Photos by Amanda Hall
Last night in the JC Westside gymnasium, The Lavaca Junior High Golden Arrow basketball team completed a magical season. The type of season that is rare. They were able to run the table, remain unbeaten and secure not only a conference title but also the 2A-4 District championship. Their grand finale was at the expense of the Hackett Junior Hornets. This was a rematch of the only game in which the Arrows perfect season was placed in jeopardy. In the previous match up, Hackett took the Arrows to overtime before losing by five points.
Last nights Championship defiantly lived up to its billing and was one of the best battles in recent memory. The Hackett players are big and physical. They rebound well and do a very good job closing down the lane. Because of their size, they were able to hang close in a nip and tuck game, but by the 4th quarter the Arrows were able to start pulling away. Kolby Glidewell was able to match up with the physicality of the game. And. The Lavaca shooters were able to hit big shots from outside and get to the free throw line when they did drive the ball down low. By time the final horn sounded the Arrows had won 40-34.
Coach Reed couldn’t be more proud of this team and he had a lot to say. He said, “What a great season, these are some of the toughest most committed group of kids I’ve been around. We’ve faced adversity with losing a starter midseason. We also found ourselves undersized at times, especially in the finals against Hackett. However, these guys continued to work hard each and every day and find ways to be successful! In the finals, Luke Watson led us in scoring tonight with 17. He also guarded Hackett’s best player, as he always does. Drake Grantham and Avery Walker had 9 points a piece. Kolby Glidewell chipped in with another 6 point and some big rebounds down the stretch. The best thing about these guys is how they care for each other and love seeing their teammates succeed.” The great thing about this team is that they will only great better as they continue to play together. The future is bright for Lavaca basketball for years to come.
