If you’d like to order a team photo, follow the instructions on the order form.
If you’d like to order a team photo, follow the instructions on the order form.
Carolina Christian 54 – Arborbrook 50
We saved the best for last and ended the season on a high note. You can’t ask for more than that. The Falcons were playing their best game of the year and trailed 51-50 with less than a minute left in the game and the ball in their possession. The lead had see-sawed back and forth the entire game. Both teams held fourth quarter leads but neither team could pull away. Everything we tried from the opening tip off to this point had worked. Coach designed a play and the players ran it to perfection but the shot rimmed out and the Falcon season ended when the Lions added a couple of very late free throws. It was a tremendous game played by two evenly matched teams.
Two of the Carolina Christian players had burned us in our two previous games. Coach decided to play a triangle and 2 defense and went over it with the players 10 minutes before tip off. The Falcons came out fast and played a perfect first quarter. The defense worked to perfection and took the Lions top two scorers out of the game. Josh Black injured his back midway through the first quarter but stayed on the floor. Coach was going to pull him out but Josh said he could go another 2 minutes. Josh never came out of the game even though his back pain never improved. He always went anothr 2 minutes. Josh scored 7 points in the first quarter while Nathan Spitler pulled down 5 first quarter rebounds. The Falcons lead 13-8 going into the second period. Something unexpected always happens in a basketball game and this time it came in the second quarter. Our defense was working as designed but the Lions point guard suddenly got very hot. David Grigg, # 23 scored 14 second quarter points as the Lions knocked down 3 three pointers in a row. Josh scored 8 second quarter points but the Falcons now trailed 27-21 at the break.
We had to change our defense to account for #23 and decided to go full court man to man pressure. Winning both quarters would win the game. Once again the strategy worked. The Lion lead quickly evaporated as Nathan and Josh took control of the boards and the offense. Nathan scored 6 points in the quarter on a couple of put backs and 2 free throws. Trey Barnes came alive with a 3 pointer and a free throw. Josh put in 4 more points as the Falcons took a 36-35 lead into the 4th quarter on a last second tip in by Nathan. The lead would see-saw from this point on. Neither team could pull away. It was going to come down to the last minute and it did. This time the shot would not drop and that’s basketball. The Falcons committed only 4 turnovers in the second half when every possession was pressure packed. They made 10 of 14 free throws. They played the best they could play at both ends of the floor. They did everything asked of them and more. They played with passion and courage. They played with all their heart.
For the Record: Josh Black with an injured back scored 25 points, a season high. Josh also had 10 rebounds an 1 assist. Nathan Spitler pulled down a school record 17 rebounds and scored a personal best 12 points. Nathan also had 2 steals and 1 assist. Trey Barnes made 2 three pointers and finished the game with 7 points and 5 rebounds. Mitch Moore was in foul trouble most of the second half and scored 2 points with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. Caleb Farmer ran the point guard position to perfection scoring 2 points with 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 assist. Daniel Zangmeister, coming off a rib injury scored 2 points with 3 rebounds. Forest Landa did not score but once again played great defense and was one of the two in the triangle and 2 defense.
The season has officially ended and this will most likely be my last entry until the sports banquet. Looking back, we could not imagine how much injuries would effect this team. I do not believe we played one single game when we were completely healthy. Between back injuries, sprained ankles, injured ribs, jammed fingers, and the flu we were short players at every game and almost every practice. We thought we might lose Mitch for the entire year due to an injured finger. Most of you may not know that Mitch played the entire season with a small splint on his shooting hand. We did not know where our points would come from when the season started. Josh answered that question very quickly. Every player on both teams worked hard, pushed themselves, and got better. Their basketball IQ went up and they learned some important lessons about life. Coach and I both like to win but we don’t judge the success of a season on our win/loss record. That is actually far down the list. With a team like Central, it is the only thing on the list. We expect and demand a lot from the Arborbrook players, and they deliver. Always remember that basketball is only a tool to help shape the rest of their lives. The players on both our teams should walk tall with their heads held high because they never forgot what their true goal was. Play to the glory of God and honor yourselves, your parents, and your school. It is hard to believe the season has already ended. Thank you once again for your continued fan support. Thank you parents for getting the players back and forth to games and practices. Thank you for keeping score books, selling concessions and tickets, cleaning up, and making home games a success. Thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your son’s lives and teach them the game of basketball and a little about life.
