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| 2009/2010 Freshman A Roster Christian Daimler Jordan Haynes Travis Hanes Clyde Harvey Matt Innes Marshall Jackson Graham Jones John Kim Parker Lund Austin May Austin Nichols Mohammad Tauqir Todd White Jacob Williams Coach: Nathan Mesler |
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February 19th update:
Tuesday 02/16/2010
9A vs. Strake Jesuit
Strake 68 Stratford 50
Stratford Boys 9A closed out the season with a road trip to Strake Jesuit. After allowing Strake to
jump out to a quick 6-0 lead, the boys came roaring back into the game with some good defense
and offensive work. But full court pressure caused us some problems and Strake closed the
quarter with 3 pointer at the buzzer to take a lead of 21-11. In the second quarter, Strake's high
pressure defense was problematic for Stratford, resulting in 12 easy points off turnovers. Halftime
score: Strake 40, Stratford 24.
The boys came out in the third with determination and fought back to within 8 points midway
through the quarter. But once again, working against the high pressure, trapping defense was our
undoing. Strake coasted to the win by a score of 68-50.
Hats off to our Stratford 9A as the boys worked hard at improvement throughout the season and
never, ever gave up in any of their games. Sophomore year will be a different story. Go Stratford!
Friday 02/12/2010
9A vs. Alief Elsik
Elsik 67 Stratford 34
Stratford Boys 9A took on Alief Elsik at home on Friday night 02/12. Elsik is arguably the most
talented team in district this year. They have height, speed, shooting ability and play great in team
offense and defense. Our boys held their own for much of the first quarter, but Elsik applied full
court pressure in the last few minutes of the quarter resulting in some quick turnover buckets to
jump out to a lead of 24-8. They never looked back from there, building to a halftime lead of 36-17
and closing the game at 67-34.
February 12th update:
Stratford 46, Spring Woods 38
Stratford Boys 9A is on a roll with our second consecutive win against Spring Woods on Tuesday,
Feb 9. The game got off to a very slow start as both teams had trouble getting shots off and
getting them to drop. 1st quarter score: Stratford 5, Spring Woods 4.
The second quarter found the good guys jumping out to take the lead and never looked back.
Good offensive work came from Graham Jones and Parker Lund to get points on the board.
Marshall Jackson and Travis Hanes were flying all over the court with great defense and key
rebounds. 2nd quarter score: Stratford 17, Spring Woods .
In the second half Spring Woods attacked with some full court pressure and some offense of their
own. But Stratford was still able to build on their lead going into the fourth quarter. Third quarter
score: Stratford 27, Spring Woods 22.
Spring Woods continued their full court pressure into the fourth quarter, but with some very poised
play by point guards Jordan Hanes and Graham Jones, we were able to move the ball down the
court with great outlet passes to Travis Hanes, Marshall Jackson and Matthew Innes for some
easy baskets. Our defense was able to sustain our lead and hold off some great outside
shooting from one of the Spring Woods players. Final score: Stratford 46, Spring Woods 38.
It's great to see the boys' hard work start to payoff in the win column.
February 8th update:
Stratford 56 Northbrook 43
Our Stratford Spartans boys 9A team came out with confidence and determination to take on
Northbrook. Tough defense, good rebounding and disciplined offense led the way to a great
victory for the squad. Stratford jumped out to a good lead early in the first quarter, but Northbrook
came roaring back to close the gap to 4 points with seconds to play. At that point Parker Lund
struck hard with a great 3 point shot as time expired. First quarter score: Stratford 19, Northbrook
12
The second quarter was dominated by great defense by both teams. Both teams struggled on
offense with each only getting 2 points for the entire quarter. Second quarter score: Stratford 21,
Northbrook 14
In the second half, Stratford put on their best offensive show of the season. Most of the boys got
into the act to post 35 points in the second half alone. The Spartans continued to work hard on
defense and execute on offense.
February 5th update:
Hastings 41, Stratford 37
Stratford jumped put to very fast start against Alief Hastings in road game on Tuesday night. Our
boys were all over the court and working hard on defense. Great defense and solid rebounding
helped us hold Hastings to only 4 points in the first quarter. Marshall Jackson and Clyde Harvey
provided offensive spark to put points on the board for us. First quarter score Stratford 11,
Hastings 4.
In the second quarter Hastings quickness took over with some good drives and pinpoint shooting
from the outside. We were still making things happen on offense but they took the lead into
halftime. Alief Hastings 21, Stratford 18
The second half was more of the same from both teams. Solid on defense and getting some
shots to drop on offense. End of the third quarter found Hastings ahead 31-26. Stratford came
roaring back into the picture in the fourth quarter and closed the lead to make it a game all the way
to the finish. But in the end, Hastings hit their free throws when they needed them to secure the
victory. Final Score Hastings 41, Stratford 37
February 2nd update:
Memorial 49, Stratford 43.
The 9A boys had home rematch with arch rival Memorial on Friday night. After a hard fought loss
in the first game, the Spartans came out determined to bring home a victory. We started out fast
with great offensive spark from Parker Lund getting 7 points and our defense holding the
Mustangs in check through most of the first quarter. The Mustangs did sink a key three point shot
as time expired to close the Stratford lead to 17-14.
