“Oh, come on!” shouts a parent in the stands during the first half of the JV boys basketball game against Wakefield on December 5. It was a common sentiment among the school’s fans at the game. After an exhilarating game that moved back and forth across the court, the final score was 42-65. It was a hard-fought battle for the Generals, with some effective plays by sophomores Abel Gelata, Chip Johnson and Eugene Lim, but ultimately the Wakefield Warriors got the win. The leading scorer for the Generals was Abel Gelata, with 13 points. Jack Mallett and Chip Johnson pitched in with 7 points each.

Johnson, Gelata, Lim,  and sophomores Carson Ruth and Jack Mallett started on the

court, and possession went to the Warriors once they won the tipoff. Wakefield quickly pulled ahead to a six-point lead. The Generals played hard, and were able to keep the score close by withstanding the aggressive Warrior defense until the end of the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, with Wakefield up 10 points, a comeback did not seem too

far out of reach. Just as it seemed as though the fire seen in the first quarter was petering out, Gelata sunk a three-pointer, closely followed with one from Johnson. Unfortunately, it seemed as though whenever the Generals cut into the gap, the Warriors built it right back up with quick baskets in transition.

This is not to say the game was not well played by the Generals, just that the Warriors

had the upper hand courtesy of their aggressive defense. Lim made a block late in the second quarter, following it up with a two-pointer while being fouled and sinking the resulting free throw. The Generals still were not able to close in on the Warriors, and by half-time, the score was 20-34.

Gelata made a reverse layup late in the game, dribbling past the Warrior’s defense.

Basketball is a sport that allows little time for celebration, because as soon as the layup was scored, one by the Warriors cancelled it out.

The Generals played hard and fast. When the final buzzer sounded, and the basketball

pounded once, twice, three times against the court before completing its slow roll to a stop, the Generals did not look downtrodden nor crushed. They held their heads up high, and walked out of the game with pride.

“I can understand the extra bit of frustration that comes with losing to a rival school,”

Said  Mr. Jacob Lloyd, the head coach of the JV boys basketball team. “It’s okay to feel that way because we know we’re a better team than what we showed. Luckily, there are still many games left to be played, and we should be looking forward to what’s ahead.”