Monday, January 29, 2024
Record: 20-3
“Great game! So proud of this team.” Expressed superfan, Stefania Kaplanes. The fans of the JV team rightfully have reason to boast. Not only did Acalanes beat a physically imposing College Park team, but they also won the Diablo Athletic League Championship. The young Dons hit the 20-win mark for the season and remain undefeated in league play at 10-0.
The first quarter showcased two talented centers. Acalanes center, Josh Elerts, started the battle strong. He scored the Dons first six points. The College Park center, who was several inches taller than Josh, matched him. The game was 7-6 in favor of College Park early. Lorenzo Cangini hit a three pointer to put the Dons ahead. Another bucket by Josh and a three pointer by Gavin extended the lead. It was 15 to 9 after one quarter.
“You got to work as hard as they are working.” Barked Coach Eric Thomas after the first quarter. The fifth-year coach knew his team was in for a physical game, and the 2nd quarter was indeed physical. The two teams wrested the ball from one another at times, neither one establishing a large lead over the other. Julian Hood got the Dons going with a three pointer, which was followed by a Lorenzo mid-range jumper. Chase Bahou then tallied the next five points. The Dons were ahead by nine points! Yet, the visiting team answered. College Park went on a mini run to narrow the lead to five points. The score at halftime was Dons 29, Falcons 24.
The third quarter illustrated why the Dons are the best team in the Diablo Athletic League. It doesn’t matter if a team has a few talented players. The Dons will counter with their depth. Arman Craig. AJ Hastings, Illias Kaplanes-Jones, and Landon Deily were inserted into the lineup, and each player played a key role in wearing down the Falcons. Arman, who led his team in assists with four, made several nice passes to Josh. Meanwhile, AJ and Illias played suffocating defense on the opposing guards, which lead to four steals and College Park’s 13 turnovers. Landon allowed Josh to float to power forward, which gave the Don’s big man a break from inside.
The last quarter started with a Lorenzo free throw. It continued with Arman bucket and two more points by Lorenzo. Lorenzo along with Josh would continue to score in the 4th quarter. The dynamic duo ended up pouring in 38 points for their team. The game ended nicely with a Julian Hood three pointer. The final score was Acalanes 58, College Park 46.
In his first year of high school basketball, AJ Hastings had this to say about this year’s experience: “This has been a great season. I feel so blessed to be playing with these older guys. They have shown me what a Don is.” The young guard continued: “We had some tough losses early in the season, but we bounced back. We became a team; we became a family.”
The JV Basketball team will have their last league game this Wednesday, January 31, 2024. The Dons will be on the road against Northgate. Tipp-off is at 6:00pm.
Congratulations to JV team and Coach Eric Thomas on winning the Diablo Athletic League. GO DONS!