The Mustangs came out in the second quarter with a fast paced offense. The lid came down on
our bucket as we were unable to get our shots to drop. Halftime score was knotted up at 25 all.
The third quarter was more of the same as we just couldn't get our shots to score. Memorial
applied more offensive pressure and once ended the quarter with a clutch three point shot to take
a 35-30 lead into the fourth quarter.
Spartan pride burst onto the scene in the fourth quarter as Stratford held Memorial to only two
points in the quarter while finally getting some of our shots to drop. Finally with 2:45 left in the
game, we were able to tie the score at 37 all. Both teams fought to the end to close out regulation
at 37. In the first overtime period, both teams continued to struggle through tough defense for
points. The period once again ended in a tie at 39. The second overtime plagued Stratford with
turnovers allowing Memorial several easy baskets to close out the game at Memorial 49, Stratford
43.
January 28th update:
Alief Taylor 66 SHS 59
As we started the second round of district play, the Stratford Freshmen took on Alief Taylor on
Tuesday night. Stratford jumped out to a great start with great defense and offensive spark
provided by Travis Hanes and Clyde Harvey. A strong defense forced a number of turnovers from
Taylor. First quarter score Stratford 15, Alief Taylor 9.
Alief Taylor's very talented offense came alive in the second quarter while the baskets got smaller
for Stratford. The Taylor defense held us to only 4 points in the quarter. Taylor worked well on
offensive penetration mixed with some great three point shooting propelled them to a halftime
score of Alief Taylor 30, Stratford 19.
The second half started out with more of the same allowing Taylor to extend their lead to 50 -33 by
the end of the third quarter. But in the fourth quarter, Stratford really turned things around with high
pressure defense and spirited play from Marshall Jackson and Graham Jones. They closed the
gap to 7 points with about 3 minutes to go, but couldn't get any closer. Final score Alief Taylor 66,
Stratford 59.
Strake 46 Stratford 40
Stratford took on Strake Jesuit in a home game on Jan 22. The boys came out fired up and ready
to play on Friday night. The game started out in a hardnosed defensive struggle. Score at end of
first quarter, Strake Jesuit 10, Stratford 8. The second quarter found Strake Jesuit working a very
quick full court press defense. Stratford had trouble breaking the press and made a number
turnovers resulting in a halftime score, SJ 30, Stratford 15.
In the second half Stratford dug deep to start a spirited comeback. Great effort by Marshall
Jackson on both ends of the court helped the Spartans get back into striking distance by the end of
the quarter. Third quarter score SJ 39, Stratford 29.
Stratford came out smoking in the fourth quarter with strong defense and rebounding, closing the
gap to 2 at one point. But Strake Jesuit hit the free throws down the stretch to close out the game
at SJ 46, Stratford 40.
January 21st update:
Elsik 62 Stratford 30
On Tuesday night the Stratford Boys A team had to take on a road trip to hostile territory, a very
active group of Elsik cheerleaders and probably the most all around athletic team they have faced
this season. Elsik is loaded with tall, athletic players that work very well together as a unit with very
unselfish play. We started out with very good play by both teams on defense. But Elsik took off
toward the end of the quarter to take the lead 14-5.
The second quarter saw the Elsik offense really start to click with inside and outside play. Score
at the half Elsik 33, Stratford 16.
In the third quarter Elsik struck hard with a full court pressing defense that we had trouble
breaking. They seized the opportunity with some breakaway baskets to take command of the
game with a 51-25 lead at the end of the quarter. Our boys continued to play hard and work for
baskets, but came out on the losing end-- Elsik 62, Stratford 30.
Spring Woods 35 SHS 34
The Freshman A team took on Spring Woods on Friday, 01/15 at Stratford Practice Gym. The
Spring Woods team came out playing very tough defense and worked periodically with a hustling
full court press. Our boys got a little rattled from time trying to break the press, but opened up
playing very good defense of their own. First quarter score - Stratford 10, Spring Woods 8. The
Second quarter was even tougher than the first with very physical defense on both ends. Second
quarter score - Stratford 12, Spring Woods 11.
In the second half both teams opened it up quite a bit on offense with great outside shooting and
fast break opportunities. Third quarter score - Stratford 27, Spring Woods 24. The Fourth quarter
found both teams settling back in to a very hard defense mode. Stratford couldn't get their shots to
drop when they needed them. Final score Spring Woods 35, Stratford 34. Come out this week as
the boys take on Alief Elsik on the road Tuesday and Strake Jesuit at home on Friday night.
January 15th update:
January 12, 2010: Northbrook 62 Stratford 54
Tuesday night's game against Northbrook was a nail-biter filled with lots of effort and emotion from
both teams. The Stratford Freshman A team got off to a quick start against Northbrook with good
defense and near perfect free-throw shooting. Clyde Harvey came through with 7 first quarter
points to get the offense off to a running start. First quarter score Stratford 16, Northbrook 9.
In the second quarter we had trouble finding the answer to stop Northbrook's leading scorer. He
came off the bench to lead a very quick comeback and helping Northbrook take the lead going into
halftime. Northbrook 24, Stratford 23.
