After a one-point home loss to McIntosh in overtime on Jan. 27, senior captains Will Anda, Matt Walsh, and Chandler Barnes along with their teammates are looking forward to redeeming themselves and earning a higher seed in the Region 4B-AAAAA basketball playoffs.
“We know how to take care of business,” Anda said. “Our goal is to try to get the number four seed.”
That might be easier said than done. The rematch tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at McIntosh will be an emotional one. Their last meeting ended with McIntosh students storming the court after their team won. They then began chanting and ran toward the Panther student body. Soon words and bottles filled the air, and Principal Audrey Toney was struck in the face near her left eye by a plastic soft drink bottle.
“Damage was done to our visitors’ side bleachers by some of the McIntosh fans,” Athletic Director Mike Davis said. “We had to pay the cost of replacing them.”
Administrators from both schools don’t want a repeat of that incident, Davis said. To prevent any further conflict between these two rivals, Davis said additional security will be brought in to keep students from taking bottles into the stands.
Focusing on tomorrow’s game instead of the rivalry distractions, Coach Brandon Hutchins said he is confident in his team’s ability to win.
“They control their own destinies,” he said. “If we don’t win, we still have the 12th seed and a good chance to go to the state tournament.”
On the court, Hutchins said to look out for juniors Ryan Avidano and David Watson, along with Anda, who have been playing steady all season.