On Jan. 31, 2023, the boys’ basketball team gathered together to celebrate their seniors in a game against Laguna Blanca. In the photo, Owen Houston ’23 hugs his parents as they pose for a photo with the dragon mascot during the senior ceremony.
Boys’ basketball
CIF matchup
On Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., boys’ basketball will host Katella High School (Katella), who hails from Anaheim, at Ventura High School in the first round of the Southern Section Division 5AA playoffs.
Katella finished third in the Golden West League at 6-5, and 16-11 overall.
Foothill Tech finished the regular season at 13-14 overall and 5-3 in league, good enough for second in the Frontier League. After starting league 2-3, they ripped off three straight wins against Laguna Blanca School, Grace Brethren High School and Villanova Preparatory School, the last of which was a contest to decide who would take second place.
The Dragons boast the freshman duo of Ashton Brown and Nick Drucker, the first and third top scorers for the squad, respectively. Senior Sam Noah is the second leading scorer for the team, and leads in rebounds, assists and steals. Gavin Graves ‘23 is another notable contributor who came alive in league play to average over nine points per game.
Brown set a program record with 39 points and 10 three pointers in an overtime league loss against Dunn School, and Noah put up a 15 assist triple double in that same game, his second of the year.
Senior Night
On Jan. 31, the boys’ went up against the Laguna Blanca Owls on Senior Night, a game that finished with a score of 52-43, Foothill Tech.
Freshman Nick Drucker ‘26 expressed the emotions of the night,, “I’m very sad to see them go. All of them have been great role models for me and my teammates.”
The night started off with speeches, family, friends, and flowers honoring the seniors of the night: Sam Noah ‘23, Owen Houston ‘23, Gavin Graves ‘23, Seamus Murphy ‘23, and Jacob Lombardo ‘23. Love from the crowd and teams were given to each senior individually before the start of an intense league game.
Houston commented on his last year playing, “This team is one of the best teams that I’ve played on and I enjoy playing with everyone on this team, but they made it a great year so it’s a really cool way to end my career.”
The Owls won the tip and converted a three pointer as the first shot of the game. Noah countered with a reverse layup but was fouled, putting the Dragons first two points on the board with free throws. Layups from Murphy and Graves had Foothill Tech within one at 7-6, before all five seniors were subbed out, a sub pattern which would continue throughout the game.
Drucker was fouled to make two free throws, tying the score up at eight points to start off the underclassmen lineup. Ashton Brown ‘26 made a quick two point jumper to take the lead.
The Owls tied the score up on their next offensive possession, but Aidan Gomez ‘25 got a steal with a fast break and layup, causing the Owls to call a timeout. Brown moved swiftly on the court to make a three, ending the quarter with a score of 15-10, Dragons ahead.
In the second quarter, threes from Lombardo and Drucker, along with layups for Noah, Gomez and Ian Clayton ‘25, extended the lead out to 28-19 to end the first half.
The alternating lineups continued throughout the second half and maintained the lead. A layup from Murphy and an and-one from Noah, along with more contributions from Drucker, Gomez and Clayton ended the third quarter at 44-30, Dragons.
The Owls closed the gap in the final quarter, but the inside attack in layups for Noah, Graves and Murphy proved to be too much and secured the emotional victory with a final score of 52-43.
The win kicked off an important undefeated week for the Dragon boys, who share the hope of their female counterparts to improve upon their first round exit last year. Their improved seeding and earned home game give them a better chance to do just that.