The Spartans came out in the third quarter with determination and fought very hard on both ends of
the court. Todd White and Travis Hanes stepped up with some stellar defensive play to slow
down the scoring by Northbrook. Every player on the roster stepped up their play and were able to
take lead. Stratford 35, Northbrook 33.
The fourth quarter was a real catfight with nothing coming easy for either team. Every shot was
contested with a lot of physical contact. The Spartans had as much as a seven point lead in the
quarter before Northbrook came roaring back to tie the score with 12 seconds to go. We were
unable to get our last shot to drop, with regulation play ending in a tie at 48.
Overtime saw Northbrook come out on fire and jumping out to take the lead and were able to hold
off the Spartans down the stretch. Final score Northbrook 62, Stratford 54. This puts the Spartans
at 2-16 on the season.
Friday, January 8 vs Alief Hastings
Stratford Freshman A team had a rematch from an earlier tournament game that Hastings won by
a score of 59-28 with outstanding defense and outside shooting. This games started out much
the same with Hastings jumping out to a quick lead of 15-6 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The Spartans kept their heads up and came charging back in the 2nd quarter behind some great
offense spark from Clyde Harvey and pressure defense from Marshall Jackson and Matthew
Innes. As they closed out the 2nd quarter the score was Hastings 27, Stratford 20.
The third and fourth quarters were back and forth with both teams pressuring on defense but never
able to take the other team out of the game. Hastings capitalized on free throw opportunities as
the game wound down finally winning by a score of-- Hastings 54, Stratford 39.
Freshman season record 2-15.
January 13th update:
STRATFORD 33 MEMORIAL 38
Stratford took on arch rival Memorial in a defensive battle. Both team played very tough, physical
basketball throughout the game. Memorial jumped out to a quick lead early in the game, but
Stratford battled back to close the gap at the end of the first quarter behind some key defensive
play from Marshall Jackson. First Quarter score - Memorial 10 , Stratford 5
Jordan Hanes and Clyde Harvey sparked an offensive push in the second quarter. Also, very good
pressure defense played by Jackson, Matthew Innes and Parker Lund. The Spartans closed the
gap and took the lead for a short time, but Memorial converted a long inbound play at the close of
the half to regain the lead. Second Quarter score - Memorial 17, Stratford 16.
In the second half both teams continued to play very strong defense and a fast-paced offense.
Marshall Jackson was flying all over the court making great defensive plays. Matthew Innes and
Muhammed Tauqir were working very hard in the paint against a much taller Memorial team giving
no easy baskets. Third Quarter score - Memorial 26, Stratford 24.
The fourth quarter continued to be a hard fought game on both ends of the court. Stratford had
trouble getting the ball to drop. The Spartans continued their great effort throughout the quarter
and made Memorial work for every basket. But, Memorial held on to win by a final score of
Memorial 38, Stratford 33.
This brings the season record to 2 - 14.
Alief Taylor, January 2
The Freshman A Team opened district play with a road game against Alief Taylor on Saturday
01/02. Stratford ran into a buzz saw defense in the opening quarter and had trouble getting shots to
drop. 1st Quarter score - Alief Taylor 10, Stratford 4.
Stratford came out in the 2nd quarter with some strong defense of their own. The Spartans
applied pressure and came up with some key blocked shots by Todd White and Christian Daimler.
The pressure rattled Alief Taylor and pushed them into some technical foul situations. Austin
Nichols stepped up to drop 4 technical foul shots in the quarter. Clyde Harvey also sank a key 3
point shot. At one point Stratford closed the lead to 14-13, before allowing some breakaway
baskets by Taylor. Half Time score - Alief Taylor 18, Stratford 13.
The third quarter opened up with Alief Taylor on the fly. They capitalized on some turnovers and
fast break opportunities to run off 21 points in the quarter.
3rd Quarter score - Alief Taylor 39, Stratford 20.
Stratford came with some firepower of their own in the 4th quarter with some aggressive drives
and tight defense. At one point, the lead was cut to 53-44 with inspired play from Todd White.
Turnovers allowed Alief Taylor to finally put the game away.
Final Score - Alief Taylor 60, Stratford 45.
This loss brings the Freshman A team record to 2 and 13 on the season.
January 4th update:
Ft. Bend Travis, December 19
Stratford 24 Ft. Bend Travis 34
The Spartans kept the score close in the first quarter and were only down by 2 points, 7-9. Travis
spread the lead at half-time to 19-13 but Stratford closed in and tied it at 22 in the 3rd.
Unfortunately Travis outplayed the Spartans in the 4th quarter and the final score was Stratford 24,
Ft. Bend 34.
December 17th update:
12/8/09: Mayde Creek 42 Stratford 39
Spartan Freshman A team took on Mayde Creek Freshmen on Dec 8. The game was a very tough
defensive battle from start to finish with few easy shots and strong rebounding on both teams. We
had great defensive efforts from Christian Daimnler, Travis Hanes, Jordan Hanes and Marshall
Jackson was flying all over the court. First quarter ended with Mayde Creek up 11-8. Scoring
picked up in 2nd quarter with both teams hitting on a few 3 point shots as well as working the ball
down low to the big men. Score at Halftime Mayde Creek 26 Stratford 20. To begin the Third
quarter Mayde Creek came back out in high pressure pressing defense. We had our problems
breaking it resulting in a number of quick points for Mayde Creek, who took as much as a 10 point
lead before Stratford closed to within 7 at the end of the quarter. Mayde Creek 37 Stratford 30.
