After being soundly defeated at home in their first two games of the season against superior competition, the Avalon boys varsity basketball team got to experience what it’s like to be on the winning side, in a decisive victory over Samueli Academy, followed by a narrow victory over AGBU.
In their first game of the season, the Lancers faced Cathedral High School, a Division 2 powerhouse, who proved to be too strong for Avalon. However, the Lancers did not back down against this team of giant dunkers and pro-like jump shooters. Leading the way for Avalon were Allen Arneson with 13 points and Cristobal Hernandez with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
In their second game of the season, Avalon faced Sage Hill, a good team but not as good as Cathedral. Nevertheless, Avalon came out sluggish at the outset and they never recovered, losing 63-30. Pablo Chavolla Hernandez was the outstanding player in this one, scoring 13 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.
In their third game of the season, again at home, the Lancers came out against Samueli Academy raring and ready to go. Samueli is a league opponent and by trouncing the Firewolves 79-24 the Lancers served notice to the entire league that they can compete this year and compete well. This was a consummate team victory with everybody contributing. The leading scorer was Cristobal Hernandez with 13 points and Daniel Madriz with 11 points. Pablo Chavolla Hernandez and Sol Vines also contributed 9 points to the cause while Ulises Zavala grabbed 4 defensive rebounds and made 2 steals.
A lot of the credit should go to point guard Jose Gomez who dished out 6 assists, showing everyone that basketball is a team sport and that you should take joy in your teammates’ success, especially when you are a part of it. Jose dishes out the ball and his teammates get to score. This is a winning formula that we hope to continue.
In their fourth game of the season, Avalon traveled to Canoga Park to face AGBU and they came away with a narrow 39-34 victory. This was a sloppy game and the Lancers were fortunate to come away with the win. They started out good and led 11-5 at the end of the first quarter. However, they struggled for the next two quarters and let the Titans back into the game, only to finish strong with a 15-point surge in the fourth quarter and an important win on the road.
Sebastian Garcia with 12 points and Sol Vines with 10 points were the top scorers in this one, while Jose Gomez kept his cool throughout the game and made a game clinching layup with 15 seconds remaining to seal the victory. The Lancers are now 2-2 and travelled to the mainland twice this week to face St. Michaels on Tuesday and Acaciawood on Friday. They return home on Friday and Saturday, December 14-15 to face longtime rivals Wildwood. Come on up and support your local high school hoopsters. It’s great entertainment for the holidays.
