Matt Serven (’17) reads Segerstrom’s defense. Photo by Julia PacisBy Julia Pacis, Staff Writer
Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) boys basketball crushed the El Modena Vanguards and the Segerstrom Jaguars in their last preseason games to kick off their first Sunset League game 13-3 against the Newport Harbor Sailors.
Last Monday, Baron basketball played El Modena High School in their second to last preseason game. Fountain Valley creamed the Vanguards, winning 91-43. Their defense and playing as a team allowed the Barons to win handily by a 48 point deficit.
The next day, in their second of back to back games, FVHS added another game to its win column, beating the Jaguars 70-29. Again, their stifling defense and aggressive offense permitted them to dominate against another team even though their leading scorer, Mike Lightbody (’17) was out for both games with a back injury.
Josh Gray (’18) had 29 points and 11 rebounds combined for the two games, and Adam Trounce (’17) recorded 27 points, six assists, and three steals combined. This high level of play from both players and the starters allowed all of the team to play against Segerstrom, which is a rare occurrence.
“It was great team basketball, both games. And…to be able to get everyone in the game and everyone score, it was nice to be able to do that,” said Head Boys Basketball Coach Steven Schultz.
Boys basketball ended their preseason 13-3, which is one of the best starts for the program in twenty years.
However, even with their great preseason start, Sunset League posed an entirely different set of skill sets and athletes, so the Barons were looking to improve on their overall play before regular season began.
“We’re looking to improve on our communication and our defense…and our shooting,” said Junior Captain Matt Serven.
On Friday, the Barons had their league opener against Newport Harbor, who ended their preseason with a record of 14-3. The Sailors proved to be a hard team to beat even before the game began.
“Well it’s going to be very tough…they have a lot of seniors. We’re really young…but still, I think if we can find a way , I believe we can win…as long as our shots are going down and we cut down on their penetration, I think we’ll be alright,” said Schultz.
Unexpectedly, Lightbody played against the Sailors in the hope that his play could make a difference, but being injured left him rusty for most of the game. The team fought all through the game, even leading after the first quarter by one point, but their efforts were not enough. Newport Harbor’s basketball skills and athleticism proved to be too much for the Barons to handle, and Fountain Valley lost 51-61.
Out of their 51 points, Serven scored 29 of them, and Sean Huynh (’17) played tenacious defense during the whole game. Still remaining hopeful after their devastating loss, the team wants to come back stronger in their next game by working hard in practice on their defense, shooting, and rebounding.
“We played really hard. We just couldn’t make any shots, so it’s…tough. They were a pretty good team,” said Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Edwin Olivares.