Both teams came out very physical to start the Fourth quarter and turned this into a real nailbiter.
We held Mayde Creek to only 5 points in the final quarter, but had trouble taking advantage of our
opportunities. Final Score: Mayde Creek 42 Stratford 39. Currently the Spartans stand at 2 - 5
on the season.
12/10-12 Tournament play
The 9A boys participated in a tournament at Mayde Creek from 12/10-12/12. This tournament
included primarily teams from the Katy School District along with Stratford, Memorial, Elsik and
Hastings.
Game 1 -The Spartans opened up against Katy in a rematch of an earlier game. A lot of defense in
the game by both teams. Katy runs a strong, full court pressing defense causing a few turnovers
which resulted in some quick points. In the end we couldn't get our shots to drop losing by a
score of 49-42.
Game 2- The Spartans came up against their toughest opponent of the season so far - Alief
Hastings. Hastings has tons of quickness, good inside play and outstanding 3 point shooting
from 4 of their players. They sank 11 three pointers for the game. Hastings came out smoking
and ran out to a 31-4 lead at the half. Our boys stood strong and came out in the second half to
put up a good showing of effort and discipline to play their game. We actually met them shot for
shot in the second half, but still came up short with a score of 58-29.
Game 3- On Friday we started with another rematch, playing Mayde Creek. We had trouble getting
anything to go our way against the home team. Mayde Creek came out ready to play in all phases
of the game and took us completely out ours. Final score 52-22, with Mayde Creek on top.
Game 4- We close out Friday night with a game against Morton Creek. Our boys played tough but
were matched up against a great shooting team with alot of height. We had some moments of
bright spots with great defense of our own and strong rebounding. But in the end Morton Ranch
held on to with the game by a final margin of 63-43.
Game 5- Our final game of the tournament was against Cinco Ranch. The first half was a very
tough defensive battle by both teams. The half time score was Cinco Ranch 18, Stratford 16.
Cinco Ranch opened up the second half with a tough, full court press. The Spartans did not react
very well, resulting in 10 points off turnovers int eh third quarter alone. By the end of the quarter,
they had opened up to a 10 point lead at 33 - 23. The good guys showed some full court pressure
of their own in the fourth quarter. The boys played hard throughout but wound up on the short end
of a 46-38 score. A stronger performance from the free throw line could have made a big
difference in the score as we sank only 7 out of 23 opportunities.
Our boys are still trying to learn their roles on the team as Coach Mesler is working to figure out the
most effective player combinations. After the tournament, the Spartan 9A team now sits at a
season record of 2 wins and 11 losses. Come out and support the Spartan 9A, the team is giving
their best, sooner or later it will translate into victories.
December 9th update:
Stratford 43 Katy 49
The Freshman A team took on the Katy Tigers on 12/01. Katy came out with a full court press and
stayed in it for the entire game. Our guys had some trouble breaking it from time to time and
made some passing mistakes resulting in a good number of turnover points for Katy. At the end
of the first quarter Katy lead the game 12-11. Their pressure defense really put us in a hole by
halftime. At the end of the first half, Katy 28, Stratford 17. Beginning the third quarter Katy picked up
right where they left off, building to a lead of 33-19 before Stratford began a fantastic comeback.
Outstanding defensive and rebounding play by Marshall Jackson opened up alot of opportunities.
A couple of key three point baskets, including a buzzer beater by Mohammed Taquier closed the
gap. End of 3rd quarter, Katy 37, Stratford 33. The boys came out in the 4th quarter and played
with some newfound confidence and took the lead with 6:30 to play. But Katy hit their free throws
during crunch time, 5 of 8 in the last minute of the game to get the win 49-43. Stratford fought hard
throughout but had trouble making baskets toward the end of the game. Current record for
Stratford 9A, 2-5.
December 2nd update:
Stratford 69 Cy Ridge 49
The 9A Boys Basketball went on the road 11/24 to play Cypress Ridge. Very tough, defensive
game at the start with Cy Ridge holding a 24-20 lead at the end of the first half. Spartans turned on
the offense and defense in the third quarter, outscoring Cy Ridge 20-6 in the quarter to take a
40-30 lead in the game. The Spartans held on with strong defense and rebounding to win 50-44.
They also made their free throws work for them sinking 14 during the game. This puts the
freshmen at 2 wins and 4 losses for the season.
November 29th update:
Atascocita 67 Stratford 27
9A Boys Basketball team had a tough outing Monday, 11/24 vs. Atascocita. Trouble getting shots
to drop.
SBISD Tourney: Nov 20th & 21st
11/20/09 vs Mayde Creek (SBISD Tourney) Lost 43-56
11/21/09 vs Northbrook (SBISD Tourney) Lost 53-57
11/21/09 vs Spring Woods (SBISD Tourney) Won
Stratford 25 Klein 49
The Freshman A team lost to Klein 25-49.
