As their final match for the Pacific League, the Arcadia High School (AHS) Varsity Boys Basketball team played against Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS). The two teams faced off on Feb. 1, and the game ended with a CVHS victory and a final score of 48-60. Despite not securing the win, the Apaches displayed a valiant effort throughout the game.
The game started at 7:00 p.m. in the North Gym, and CVHS’ aggressive tactics initially pressured AHS to go on the defensive. In the first five minutes of the match, CVHS was able to break through the AHS defense and score seven points. But after this initial advantage, AHS steadily closed the gap between the scores. Their efforts led to a score of 10-11 at the end of the first quarter.
After an intense struggle between both teams at the beginning of quarter two, AHS gained uncontested control over the momentum of the game for the rest of the quarter. With a spectacular slam dunk from senior Mansour Sanneh, who plays wing and forward, the quarter ended with a comfortable lead for AHS, with the score at 26-18.
Quarter three marked a renewed energy for CVHS, as the team once again pursued an aggressive approach towards AHS. AHS, due to their comfortable lead, played defensively during this quarter. But this tactic was not enough to stop CVHS, and the momentum of the match once again shifted in their favor. The quarter concluded with a final score of 31-36.
Both AHS and CVHS were desperate to secure a comfortable lead during quarter four. AHS was initially able to close the gap in points, bringing the score to 35-36. But a decisive series of shots from CVHS reopened the gap, and AHS struggled to catch up for the rest of the game.
For the senior members of the Varsity Boys Basketball team, such as wing and forward player Bryan Ching, this game against CVHS was a positive conclusion for the Pacific League despite not securing a win.
Ching commented, “I think I played all right. I started off good in the first quarter, but I feel like the crowd in the moment just got to us and just got to me.”
Elaborating on the team’s difficulty concentrating on the game, Ching expressed that he believes it was because “we’re a young team. So I just feel like we weren’t experienced enough to know what to do during big situations when there was a lot of screaming and cheering going on. And a lot of people are trying to get in your head.”
Adding to Ching’s assessment of the game, Coach Nick Wallace also pointed to the loss of focus for the team after quarter two.
He explained that in every game, “you have to be able to maintain the focus, the energy, and the effort for 32 minutes, four quarters. And we weren’t able to do that.”
Sophomore Mateo Ingersoll, who had previously received social media attention through Overtime for his viral dunk against Glendale High School, played wing and forward during the game. He shared the same positive feelings for this game.
He commented that “it was a good experience, we played hard and had fun. Even though we couldn’t get the win, I’m still proud of my teammates for fighting hard!”
For the Boys Basketball team, this Pacific League season was a great experience overall.
Ching, who joined the team in his freshman year, commented that “we played very well. We actually broke a record because it’s the first time the AHS team got 21 wins in a season. I felt like the team bond got stronger. As we kept winning, it boosted morale.”
The AHS community thanks all members of the Boys Basketball team for creating such entertaining matches and for their continuous effort during this entire Pacific League season! To the senior members of the team who are graduating, we hope that your stories will inspire future players to join the team and further the legacy of the AHS basketball team!
Photos courtesy of Arcadia DCI intern Eisen Chang
