperia Christian for their last game of the tournament. FC came out fast, outscoring their opponents by 13 in the first quarter. Hesperia battled back and the lead wavered between the teams. The game eventually went into overtime. The Eagles responded well to the pressure and were able to come out on top, 63-60, Dec. 30.

Junior Chandler Vargas played one of his best defensive game of the season. Despite fouling out in overtime, his tough play helped secure a victory.

“I played really aggressive,” Vargas said. “There were a lot of times when I could have been upset over bad calls but I kept my mind in it. I tried to out hustle and outwork the other team.”

Vargas says he felt calm despite the pressure of overtime.

“I felt at peace the whole time. It was still a really close game but I didn’t let myself get worried about it. I just kept on fighting and played the game we started.”

Coach Justin is glad his team could end the tournament on a positive note.

“In our final game down in San Diego we had a thrilling victory over the Hesperia Christian team,” Justin said. “It was a back and forth game, but in the end we were able to win. ”

Coach Justin recognizes Junior Cooper Belmont for his excellent offensive game. Belmont had a season high of 31 points.

“We pulled out a victory in overtime, thanks in large part to Cooper Belmont’s 31 points,” Justin said. “In overtime we made 8 free-throws to help seal the victory. This game was a great way to end the fun and exciting trip we had down in San Diego.”

As it turned out, the Eagles needed every one of Belmont’s points to secure a win. Belmont gives his thoughts on the game.

“I thought we played really hard, and it was probably one of the best games we played all year,” Belmont said. “Our offense was on and our defense was on. We were rebounding well and everything just came together.”

The Eagles will next face the Sierra Chieftains at Sierra, Jan. 4.

HOLY MARTYRS BLOW PAST FC, Dec. 29
After coming off of a good win against Hamilton, the Eagles were dealt a staggering loss against the Holy Martyrs, 96-61, Dec. 29.

The Eagles were caught off guard by their opponents stellar offensive play. Coach Justin says the Holy Martyrs rarely missed.

“We unfortunately ran into an extremely hot shooting Holy Martyr’s team,” Justin said. “They rarely missed which would ultimately lead to a defeat for us. The boys played hard and continued to fight throughout the game, but in the end we came up short.”

Senior Seth Ramirez feels his team played with heart the entire game despite what the scoreboard indicated.

“I felt we played really hard,” Ramirez said. “Although they got a big lead early, the second half we didn’t let them score a lot of points and it was pretty even. I think we finished the game well because we played hard and with dignity.”

Junior Chandler Vargas led the Eagles offensively with 19 points. Junior Ryan Neufeld was aggressive on the boards with 10 rebounds.

The Eagles will next face Hesperia Christian, Dec. 30.

FC DEFEATS HAMILTON, Dec. 29
After coming out determined in the first quarter the Eagles had a big lead against the Hamilton Bobcats. Due to their lead, more players were able to get playing experience. The Eagles ended out on top, 62-45, Dec. 29.

Coach Justin says more players were able to play different positions and become more experienced

“We came out strong and took a substantial lead at the end of first quarter and never looked back,” Justin said. “Many different players were given the opportunity to play different positions throughout this game. They responded well, which resulted in a great team victory.”

This is senior Zack Jackson’s first year playing varsity basketball. Jackson knows the more experience he gets playing, the better he will be in future games. Jackson scored three points and pulled down one rebound for the Eagles.

“I feel that I played the best I ever played,” Jackson said. “I felt more confident because I played longer and got used to it. I think I will play better the next time I go in.”

Hamilton’s David Apadoca, ’12, led the Bobcats with 13 points. Cooper Belmont once again led the Eagles with 27 points.

The Eagles will next face the Holy Martyrs, Dec. 29.

FC LOSES FIRST GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT TO PILIBOS–Dec. 28
The Eagles faced the fast Pilibos team for their first game of the tournament. Pilibos outscored the Eagles 50-57, Dec. 28.

Coach Josh Justin recognized their opponents quickness as a major factor for Pilibos’ win.

“Today we lost a close game,” Justin said. “We played really hard and came very close to beating Pilibos, however in the end their speed proved to be the difference. While the end result was a loss, the team is continuing to improve.”

Despite the tough loss, The Eagles showed they had depth in their offensive scoring. Junior Cooper Belmont had 16 points, Ryan Neufeld, ’12, had 14 and Chandler Vargas, ’12, had 13.

