The Pitman freshman basketball team’s first game against Turlock High was the team’s introduction to this great rivalry. They were told that no matter the record, and no matter the score, the game will always be tight and important. This first experience went well for the frosh Pride team in earning its first hard-earned victory, with the final score of 42-39.
Although the Pride entered the game without a league victory andTurlockwas having a more successful early run through league, the Pride showed that when it comes toTurlockhigh school, previous records do not matter.
The Pride team exuded excitement and intensity in the first minutes of the game. Starting with the first basket and their 2-0 lead, the Pride’s confidence built as the game progressed. This trend continued with the Pride holding a lead for most of the first half. Turlock did take the lead for a short time, but PHS found themselves back in front due to an amazing last-second three-pointer by Donovan Bravo.
The second half of the game was no different. The Pride held their lead, but THS never lost sight of their opponents. Towards the end of the second half, the Bulldogs moved within one point. Suddenly, a pivotal moment for the Pride arrived, when a technical foul drawn by Ethan Stinson gave PHS two free throws. He drops in both with ease, giving the Pride a three point lead with thirty seconds left.
Turlockstill had a chance to tie the game as they had possession following the free throws. Pride freshman defense applied enough pressure that the THS shot failed to tie the game and Nick Mattos came down with the game-saving rebound.
The overall freshman season has been a tough league start for Pitman. With a pre-season record of 7-2, league has been quite the contradiction. After a record of 0-4, most teams would start to flop, but not Pitman. They have remained perseverant through the season and that perseverance is one of the many qualities that won this game—or perhaps because of the team’s familiar opponents.
Impressively, almost half the team has travelling basketball experience with Stanco, an organization that strives to improve the basketball skills of kids going into high school. Those are important skills that are an asset to this team’s greatness.
With the first round of games over, Pitman freshman basketball players are looking for an improved result from the second and third rounds of league play. They definitely are working hard for a comeback after such a satisfying win. Coach Lou reminds his team before every game, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
