Stands filled and anticipation rose as the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys basketball team geared up to face Coastal Christian School (Coastal Christian) in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation postseason (CIF) on Feb. 12, 2025. With the heightened stakes, both teams played with determination, but Foothill Tech established dominance early and powered through to a decisive 65-40 victory.
Foothill Tech wasted no time setting the tone, with Nick Turner ’25 scoring the team’s first points on a layup, followed by Coastal Christian responding with one of their own. Turner then drilled a three-pointer, keeping the momentum in Foothill Tech’s favor.
Ashton Brown ‘26, Philip Blessum ‘25, and Brody Baker ‘26 contributed key baskets as the quarter progressed, while Coastal Christian kept up the fight, tying the game at 9-9. A well-timed three-pointer from Brown gave Foothill Tech a slight edge, closing the first quarter at 14-11.
Turner kicked off the next stretch of play with a layup, and Coastal Christian quickly answered back. A crucial moment came when Turner drew a foul, allowing Foothill Tech to extend their lead to 18-13. Brown’s sharpshooting from beyond the arc widened the gap for the Dragons, and Aiden Gomez ‘25 made a defensive steal that resulted in a play that led to Baker scoring off an assist from Luigrey Guce ‘25.
“I think, as a team, we have very good chemistry right now,” Baker stated.
A timeout offered Coastal Christian a chance to regroup, but Foothill Tech came out even stronger, with Baker, Turner, and Enzo Rivera ’27 padding the lead. By halftime, Foothill Tech had secured a commanding 30-18 lead.
Blessum stepped up early in the second half, scoring with a layup and executing a smooth skyhook to add to the advantage. Turner continued to attack the basket, drawing another foul and converting at the free-throw line. Defensively the Dragons stayed diligent, highlighted by a block from Rivera. Erik Hernandez ’26 capitalized on an and-one play, while Baker sank a smooth jumper. Turner’s deep three-pointer widened the lead, and by the end of the stretch, Foothill Tech maintained a solid 50-29 lead.
As Coastal Christian looked for a late-game push, Blessum and Turner countered with key layups. Rivera delivered an and-one play, further cementing Foothill Tech’s dominance and continuing their aggressive lead in score. Though Coastal Christian fought back with consecutive three-pointers in an attempt to close the gap in score, Foothill Tech’s defense kept any attempts to close the gap at bay.
After the game, Blessum commented on how Foothill Tech was able to keep their opponents offense to fewer points, “We’ve had the same goals for a very long time: Get back in transition so you don’t allow layups and defensive boards so you don’t allow second chance points.”
As the clock dwindled and the Dragon’s momentum continued, Sebastian Huovinen ‘27 and Baker rounded out the final points for Foothill Tech.
When the buzzer sounded the board read 65-40, a resounding victory and an indicator that the team would be progressing to the second round of CIF play.
When asked about the team’s performance, Head Coach Jamaal Brown stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of these guys, they were focused, they shared the ball extremely well, and they did what Dragons do and played a fantastic game.”
With a well-balanced offensive effort and aggressive defense, Foothill Tech delivered a commanding performance. The Dragons continued their winning momentum as they advanced further into CIF playoffs by winning 58-46 against The Thacher School (Thacher), although they eventually fell short to La Puente High School (La Puente) in a 53-70 loss.