Carolina Christian 47 – Arborbrook 40
The Falcons dropped their second game of the year to Carolina Christian and unfortunately, it was an exact replay of the first game. In both games, the Falcons held the lead throughout most of the game before falling behind late in the fourth quarter. We had not played since last Tuesday and held only a light practice when we took the floor last night. We came out slow with no energy and little enthusiasm in the first half, picked up the pace in the third quarter and then went completely to sleep in the fourth quarter. Even with all that, we should have won the game. Carolina Christian played a much more aggressive offense, driving to the basket and crashing the boards. Carolina made 12 free throws, we shot only 3. Carolina Christian outhustled us at both ends of the floor, picking up every loose ball and were constantly a step ahead of us on every breakaway. And we still should have won because we are a better team that played poorly and did not lose control until the last 2 minutes of the game.
The Falcons held an 11-7 first quarter lead behind baskets from Josh Black, Nathan Spitler, and Trey Barnes. Nathan took control of the boards early with 5 first quarter rebounds before getting into early foul trouble. Josh would score 4 more points in the second quarter and Mitch Moore would add a basket as the Falcons took a 17-16 lead into the locker room. We had not played well but somehow, we were still in the lead. I though we were fired up and ready to go but we came out just as slow with two left feet to start the third quarter. Coach inserted Kyle Boutross in the game to try and get some energy flowing. Kyle seemed to spark the team and suddenly we were moving up and down the floor. Five different players scored in the quarter and we held a 30-26 lead going into the final period. Josh Black scored 2 quick baskets and we increased our lead to 34-26 just before the roof came down. Carolina Christian went on a 15-2 run as our defense disappeared and our offense could not hang onto the ball. We were only down by four with 30 seconds left in the game and we had possession. It looked like we would cut the lead to two as Josh drove to the basket but the ball just slipped off his finger tips and skipped out of bounds. It was a good play with a little bad luck. Carolina Christian had no answer for Josh as his speed and athletic ability constantly enabled him to slide between defenders for some awesome layups. Carolina would close us out with 3 late free throws and win the game. At least part one. Sometime in sports, you get a Mulligan. We get to play them again tonight in the opening game of the tournament. The winner moves on while the loser will be finished for the season.
For the Record: Josh Black scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Trey Barnes netted 2 three pointers and scored 8 points with 1 steal. Nathan Spitler scored 4 points on a rebound he put back in and 2 free throws. Nathan also pulled down 9 rebounds with 1 assist. Mitch Moore scored 4 points coming off a sprained ankle, grabbed 2 rebounds with 2 steals and 2 assists. Forest Landa scored 2 points with 2 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 assist. Forest was the most effective defensive player on the floor for both teams. Kyle Boutross came off the bench and gave the team a lift while scoring 2 points with 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Caleb Farmer did not score but had several shots rim in and out. Caleb had 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 assist. Caleb Robinson stepped in for 3 rebounds.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23
4:30pm — Girls HS vs. Carolina Christian @ Southbrook
6:00pm — Boys HS vs. Carolina Christian @ Southbrook
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT (Feb 24-27)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 — 4:30pm Boys HS vs. Carolina Christian @ Central Academy
If win, Boys HS team will play games on Thursday & Friday @ Central Academy (times to be determined)
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT (March 3 & 5)
Girls HS team will be playing on March 3 & 5 @ Carolina Christian in Locust, NC. Game times and seeding to be determined.
Arborbrook 25 – Berean 16
The Falcons ended the season with a 7-6 record by recording a 25-16 victory over Berean Academy. It was a ragged game from beginning to end with Berean committing numereous fouls on almost every Falcon possession. It was difficult for the offense to get into any kind of flow and we once again missed 14 free throws. The gym was dark and the floor was different and strange. The official score keeper for Berean and the clock operator really had no idea what they were doing which caused problems with the time, the score, and the fouls. Berean played with aggressive passion but really had no chance. We did not play our best game of the year but condsidering the conditions, the season ended on a good note. The Falcons first string played most of the first quarter and built a 10-4 lead. The lead quickly grew to 18-6 in the second period when the Falcon bench was cleared. A full court press by Berean resulted in 3 quick baskets in the final 90 seconds to make it a 18-12 half time score. The Falcon starters played the first 3 minutes of the second quarter and quickly extended the lead to 23-12. There would not be much scoring the remainder of the game for either team as the play became scrambled and uneven.
For the record: Caleb Robinson played very little but still lead the team with 8 points and 3 rebounds. Ryan Brown knocked down a 3 pointer and finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists. Matthew Pedemonte, Joel VanDusen, Kyle Boutross, and Richard McFall all scored 3 points. Joel pulled down 4 rebounds with 4 steals. Matthew had 1 rebound with 4 steals. Kyle grabbed 3 rebounds with 1 steal. Richard came up with 2 rebounds. Johnathan Spitler had 2 steals and Ethan Robinson grabbed 1 rebound.
