Last night the boys basketball season began with an away affair against the Maranatha Mustangs. The Mustangs who had gone to the state tournament the previous year would surely prove to be a great test to see where our Spartans matched up with elite competition. The Spartans went into the game as heavy underdogs but would quickly prove that they were for real.
The game started with constant back and forth action, seeing the two teams go neck and neck. The kid from Edina, Captain Spencer "Spegly" Egly led the Spartans in the first half with 13 points that kept them in the game. The Spartans battled throughout the first half and when they were patient and organized they scored . However when the boys tried to rush things and lost the ball, the Mustangs capitalized with their versatile attack and punished them. This led to the Spartans being down at the half 41-32.
The second half saw the Spartans come out with a lot of fire in their belly. It was obvious that they wanted it and this was seen through the look in the eyes of senior Joe "Big Easy" Klein as he piled up important rebounds with great tenacity to set up Spartan attacks. It was also seen in the raw emotion displayed by sophomore Connor "Ricky Bobby" Allen after he blocked a Mustangs layup effort and then rushed down the other end of the court to lay the ball in the cup. The Spartans began to cut into the lead and were able to narrow it down to 3 with about ten minutes left. The boys did not allow a few questionable blocking calls to affect them and continued to try to snag a lead. However in the span of a couple of minutes the Mustangs turned it on and went on a run that gave them a thirteen point lead with nine minutes left. Even after this major setback, the boys were able to show great character, grit and determination as they slowly but surely worked on a remarkable comeback.
The mustangs began to miss shots and the Spartans took advantage of the opportunity to cut into the lead. Captain Josh "Slim Shady" Gray and 13-year-old Delante "the Chosen One" Peyton drained crucial three pointers that put the Spartans back into contention. The boys fought for every ball and it was obvious they were the side that wanted it more. With just a couple of minutes remaining the Chosen One found the ball in his hands and put up a shot from behind the arc. The kid literally has ice in his veins. 64-64 Spartans. The Spartans had come back against what was one of the best teams in the state a year ago. In the end however the Spartans would make a couple costly mistakes that cost them the game, 67-70. A close one, a hell of a game. The guys overcame a lot in very little time and showed great maturity. It is a loss that ironically brings encouragement to this Spartan Basketball program who has now showed they mean business. The season looks like it is going to be a successful one for the Spartans.
On Tuesday the boys will be playing at St. Anthony in an important conference game. Our team is solid, I highly encourage to come watch, if you don't then its your loss. Go Spartans!
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