The Eagles will next face Hamilton, Dec. 29.

LIBERTY HAWK CLASSIC TOURNAMENT, Dec. 15-18RYAN NEUFELD RECEIVES ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS FOR HAWK CLASSIC, Dec. 18
Although it is his first year playing varsity basketball, Junior Ryan Neufeld was deemed All-Tournament along with five others.

Neufeld feels that his consistent play earned him the honorable mention. He hopes that he and his team can learn from bad mistakes to get better in the future.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to get All-Tournament,” Neufeld said. “I think I was pretty consistent for the different games and that is why Coach [Justin] chose me. As a team I feel like we improved in some areas but we still have a lot to learn. I think we can learn from the tournament and move forward.”

FC FALLS BEHIND AFTER 2ND HALF TO LOSE TO MERCED–Dec. 18
The Eagles came to play against the Merced Bears. With their good defense and strong offensive game, the Eagles found themselves tied 26 all at halftime. The Bears eventually ousted the Eagles, 54-35, Dec. 18.

Merced went 4-0 in the tournament, earning the top spot. Junior Tyler Krigbaum thought his team played well against the big school. Krigbaum, who scored 8 points, wishes they would have played hard all four quarters.

“I think we played with a team we didn’t really expect to play with,” Krigbaum said. “We did really well for three quarters but in the fourth quarter we came out flatter than usual. We didn’t have the intensity and we weren’t rebounding.”

The Eagles will next travel down to San Diego to play in the Tri-City Holiday Basketball Tournament, Dec. 28-30.

LIBERTY BLOWS PAST FC–Dec. 17
In a gym full of cheering Liberty fans, the Hawks defeated the Eagles, 67-28, Dec. 17.

The Eagles were looking forward to a win after losing to the Hawks at the buzzer a week earlier. Liberty came out strong and overpowered FC.

Junior Ryan Neufeld was the Eagles high scorer with 8 points. He feels his team will take this loss in stride and learn to improve on their mistakes.

“From the beginning of the game I felt we had trouble containing their big men on their offensive rebounds,” Neufeld said. “We didn’t come to play the whole game. However, I feel we will learn from this and improve.”

Coach Josh Justin gives Liberty the credit for their good defense. He feels that his team will play better tomorrow.

“Last night we really struggled to make shots early which caused us to fall into a large deficit,” Justin said. “Liberty played well, and really shut down our shooters. While it was a difficult loss, luckily we get to come back tomorrow and play another game, and I am confident that the team will play well tomorrow.”

The Eagles will next take on the Merced Bears, Dec. 18.

EAGLES EDGE BY TRANQUILITY–Dec. 16
FC came out strong in the 1st half, getting an early 11-2 lead. Tranquility fought back and slowly lessened the point margin. With minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Tigers trailed by three points. The Eagles buckled down on defense and executed well to beat the Tigers, 63-51, Dec. 16.

FC’s Chandler Vargas, ’12, was recognized in the Fresno Bee basketball highlights for Dec. 16. To see the write up, one can click here.

Up till this game, FC has played only Division IV teams. Being a Division V school, the Eagles will play only Division V schools in playoffs. Coach Josh Justin says this was an intense but good win for his team.

“Thursday’s game against Tranquility was a very heated game that came down to the end,” Justin said.” ” It was an important win for us because this is the first division five opponent we have played all year long.”

Justin says that the Eagles finished strong to close out the game.

“We were ahead the entire game but Tranquility played hard and made it a very close game in the final minutes,” Justin said. “Clutch shooting and made free throws helped to seal the win in the 4th quarter for us.”

The Eagles will next face the Liberty Hawks, Dec. 17.

FIREBAUGH DEFEATS FC, TO OPEN HAWK TOURNAMENT–Dec. 15
The Eagles fell behind early in the game and eventually took a loss to Firebaugh, 64-42, Dec. 15.

Juniors Cooper Belmont and Chandler Vargas led their team in scoring with 12 points a piece. Firebaugh’s Rick Hurt, ’11, was the game’s leading scorer with 14 points.

Coach Josh Justin thought his team struggled to play their game of Eagle basketball.

“I think tonight’s game was the most difficult game yet for our team,” Justin said. “We struggled to make shots early which caused us to fall into a large deficit. We played hard, but we seemed to be sluggish at times. Overall, it was a tough night.”