Reflecting back on the season the middle school team was inconsistant to say the least. However, we need to look at where they started and where they finished. There were only 4 players that had any experience and that experience amounted to only one year. There were no players that were considered scorers. The basketball IQ was very low and half the team could not dribble or shoot. The first year players had to learn the importance of conditioning and the attitude that we would display during games and practice. The team lacked confidence in themselves and their teammates. Yet, there was talent brewing just under the surface. We could be very good or we could be very bad, we weren’t sure. We ended up being a little of both. Confidence started to grow with practices and games. Our expectations went up and we started to expect more and more of them as a team. Every single player showed tremendous improvement throughout the year. Trying to keep this team focused during games and practices was our biggest challenge and we did not always succeed. But it was a great year. This is still an inexperienced team that cannot make free throws but is fun to watch especially when they are in sync. They worked hard and learned a little about basketball and a lot about life. Thank you parents for your support and encouragemant throughout the year. The Arborbrook fan base is awesome.
First Assembly 53 – Arborbrook 41
The Falcons (2-8) played and almost perfect first half but lost their focus in the second half and dropped a heartbreaker to First Assembly 53-41. Mitch Moore scored the first basket of the game and then sprained his ankle and was lost to the team for the remainder of the game. The Falcons were already playing without Daniel Zangmeister who was on the bench with a rib injury. Down to five high school players, the Falcons played their best basketball of the year looking sharp on both offense and defense. Five different players scored for the Falcons in the first quarter as they built a 13-5 lead. The second quarter was even better than the first as the Falcons outscored Frist Assembly 15-6 to hold a 28-11 half time lead. Seven different players scored for the Falcons in the first half. We played a tight zone and forced First Assembly to shoot over the top and held our position so that the Wildcats could not pull down the rebound. First Assembly became frustrated and it showed by their actions on the court and on the bench. This was a significant turn around for the Falcons since we had lost to First Assembly by 26 points earlier in the season. Unfortunately, there is always a second half.
We knew First Assembly would crash the boards in the second half and try and pick up the pace. All we had to do was play solid defense and block out. The key to the rest of the game would be the first couple of minutes. Two lazy passes turned into two quick buckets for First Assembly and the momentum had shifted in the first 20 seconds. Coach called time out but the damnage was done. We never regained our focus and you could feel the game slipping away. The Falcons still held a 36-31 lead going into the fourth quarter and finally lost the lead with 4 minutes to go but continued to hang within striking distance until the last minute. First Assembly went 12 for 12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. The game was much closer than the final score would indicate. We still have not learned how to win the close games. Free throws have hurt us the entire season and continued to haunt us this game. There are some negatives to every game and I could pick apart the second half but that would not be fair. The Falcons played a good game against a heavily favored opponent. They missed Mitch and Daniel but the middle school players stepped up and played well. It was a win for us. The Falcon players definately had the better attitudes on the floor even when the game was sliding from our grasp.
For the Record: Josh Black lead the Falcons with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Caleb Farmer scored 7 points with 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Trey Barnes scored 6 points on two 3 pointers to go with 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist. Nathan Spitler knocked down 4 points with 5 rebounds. Forest Landa scored 3 points on a banked in three pointer. (counted no matter how it looked) Forest also had 1 rebound, 4 steals, and 2 assists. Caleb Robinson scored 2 points with 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Caleb stepped in when Nathan got into foul trouble and played outstanding, especially since it was his second game of the day. Mitch Moore scored 2 points with 1 assist even though he played only one minute before leaving with a sprained ankle.
Arborbrook 30 – First Assembly 17
The Falcons middle school evened their record for the season at 6-6 with a solid victory over First Assembly. The Falcons never trailed in the game and won every quarter behind a stingy defense. An aggressive zone defense forced First Fletcher to shoot over the top which allowed the Falcons to dominate the boards for the first three quarters. Joel VanDusen and Kyle Boutross got the Falcons started in the first quarter with two baskets each to build an 8-4 lead. Caleb Robinson came alive in the second quarter with 4 points and Matthew Pedemonte added a basket to give the Falcons a 14-8 half time lead. The Falcons scored 6 more points in the 3rd quarter but held First Assembly to only a single free throw. Matthew and Kyle provided the scoring punch and the lead was 20-9 heading into the fourth period. The Falcons would put 10 points on the board in this quarter lead by Caleb Robinson with 6 points. Matthew added 2 free throws and Joel scored from underneath the basket. The Falcons controlled the game in every area and played with a confident attitude. It was a good win and a perfect way to end their home season.
