Boys’ Basketball Defeats River Hill

Words: Michael Moore

Photos: Hunter Hall

On Friday, December 4, the Centennial Boys’ Basketball team headed to River Hill High School to take on the Hawks in a much-anticipated rematch of last season’s thrilling regional final. The Eagles pulled out a 37-35 win.

The first quarter had very few points, with both teams trying to find a rhythm. Senior Tom Brown found his groove quickly, and seemed taking the scoring responsibilities on himself. Fellow senior Michael Merkey also added a three pointer in the first quarter to keep it close, but the Eagles would be down by four entering the second quarter.

During the second quarter, the Eagles offense picked up the pace. On defense, senior EJ Fowler, along with Merkey, Brown, and junior Elijah White held down the river Hill offense. This energy allowed the Eagles to take the lead 17-14 at the end of the half.

In the second half, senior Javon Smith came up big, making solid plays on both sides of the court. Sophomore Andrew Hohmaan made his varsity debut and impressed the crowd. Hohmann crashed the boards and made tough shots while getting fouled that gave the team life in the third quarter.

While Brown was the star on offense after finishing with 16 points, it was Smith who closed the game for the Eagles. With the game tied at 35 with under two seconds left, the senior stepped up to the free throw line, With the opposing student section making as much noise as they could, Smith was calm, cool, and collected as he sank both free throws.

Along with Brown’s 16 points, Smith finished with eight, Merkey and Fowler had three, Hohmann finished with six, and White had one point.