Boys’ varsity basketball: Week of December 9 recap

BY ALYSSA KHAN

The boys’ varsity basketball team had three tough games this week against Cypress Bay High School, Everglades High School and Coral Glades High School. On Monday, December 9, the Cowboys got bested by Cypress Bay at home with a score of 49-72. On Wednesday, the boys played at Everglades but were beat with a score of 54-14. To finish off the week, the Cowboys played at home but lost 59-64 to Coral Glades. 

On Monday, the Cowboys had a game they knew would be a challenge. The game started off with Cypress winning the tip-off. Cypress got eight points up on the board before CCHS got any. Senior Itay Sadres put up the first four points for CCHS. The Cowboys stepped it up throughout the end of the quarter, tying it up with a score of 17-17.

In the second quarter, the high intensity and speed of the game kept the Cowboys moving. Cypress got the upper hand on the Cowboys for the rest of the game as they scored 55 more points, while the Cowboys only scored 32 points. This resulted in a final score of 49-72.

“We had too many turnovers and our shots weren’t falling,” sophomore Taj Thomas said. “We have to be more careful with the ball.”

On Wednesday, the Cowboys drove over to Everglades High School for game five of the season. 

The game was pretty close throughout the first half, as the Everglades Gators were able to respond back to all the Cowboys’ shots. It was close at the end of the half, with a score of 21-19, Cooper down.

The Gators stepped it up in the second half, though. In the third quarter, the Gators had shot after shot. The Cowboys’ shots just weren’t falling. The leading scorer of the game was CCHS junior Matthew Archey with 11, followed by CCHS senior Itay Sadres with 8. However, the game ended with a score of 54-40, another loss for the Cowboys.

“I think we need more energy and effort in the game. We work hard every day,” Sadres said. “Hopefully soon it will pay off.”

To finish this week’s games, the Cowboys had a game at home against Coral Glades High School. The Cowboys held the lead throughout the first quarter with junior Jaaden Newell, junior Matthew Archey and senior Billy Brennan getting points on the board. It was neck-and-neck the whole game; at the end of the third quarter, it was 42-44, Cooper down. By the end, the boys lost by five in a close game with a score of 59-64.

“The games this week were good for us, we learned a lot from our losses,” freshman Lucas Livachof said. “For next week, we’re gonna use those games and use them to improve the team as a whole.”

Both of the teams used strategic plays to try to secure the win. The Cowboys fell just a little short in the last minutes of the game, giving Coral Glades the upper hand. CCHS’s overall record for the season so far is two to four.

Photo by Anabella Garcia