Tuesday 02/16/2010
9A vs. Strake Jesuit
Strake 68 Stratford 50
Stratford Boys 9A closed out the season with a road trip to Strake Jesuit. After allowing Strake to
jump out to a quick 6-0 lead, the boys came roaring back into the game with some good defense
and offensive work. But full court pressure caused us some problems and Strake closed the
quarter with 3 pointer at the buzzer to take a lead of 21-11. In the second quarter, Strake's high
pressure defense was problematic for Stratford, resulting in 12 easy points off turnovers. Halftime
score: Strake 40, Stratford 24.
The boys came out in the third with determination and fought back to within 8 points midway
through the quarter. But once again, working against the high pressure, trapping defense was our
undoing. Strake coasted to the win by a score of 68-50.
Hats off to our Stratford 9A as the boys worked hard at improvement throughout the season and
never, ever gave up in any of their games. Sophomore year will be a different story. Go Stratford!
Friday 02/12/2010
9A vs. Alief Elsik
Elsik 67 Stratford 34
Stratford Boys 9A took on Alief Elsik at home on Friday night 02/12. Elsik is arguably the most
talented team in district this year. They have height, speed, shooting ability and play great in team
offense and defense. Our boys held their own for much of the first quarter, but Elsik applied full
court pressure in the last few minutes of the quarter resulting in some quick turnover buckets to
jump out to a lead of 24-8. They never looked back from there, building to a halftime lead of 36-17
and closing the game at 67-34.
February 12th update:
Stratford 46, Spring Woods 38
Stratford Boys 9A is on a roll with our second consecutive win against Spring Woods on Tuesday,
Feb 9. The game got off to a very slow start as both teams had trouble getting shots off and
getting them to drop. 1st quarter score: Stratford 5, Spring Woods 4.
The second quarter found the good guys jumping out to take the lead and never looked back.
Good offensive work came from Graham Jones and Parker Lund to get points on the board.
Marshall Jackson and Travis Hanes were flying all over the court with great defense and key
rebounds. 2nd quarter score: Stratford 17, Spring Woods .
In the second half Spring Woods attacked with some full court pressure and some offense of their
own. But Stratford was still able to build on their lead going into the fourth quarter. Third quarter
score: Stratford 27, Spring Woods 22.
Spring Woods continued their full court pressure into the fourth quarter, but with some very poised
play by point guards Jordan Hanes and Graham Jones, we were able to move the ball down the
court with great outlet passes to Travis Hanes, Marshall Jackson and Matthew Innes for some
easy baskets. Our defense was able to sustain our lead and hold off some great outside
shooting from one of the Spring Woods players. Final score: Stratford 46, Spring Woods 38.
It's great to see the boys' hard work start to payoff in the win column.
February 8th update:
Stratford 56 Northbrook 43
Our Stratford Spartans boys 9A team came out with confidence and determination to take on
Northbrook. Tough defense, good rebounding and disciplined offense led the way to a great
victory for the squad. Stratford jumped out to a good lead early in the first quarter, but Northbrook
came roaring back to close the gap to 4 points with seconds to play. At that point Parker Lund
struck hard with a great 3 point shot as time expired. First quarter score: Stratford 19, Northbrook
12
The second quarter was dominated by great defense by both teams. Both teams struggled on
offense with each only getting 2 points for the entire quarter. Second quarter score: Stratford 21,
Northbrook 14
In the second half, Stratford put on their best offensive show of the season. Most of the boys got
into the act to post 35 points in the second half alone. The Spartans continued to work hard on
defense and execute on offense.
February 5th update:
Hastings 41, Stratford 37
Stratford jumped put to very fast start against Alief Hastings in road game on Tuesday night. Our
boys were all over the court and working hard on defense. Great defense and solid rebounding
helped us hold Hastings to only 4 points in the first quarter. Marshall Jackson and Clyde Harvey
provided offensive spark to put points on the board for us. First quarter score Stratford 11,
Hastings 4.
In the second quarter Hastings quickness took over with some good drives and pinpoint shooting
from the outside. We were still making things happen on offense but they took the lead into
halftime. Alief Hastings 21, Stratford 18
The second half was more of the same from both teams. Solid on defense and getting some
shots to drop on offense. End of the third quarter found Hastings ahead 31-26. Stratford came
roaring back into the picture in the fourth quarter and closed the lead to make it a game all the way
to the finish. But in the end, Hastings hit their free throws when they needed them to secure the
victory. Final Score Hastings 41, Stratford 37
February 2nd update:
Memorial 49, Stratford 43.
The 9A boys had home rematch with arch rival Memorial on Friday night. After a hard fought loss
in the first game, the Spartans came out determined to bring home a victory. We started out fast
with great offensive spark from Parker Lund getting 7 points and our defense holding the
Mustangs in check through most of the first quarter. The Mustangs did sink a key three point shot
as time expired to close the Stratford lead to 17-14.
