On Nov. 16, the St. Bonaventure gym was packed with red and green shirts cheering loudly for their sides, not ready for the events that would go on in the next hour. Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) was ready to go up against their rivals, the St. Bonaventure Seraphs, in the first match of the season.

The game started off with St. Bonaventure getting the tip off. Dribbling down the court, Foothill Tech shut the Seraphs down. They took the ball up the court in a smooth transition, and with speed and precision, Aden Robles ‘22 made the first basket of the game. 

As the ball was moving fast through the players hands through a series of no-look passes, Robles managed to make two more smooth shots, resulting in a high energy start for the Dragons, and foreshadowing a great game ahead for himself.

Robles reflected on his performance with, “I think I played really well. Right off the bat I had seven points, and from there it was just keeping up the intensity.”

As the energy continued to stream on, players started playing rough and stress was building. During one of St. Bonaventure possessions, Kai Wilkes ‘22 went up for a rebound and landed on his ankle, taking him out of the rest of the game with an injury. The quarter ended with 7-6, Foothill Tech in the lead. 

The Dragons started with the ball in the second quarter, but St. Bonaventure’s starting center had a few inches on all of

the Foothill Tech players, making it easy for him to post up and accumulate points. The score edged into 17-15 at half time with Foothill Tech still in the lead. 

St. Bonaventure this time begins the half with a possession, making a shot in the first few seconds, leaving the score at 19-17. After the game continues to go on, the Dragons start to fall behind with fouls being called and free-throws being shot. Failing to get the points, the Seraphs took their stride and hit basket after basket, leaving Foothill Tech in a state of disarray.

Robles made a hard effort towards a comeback and showcased his ability for the whole court to see. He strategically passed and cut, ending plays with smooth layups. Later in the quarter, he slammed an important three-pointer in, making the crowd cheer with excitement. 

Coach Jamaal Brown was extremely pleased with the energy from the crowd, and the boys feeding off this energy.

After more aggressive playing and turnovers, the quarter ended with the Seraphs leading 29-26. 

Foothill started with the ball in the final quarter, anticipation flowing with every shot. Matt Kyle ‘22 juked a Seraph and took a smooth bank shot, helping the Dragons, but still leaving St. Bonaventure in the lead with a score of 36-33.

Timeouts were called and free throws were put up, but the Dragons couldn’t keep up. The score gap increased at 43-35 with one minute left.

Sam Noah ‘23 earned a foul, perfecting two free baskets. With 30 seconds left in the game, the last free throw Noah made was the last basket for Foothill. The game went on, no points score and the crowd losing hope. Finally, the buzzer rang, and the score showed 47-37, the Seraphs taking this game. 

Coach Brown explains his feelings with the team’s performance as he says, “I judge our season by how hard we come out and play, and I told the kids if they come out and play like this every game, I’ll take whatever result we get [and] as a coach, [I’m] very pleased with my team tonight.”

Foothill Tech’s following game was up against Carpinteria High School on Nov. 18 at the Ventura High School Tuttle Gym, winning 50-39.