On the evening of Dec. 2, 2024, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys basketball team faced off against St. Bonaventure High School (Bonnie) on Bonnie’s home court. Despite moments of determined play from the Dragons, Bonnie defended their court, ultimately defeating Foothill Tech 55-83.
The game began with Bonnie winning the tip-off and setting an aggressive tone. They quickly drew a foul, scoring the first point of the game, followed by a jumper and a series of lay-ups to secure a 2-9 lead over the Dragons. Despite defensive efforts such as a block from Philip Blessum ’25, the Dragons struggled to counter Bonnie’s early momentum. Foothill Tech’s Zaiden Archuleta ’26 broke the ice with a jumper, which was followed by Aiden Gomez ’25 and Ashton Brown ’26 making consecutive three-pointers, narrowing the score to 11-13.
Bonnie began to build up a solid lead through drawing fouls and forcing multiple Foothill Tech turnovers. There was a brief pause in play after an athlete from Bonnie endured a hard fall after contact on a lay-up which led to him being taken to the hospital. After the break, Bonnie continued their onslaught, and despite a lay-up from Enzo Rivera ‘27, Bonnie had built a lead of eight points in the first quarter, 12-20.
The second quarter saw Bonnie extend their lead with a series of lay-ups and jumps, widening the gap to 15-37, with an interruption in their run from Brody Baker ‘26 who scored a mid-range two. Foothill Tech came back with a brief response as Nick Turner ’25 sank a three-pointer, and Brown added another three, but Bonnie’s relentless offense kept the Dragons at bay. Luigrey Guce ’25 provided a moment of excitement for Foothill Tech with a buzzer-beater three pointer to close the half down 26-41.
Ashton Brown, who led the team with 17 points, commented, “I think we fought well but … we let off too many transition points, way too many easy lay-ups.”
In the third quarter Bonnie continued their offensive dominance, quickly racking up points while Foothill Tech struggled to find a rhythm. Despite efforts from Guce, Turner, and Brown, Bonnie’s defense held strong. Rivera added a lay-up, and Brown sank a three-pointer, but the Dragons still faced a steep deficit, ending the quarter trailing 37-63.
The final quarter showcased the Dragons’ determination to fight until the end. Guce nailed a three-pointer, Blessum sank a lay-up, and Gomez hit a three-pointer, however their efforts were in vain as Bonnie continued to play strong both offensively and defensively, ending the game with a final score of 55-83.
After the game, head coach Jamaal Brown reflected on the game, “we ran into a really good team tonight … we gave up too many transition baskets … we got out-rebounded … Those are two big keys we’re going to have to get fixed before our next game.”
Foothill Tech looks to regroup as they prepare to face Santa Clara High School (Santa Clara) on Dec. 6, 2024, and build on the lessons learned in this game.