The Mustangs came out in the second quarter with a fast paced offense. The lid came down on
our bucket as we were unable to get our shots to drop. Halftime score was knotted up at 25 all.
The third quarter was more of the same as we just couldn't get our shots to score. Memorial
applied more offensive pressure and once ended the quarter with a clutch three point shot to take
a 35-30 lead into the fourth quarter.
Spartan pride burst onto the scene in the fourth quarter as Stratford held Memorial to only two
points in the quarter while finally getting some of our shots to drop. Finally with 2:45 left in the
game, we were able to tie the score at 37 all. Both teams fought to the end to close out regulation
at 37. In the first overtime period, both teams continued to struggle through tough defense for
points. The period once again ended in a tie at 39. The second overtime plagued Stratford with
turnovers allowing Memorial several easy baskets to close out the game at Memorial 49, Stratford
43.
January 28th update:
Alief Taylor 66 SHS 59
As we started the second round of district play, the Stratford Freshmen took on Alief Taylor on
Tuesday night. Stratford jumped out to a great start with great defense and offensive spark
provided by Travis Hanes and Clyde Harvey. A strong defense forced a number of turnovers from
Taylor. First quarter score Stratford 15, Alief Taylor 9.
Alief Taylor's very talented offense came alive in the second quarter while the baskets got smaller
for Stratford. The Taylor defense held us to only 4 points in the quarter. Taylor worked well on
offensive penetration mixed with some great three point shooting propelled them to a halftime
score of Alief Taylor 30, Stratford 19.
The second half started out with more of the same allowing Taylor to extend their lead to 50 -33 by
the end of the third quarter. But in the fourth quarter, Stratford really turned things around with high
pressure defense and spirited play from Marshall Jackson and Graham Jones. They closed the
gap to 7 points with about 3 minutes to go, but couldn't get any closer. Final score Alief Taylor 66,
Stratford 59.
Strake 46 Stratford 40
Stratford took on Strake Jesuit in a home game on Jan 22. The boys came out fired up and ready
to play on Friday night. The game started out in a hardnosed defensive struggle. Score at end of
first quarter, Strake Jesuit 10, Stratford 8. The second quarter found Strake Jesuit working a very
quick full court press defense. Stratford had trouble breaking the press and made a number
turnovers resulting in a halftime score, SJ 30, Stratford 15.
In the second half Stratford dug deep to start a spirited comeback. Great effort by Marshall
Jackson on both ends of the court helped the Spartans get back into striking distance by the end of
the quarter. Third quarter score SJ 39, Stratford 29.
Stratford came out smoking in the fourth quarter with strong defense and rebounding, closing the
gap to 2 at one point. But Strake Jesuit hit the free throws down the stretch to close out the game
at SJ 46, Stratford 40.
January 21st update:
Elsik 62 Stratford 30
On Tuesday night the Stratford Boys A team had to take on a road trip to hostile territory, a very
active group of Elsik cheerleaders and probably the most all around athletic team they have faced
this season. Elsik is loaded with tall, athletic players that work very well together as a unit with very
unselfish play. We started out with very good play by both teams on defense. But Elsik took off
toward the end of the quarter to take the lead 14-5.
The second quarter saw the Elsik offense really start to click with inside and outside play. Score
at the half Elsik 33, Stratford 16.
In the third quarter Elsik struck hard with a full court pressing defense that we had trouble
breaking. They seized the opportunity with some breakaway baskets to take command of the
game with a 51-25 lead at the end of the quarter. Our boys continued to play hard and work for
baskets, but came out on the losing end-- Elsik 62, Stratford 30.
Spring Woods 35 SHS 34
The Freshman A team took on Spring Woods on Friday, 01/15 at Stratford Practice Gym. The
Spring Woods team came out playing very tough defense and worked periodically with a hustling
full court press. Our boys got a little rattled from time trying to break the press, but opened up
playing very good defense of their own. First quarter score - Stratford 10, Spring Woods 8. The
Second quarter was even tougher than the first with very physical defense on both ends. Second
quarter score - Stratford 12, Spring Woods 11.
In the second half both teams opened it up quite a bit on offense with great outside shooting and
fast break opportunities. Third quarter score - Stratford 27, Spring Woods 24. The Fourth quarter
found both teams settling back in to a very hard defense mode. Stratford couldn't get their shots to
drop when they needed them. Final score Spring Woods 35, Stratford 34. Come out this week as
the boys take on Alief Elsik on the road Tuesday and Strake Jesuit at home on Friday night.
January 15th update:
January 12, 2010: Northbrook 62 Stratford 54
Tuesday night's game against Northbrook was a nail-biter filled with lots of effort and emotion from
both teams. The Stratford Freshman A team got off to a quick start against Northbrook with good
defense and near perfect free-throw shooting. Clyde Harvey came through with 7 first quarter
points to get the offense off to a running start. First quarter score Stratford 16, Northbrook 9.
In the second quarter we had trouble finding the answer to stop Northbrook's leading scorer. He
came off the bench to lead a very quick comeback and helping Northbrook take the lead going into
halftime. Northbrook 24, Stratford 23.