For the Record: Caleb Robinson scored 10 points for the Falcons while pulling down 5 rebounds with one assist. Matthew Pedemonte controlled the game from the point guard position while scoring 8 points with 2 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists. Matthew and Caleb hooked up with several nice passes underneath the basket. Matthew is starting to see the floor better every game. Joel VanDusen played his best all around game of the year. Joel scored 6 points but was outstanding on defense and a force on the boards pulling down a team high 9 rebounds. Joel also came up with 2 steals. Kyle Boutross scored 6 points with 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists. Kyle is probably the most dangereous player on the floor with the most natural ability when he plays under control. Ryan Brown pulled down 3 rebounds. Richard McFall grabbed 1 rebound. Jonathan Spitler came up with 1 steal.
TUESDAY
3:30pm — Boys MS vs. First Assembly @ Southbrook
4:45pm — Girls HS vs. First Assembly @ Southbrook
6:00pm — Boys HS vs. First Assembly @ Southbrook
WEDNESDAY
5:00pm — Boys MS vs. Berean Academy @ Berean Academy
Queens Grant 103 – Arborbrook 19
Two teams met at the Southbrook gym last night. It was an obvious mismatch before the opening tip off. One team played to the glory of God, the other team, not so much. One team walked off the court with their heads held high and the look of champions while the other team proved what is wrong with sports in today’s world. I was so proud of one team for the way they finished and the attitude they maintained. I would have been embarressed to be associated with the other team. I was so impressed with the Arborbrook fans that shouted “ARBORBROOK – ARBORBROOK – ARBORBROOK and stamped the bleachers when their team was trailing by 80 points. This was a difficult game for the fans and the parents. This was a difficult game for the coaches who couldn’t waive the white flag or ask the other coaching staff what they thought they were doing. But, this was especially difficult for the players who kept on going. Who played through it when it would have been easier to quit. God builds charater in so many different ways. Anyone who was at the Southbrook gym last night left the court as a different person. God’s message got through to some, and some it did not. Parents, you have raised some fine sons. I am proud of each and every one of them as I know you are. Guys, what you experienced last night and the way you responded will help mold you into the man you will someday become. You did good.
Lake Norman 36 – Arborbrook (MS) 26
The Falcons (5-6) middle school started out slow and could never recover in a 36-26 loss to a good shooting Lake Norman team. The Falcons normally start out slow and this time they dug an 11-0 hole before Ryan Brown got us on the board with 40 seconds left in the first quarter. We took only six shots in the first quarter and never got into a good offensive flow because of the numerous turnovers. The Falcons settled down in the second quarter and started shooting good open shots that seemed to rim out. Lake Norman is a very good shooting team and did not take nearly as many shots but knocked down the ones they did and extended the lead to 14. Ryan Brown banked in a 3 pointer from the cornor and Joel VanDusen hit a shot from just left of the lane to trim the Lake Norman lead to 11 points at half time. Trailing 20-9, coach felt we had played them even in the second quarter and could make our move in the third. Our goal was to start out fast and cut the lead in half and win the game in the 4th quarter. Sounds good but it didn’t work. We once again started out slow in the third quarter with three straight turnovers and the Lake Norman offense beating us down the floor for two straight baskets. Trailing by 15 we regrouped once again and controlled the flow of the game for the rest of the quarter with Caleb Robinson and Kyle Boutross providing the offense. The score was 28-15 when the fourth quarter started and the Falcons became the team they can be. Caleb Robinson made a power move to the basket, Joel VanDusen grabbed a huge rebound and put it back in, Ryan Brown hit a 3 pointer from the cornor and followed with a 2 point shot from inside. The defense played tough and created turnovers or held Lake Norman to one hurried shot. It was now a 28-24 game and Lake Norman was feeling the pressure with 3 minutes to go. As so often happens in sports, the momentum suddenly shifted when Lake Norman’s big guy scored on a rebound after a missed shot and then banked in a shot from the cornor to extend the lead to eight. Ryan Brown would add two free throws but the Falcons would get no closer and went on to lose 36-26. It was a good game. We did not play well the first quarter and it probably cost us the game but Lake Norman is a good team and we played them better than even the rest of the way. The players played hard and never gave up. The fourth quarter run is the third time thay have done that this year. We lost this one on the score board but won in every other area that we count. So, we move on to the next game as the season is starting to wind down.
For the Record: Ryan Brown scored 14 points knocking down 2 three pointers and hitting 4 of 8 from the free throw line. Ryan also had 10 rebounds and 1 steal. Caleb Robinson scored 6 points with 8 rebounds and 1 steal. Joel VanDusen added 4 points with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Kyle Boutross scored 2 points with 6 rebounds and 1 steal. Matthew Pedemonte pulled down 3 rebounds with 1 steal. Conor Murdock came up with 1 assist.
