JV vs. Cy Creek: Wednesday, January 8 - LOSS: 60-56
Following the heartbreaker with Memorial, Stratford visited Cy Creek and took it to the wire, but once again ended up short in the final tally.
Against an athletic and physical Cougar team, the boys got the tip off and went ahead on a nice driving layup from Cody Hanlen. Then, unfortunately, for the rest of the first half, and frankly for a good part of the game, it felt like the ball just would not go in the hoop (from any team member), often rattling in and out on layups, outside shots, and free throws. Cy Creek also clearly capitalized on a bunch of telegraphed passes, other miscues, and 3s. By halftime, Cy Creek had built a 27-18 lead.
A strong start to the 3rd quarter found the Spartans ahead 29-28. But they could not protect it. Cy Creek went on its own run, leading to another 11-point gap going into the 4th quarter, 35-46. The Spartans must enjoy spotting opponents to see if they can catch up! Such was the case in the 4th, as Stratford grinded away at the Cy Creek lead, and at the two-minute point, they were within one 54-55. The in-and-outs that had plagued them throughout the game stopped the comeback, and the Cougars hit their free throws to finally put it out of reach.
Overall, Cy Creek threw in seven 3-pointers during the course of the game, often stifling budding Spartan rallies. Again, a hard-fought contest and as with the Memorial game, the Spartans look forward to the rematch.
Ben Harris led with 26 points, followed by Cody Hanlen with 10, and Xavier Jackson with 8. Teagan Tedrow added 4 and Will Ubell, Javian Greenwood, and Alex Harris all put in 2.
JV vs. Northbrook: Saturday, January 18 - WIN: 80-19
Unfortunately for the visiting Northbrook team, the Spartans clearly outmatched them in size and talent. Stratford went up 12-0 and never looked back. It was 54-9 at the half.
A high percentage of overall points were transition layups created by solid pressing, stolen passes, and quick-outlet rebounds and tosses down the court. By the end of the game, the entire team participated in scoring, rebounding, and assists.
Alex Harris led the team with 16, followed by newcomer Francis Kingston, who had a chance to test and show off his skillset, putting in 15, including the team’s only 3 of the day. Ben Harris put in 13, including an emphatic dunk. Javian Greenwood scored 10. Cody Hanlen, Teagan Tedrow, and Jaelan Rosser all put in 6 each. Gabe Elizondo had 4, and Xavier Jackson and Anderson Fitzgerald both put in a bucket a piece.