The Spartans came out in the third quarter with determination and fought very hard on both ends of
the court. Todd White and Travis Hanes stepped up with some stellar defensive play to slow
down the scoring by Northbrook. Every player on the roster stepped up their play and were able to
take lead. Stratford 35, Northbrook 33.
The fourth quarter was a real catfight with nothing coming easy for either team. Every shot was
contested with a lot of physical contact. The Spartans had as much as a seven point lead in the
quarter before Northbrook came roaring back to tie the score with 12 seconds to go. We were
unable to get our last shot to drop, with regulation play ending in a tie at 48.
Overtime saw Northbrook come out on fire and jumping out to take the lead and were able to hold
off the Spartans down the stretch. Final score Northbrook 62, Stratford 54. This puts the Spartans
at 2-16 on the season.
Friday, January 8 vs Alief Hastings
Stratford Freshman A team had a rematch from an earlier tournament game that Hastings won by
a score of 59-28 with outstanding defense and outside shooting. This games started out much
the same with Hastings jumping out to a quick lead of 15-6 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The Spartans kept their heads up and came charging back in the 2nd quarter behind some great
offense spark from Clyde Harvey and pressure defense from Marshall Jackson and Matthew
Innes. As they closed out the 2nd quarter the score was Hastings 27, Stratford 20.
The third and fourth quarters were back and forth with both teams pressuring on defense but never
able to take the other team out of the game. Hastings capitalized on free throw opportunities as
the game wound down finally winning by a score of-- Hastings 54, Stratford 39.
Freshman season record 2-15.
January 13th update:
STRATFORD 33 MEMORIAL 38
Stratford took on arch rival Memorial in a defensive battle. Both team played very tough, physical
basketball throughout the game. Memorial jumped out to a quick lead early in the game, but
Stratford battled back to close the gap at the end of the first quarter behind some key defensive
play from Marshall Jackson. First Quarter score - Memorial 10 , Stratford 5
Jordan Hanes and Clyde Harvey sparked an offensive push in the second quarter. Also, very good
pressure defense played by Jackson, Matthew Innes and Parker Lund. The Spartans closed the
gap and took the lead for a short time, but Memorial converted a long inbound play at the close of
the half to regain the lead. Second Quarter score - Memorial 17, Stratford 16.
In the second half both teams continued to play very strong defense and a fast-paced offense.
Marshall Jackson was flying all over the court making great defensive plays. Matthew Innes and
Muhammed Tauqir were working very hard in the paint against a much taller Memorial team giving
no easy baskets. Third Quarter score - Memorial 26, Stratford 24.
The fourth quarter continued to be a hard fought game on both ends of the court. Stratford had
trouble getting the ball to drop. The Spartans continued their great effort throughout the quarter
and made Memorial work for every basket. But, Memorial held on to win by a final score of
Memorial 38, Stratford 33.
This brings the season record to 2 - 14.
Alief Taylor, January 2
The Freshman A Team opened district play with a road game against Alief Taylor on Saturday
01/02. Stratford ran into a buzz saw defense in the opening quarter and had trouble getting shots to
drop. 1st Quarter score - Alief Taylor 10, Stratford 4.
Stratford came out in the 2nd quarter with some strong defense of their own. The Spartans
applied pressure and came up with some key blocked shots by Todd White and Christian Daimler.
The pressure rattled Alief Taylor and pushed them into some technical foul situations. Austin
Nichols stepped up to drop 4 technical foul shots in the quarter. Clyde Harvey also sank a key 3
point shot. At one point Stratford closed the lead to 14-13, before allowing some breakaway
baskets by Taylor. Half Time score - Alief Taylor 18, Stratford 13.
The third quarter opened up with Alief Taylor on the fly. They capitalized on some turnovers and
fast break opportunities to run off 21 points in the quarter.
3rd Quarter score - Alief Taylor 39, Stratford 20.
Stratford came with some firepower of their own in the 4th quarter with some aggressive drives
and tight defense. At one point, the lead was cut to 53-44 with inspired play from Todd White.
Turnovers allowed Alief Taylor to finally put the game away.
Final Score - Alief Taylor 60, Stratford 45.
This loss brings the Freshman A team record to 2 and 13 on the season.
January 4th update:
Ft. Bend Travis, December 19
Stratford 24 Ft. Bend Travis 34
The Spartans kept the score close in the first quarter and were only down by 2 points, 7-9. Travis
spread the lead at half-time to 19-13 but Stratford closed in and tied it at 22 in the 3rd.
Unfortunately Travis outplayed the Spartans in the 4th quarter and the final score was Stratford 24,
Ft. Bend 34.
December 17th update:
12/8/09: Mayde Creek 42 Stratford 39
Spartan Freshman A team took on Mayde Creek Freshmen on Dec 8. The game was a very tough
defensive battle from start to finish with few easy shots and strong rebounding on both teams. We
had great defensive efforts from Christian Daimnler, Travis Hanes, Jordan Hanes and Marshall
Jackson was flying all over the court. First quarter ended with Mayde Creek up 11-8. Scoring
picked up in 2nd quarter with both teams hitting on a few 3 point shots as well as working the ball
down low to the big men. Score at Halftime Mayde Creek 26 Stratford 20. To begin the Third
quarter Mayde Creek came back out in high pressure pressing defense. We had our problems
breaking it resulting in a number of quick points for Mayde Creek, who took as much as a 10 point
lead before Stratford closed to within 7 at the end of the quarter. Mayde Creek 37 Stratford 30.
