FALCONS MIDDLE SCHOOL ENDS SEASON WITH VICTORY

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.