Tuesday, December 11, 2007 was a historical day for the Sports Department of Arborbrook Christian Academy. The boys basketball team competed in its first game ever taking on Garr Christian Academy at the Garr Sports Complex.
The bleachers were filled with the majority of the fans coming from Arborbrook. We have 11 players on the team and each player had at least one parent in attendance which is outstanding. The girls basketball team and many other students were there to offer their support. The players and the coaches would like to thank everyone that attended, it was nice to play in front of a full gym.
The players were nervous, the coaches were nervous, and I know the parents were nervous. Coach Scott tried to get everyone relaxed but you could feel the tension in the air. We were playing an experienced team in their 4th game on their home floor and many of our players had never competed in a basketball game. The stage was set.
Matthew Pedemonte scored the first points in Arborbrook history on a 12 foot jump shot just left of the lane. The shot was true the moment it left his hand. Matthew’s shot tied the score at 2 and would prove to be the closest we would come the rest of the game. Garr proved to be too experienced and our inexperience showed throughout the first half. Nate Johnson, our tallest and fastest player had picked up 3 fouls and was riding the bench. We trailed 26 – 10 going into the second half.
The 3rd quarter did not start out well and did not end well but you could see the player’s confidence starting to build. We scored only 2 points and trailed 39 – 12 but we actually played better. The shots would not drop.
The confidence carried over to the 4th quarter and you could see what type of team this would become. Garr continued to play their starting five and we not only outscored them 10 – 8 but we also outplayed them. Caleb Farmer made the play of the game on a driving layup that was part of a 6-0 run. When Caleb is on the floor he will always be the smallest player. Caleb drove around and through players 6-12 inches taller and hit a shot he has hit many times in practice. His confidence was back . Nate Johnson ended up as our leading scorer with 8 points.
The final score was 47 – 22 which only means we have a starting point. We did not score the most points on the scoreboard but we won in every other way possible. The players, the coaches, and the fans represented the team, the school, and God very well. Everyone played and each player made at least one good play. We can build from this. I rode home with Coach Scott after the game and we discussed everything. We would like to thank the parents and the school for trusting us with their sons. You can only have one first game and Coach Scott and I were proud to be a part this experience.