Both teams came out very physical to start the Fourth quarter and turned this into a real nailbiter.
We held Mayde Creek to only 5 points in the final quarter, but had trouble taking advantage of our
opportunities. Final Score: Mayde Creek 42 Stratford 39. Currently the Spartans stand at 2 - 5
on the season.
12/10-12 Tournament play
The 9A boys participated in a tournament at Mayde Creek from 12/10-12/12. This tournament
included primarily teams from the Katy School District along with Stratford, Memorial, Elsik and
Hastings.
Game 1 -The Spartans opened up against Katy in a rematch of an earlier game. A lot of defense in
the game by both teams. Katy runs a strong, full court pressing defense causing a few turnovers
which resulted in some quick points. In the end we couldn't get our shots to drop losing by a
score of 49-42.
Game 2- The Spartans came up against their toughest opponent of the season so far - Alief
Hastings. Hastings has tons of quickness, good inside play and outstanding 3 point shooting
from 4 of their players. They sank 11 three pointers for the game. Hastings came out smoking
and ran out to a 31-4 lead at the half. Our boys stood strong and came out in the second half to
put up a good showing of effort and discipline to play their game. We actually met them shot for
shot in the second half, but still came up short with a score of 58-29.
Game 3- On Friday we started with another rematch, playing Mayde Creek. We had trouble getting
anything to go our way against the home team. Mayde Creek came out ready to play in all phases
of the game and took us completely out ours. Final score 52-22, with Mayde Creek on top.
Game 4- We close out Friday night with a game against Morton Creek. Our boys played tough but
were matched up against a great shooting team with alot of height. We had some moments of
bright spots with great defense of our own and strong rebounding. But in the end Morton Ranch
held on to with the game by a final margin of 63-43.
Game 5- Our final game of the tournament was against Cinco Ranch. The first half was a very
tough defensive battle by both teams. The half time score was Cinco Ranch 18, Stratford 16.
Cinco Ranch opened up the second half with a tough, full court press. The Spartans did not react
very well, resulting in 10 points off turnovers int eh third quarter alone. By the end of the quarter,
they had opened up to a 10 point lead at 33 - 23. The good guys showed some full court pressure
of their own in the fourth quarter. The boys played hard throughout but wound up on the short end
of a 46-38 score. A stronger performance from the free throw line could have made a big
difference in the score as we sank only 7 out of 23 opportunities.
Our boys are still trying to learn their roles on the team as Coach Mesler is working to figure out the
most effective player combinations. After the tournament, the Spartan 9A team now sits at a
season record of 2 wins and 11 losses. Come out and support the Spartan 9A, the team is giving
their best, sooner or later it will translate into victories.
December 9th update:
Stratford 43 Katy 49
The Freshman A team took on the Katy Tigers on 12/01. Katy came out with a full court press and
stayed in it for the entire game. Our guys had some trouble breaking it from time to time and
made some passing mistakes resulting in a good number of turnover points for Katy. At the end
of the first quarter Katy lead the game 12-11. Their pressure defense really put us in a hole by
halftime. At the end of the first half, Katy 28, Stratford 17. Beginning the third quarter Katy picked up
right where they left off, building to a lead of 33-19 before Stratford began a fantastic comeback.
Outstanding defensive and rebounding play by Marshall Jackson opened up alot of opportunities.
A couple of key three point baskets, including a buzzer beater by Mohammed Taquier closed the
gap. End of 3rd quarter, Katy 37, Stratford 33. The boys came out in the 4th quarter and played
with some newfound confidence and took the lead with 6:30 to play. But Katy hit their free throws
during crunch time, 5 of 8 in the last minute of the game to get the win 49-43. Stratford fought hard
throughout but had trouble making baskets toward the end of the game. Current record for
Stratford 9A, 2-5.
December 2nd update:
Stratford 69 Cy Ridge 49
The 9A Boys Basketball went on the road 11/24 to play Cypress Ridge. Very tough, defensive
game at the start with Cy Ridge holding a 24-20 lead at the end of the first half. Spartans turned on
the offense and defense in the third quarter, outscoring Cy Ridge 20-6 in the quarter to take a
40-30 lead in the game. The Spartans held on with strong defense and rebounding to win 50-44.
They also made their free throws work for them sinking 14 during the game. This puts the
freshmen at 2 wins and 4 losses for the season.
November 29th update:
Atascocita 67 Stratford 27
9A Boys Basketball team had a tough outing Monday, 11/24 vs. Atascocita. Trouble getting shots
to drop.
SBISD Tourney: Nov 20th & 21st
11/20/09 vs Mayde Creek (SBISD Tourney) Lost 43-56
11/21/09 vs Northbrook (SBISD Tourney) Lost 53-57
11/21/09 vs Spring Woods (SBISD Tourney) Won
Stratford 25 Klein 49
The Freshman A team lost to Klein 25-49.