Coach Justin recognizes senior Stephen Grimes for his ability to put in good minutes and execute well on the offensive end.

“I thought senior guard Grimes played his best game of the year,” Justin said. “He played hard and gave quality minutes off the bench. While tonight was a difficult loss; luckily we get to come back tomorrow and play another game, and I am confident that the team will respond positively.”

The Eagles will next face Tranquility, Dec. 16.

52ND ANNUAL IMMANUEL HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL, Dec. 7-11
EAGLES DEFEAT PARLIER THEN LOSE TO LIBERTY AT THE BUZZER–Dec. 10-11
The Eagles grabbed their first victory of the season as they pushed past Parlier, 65-55, Dec. 10, but then suffered a loss with a buzzer beater shot by Liberty, 61-59, Dec. 11. FC ended up 1-4 in the Immanuel tournament, finishing tenth place out of 12 teams, Dec. 11.

Head coach Josh Justin appreciates the effort his boys put into each game. They played competitively and responded to their opponents in a good way.

“I thought we played extremely hard in both games,” Justin said. “We shot the ball much better and our team defense is definitely improving. We still need to improve on our rebounding, however I feel like the team is getting better. In the Liberty game we fell behind early, but we responded and came back to make it an extremely competitive game. It was a tough loss, but the team handled the game extremely well and I am confident that we will respond in a positive way.”

Returning Varsity Junior Chandler Vargas says games can be intense but it helps when the team plays loose. He appreciates his coach’s half-time speech.

“Before the game, our coach had a set a high goal to keep Parlier to 35 points for the entire game,” Vargas said. “They scored 34 points by the end of the first half. In the locker-room we got really down on ourselves. Our coach told us to have fun and play our game. To not worry about the score and just do better in the second half. That helped us relieve tension and allowed us to come out and gel together as a team.”

The Eagles had scrimmaged and beat Liberty earlier in the season, but the Hawks were lacking their football players. This time Liberty ousted FC by hitting a last second shot at the final buzzer to win by two.

“We had scrimmaged Liberty in the beginning of the year and had beat them pretty badly,” Vargas said. “We knew this game was going to be tough because they had a lot more size. So we had to play very aggressive the whole time and it came down to the end where both teams made big shots. But at the buzzer, they hit a running floater to win the game.”

The Eagles will next travel to Madera Ranchos to play in the Liberty Hawk Classic, Dec. 15-17.

IMMANUEL TOPS EAGLES–Dec. 8
The FC Eagles faced the Immanuel Eagles but came up short with a 67-53 loss, Dec. 8.

Eagles head basketball coach Josh Justin thinks his team showed great effort throughout the game.

“I thought as a team we played pretty well, we definitely played really hard,” Justin said. “It’s early in the year, we got to see what we need to work on and what we do well.”

Junior Cooper Belmont led the Eagles with 14 points, but Immanuel’s Josh Merritt, ’11, put up an impressive 32 points to lead his team to victory.

The Eagles will next play Parlier in the 52nd Annual Immanuel Holiday Invitational, Dec. 10, 4:30 p.m.

CHOWCHILLA DEFEATS EAGLES IN FIRST GAME–Dec. 7
In FC’s opening game of the 2010-’11 season, the Chowchilla Redskins beat the Eagles, 51-45, Dec. 7. This was the first of possibly four games in the 52nd Annual Immanuel Holiday Invitational.

Being their first game, FC came out hard with adrenaline rushing. The score went back and forth until Chowchilla got a lead of 8 points by half-time.

The Eagles buckled down on defense in the 2nd half, executing a full curt defensive press. Their aggressive play paid off as they cut the score down to two points with two minutes left.

Junior captain Cooper Belmont was the Eagles high scorer with 21 points. Belmont shares what was going through his mind towards the end of the game.

“I knew we had to play our hardest in those last two minutes,” Belmont said. “Our team had worked hard to cut the score down to two, and I knew we wouldn’t be satisfied if we lost. We had to keep up our aggressive play to finish strong.”

Despite FC’s effort, the Redcats held the Eagles scoreless for the rest of the game.

The Eagles will next face Immanuel High, Dec. 8, in the 52nd Annual Immanuel Holiday Invitational.

For more information, check out the Boys’ basketball sports shorts, 2009-10, Part I and Part II.