The freshmen boys took their talents to Benicia on Saturday for a 3-game pre-season tournament at Benicia High School. The games themselves were quick, just 20 minutes each with a running clock. But that didn’t mean they weren’t action-packed, with many stellar plays and moments, along with a few missed opportunities that may prove to be very valuable lessons for the regular season.
Game 1: Acalanes 39, Vacaville 19
The story of the first game can be summed up in two words – threes and D. Acalanes came out on fire from deep and rained down threes on Vacaville, shooting nearly 50% for the game (9/19). Early baskets by Cash Woehrle and Frankie Rocca allowed Acalanes to set up their press, which led to several early turnovers and more good looks. The run continued as new players entered the game, with Christian Dunphy and Kiran Ouk hitting key buckets to extend the lead. Aca’s defense continued to disrupt Vacaville with 7 deflections and 8 steals, while limiting their own turnovers to just 6. Acalanes led 34-8 at the 7:30 mark and cruised to a win, 39-19.
Game 2: Acalanes 26, Benicia 29
Benicia posed a different challenge for the boys in game two, with size and length at several positions. Both teams had to work hard to get good shots in the first 6 minutes. Benicia limited Aca to two baskets and a free throw, while blocking or altering several shots. The Dons defended with energy, but Benicia was able to use their size to grab several offensive rebounds and score inside for a 9-7 lead at the 14:20 mark. New players rotated in for both teams, and Ary Deepak and Brayden Sarbiewski brought scoring punch with two baskets each. Over the next several minutes, however, Benicia upped their intensity and stretched their lead to 27-15 with just over 5 minutes left. With their backs against the wall, the Aca boys upped their intensity and pace to match Benicia. And they began to use the Panthers’ aggression against them with back cuts and ball fakes. Aca went on an 11-0 run to close within a point in the final minute. Benicia added a free throw for two points, setting up a frantic final 30 seconds, with the Dons forcing two turnovers but unable to get off a tying shot.
Game 3: Acalanes 32, Liberty 21
The final game came against Liberty, another long and athletic freshman team. After Benicia, the Dons were ready for the challenge and came out full of energy. Early baskets by Cash Woehrle, Frankie Rocca, Nick Zagorov, and Pengyu Chen had the score tied at 12 at the 12:25 mark. As new players rotated in for the Dons, the intensity and energy stayed high. Liberty had done a decent job against the press early on, but the Dons’ relentless pressure began to yield turnovers and easy buckets. On one play, Grady Branagh forced an Eagles’ turnover that Pengyu recovered and quickly fed to Nick Z for an easy layup, capping a 12-2 run for the Dons and forcing a Liberty timeout. The boys continued to hound Liberty on defense and share the ball on offense, finishing a stellar 10 for 14 on 2 pt field goals and cruising to a comfortable 32 -21 win against a good team.
