Basketball season begins

By Maria Magana-Navarro, Journal intern

Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 4:30 p.m., the Friday Harbor Highschool Varsity Boys Basketball took on the Borderites from Blaine Highschool for their first game of the season.

In the game’s first quarter, the Wolverines were down with a score of 6-30 with Blaine in the lead. Students and parents alike could feel the tension of the scoreboard, as the Borderites made shot after shot. However, the tides quickly turned as notable players such as Chris Gustafson, Alden Carli, and Drake Goodrich gained momentum, raising the score as the crowd shouted in anticipation. The score went up 20-30 in the first quarter with Gustafson sealing the score with a three-pointer in the second quarter. By halftime, the score was 23-35.

The second half would be agreed upon by many onlookers as the most tension-filled part of the game. The Wolverines fought neck and neck with the Borderites, gaining their rhythm as the practice and unization of the team gained traction. The score rose 43-50, with Pierce Kleine making a shot in the last five minutes of the third quarter.

By the fourth quarter, the Wolverines evened out the score 50-50, then 52-52. Carli then made a three-pointer putting the Wolverines in the lead 56-53. With notable feats from the Borderites, they caught up, making the score 60-59. But, the Wolverines did not let up as Mateo Zappelli brought the score up 62-59. Just as the crowd was sitting at the edge of their seat, in a spar of a couple of minutes, the Borderites tied the score 62-62, bringing the Wolverines into overtime.

With four minutes left, there was no time to spare. Fans shouted and screamed, cheering on the Wolverines, and tension swept the bleachers as people held their breath. Despite all the cheering, the game ended with Blaines win, 72-76.

“I feel like they’ve bought in playing together. They don’t care whose scoring and the effort was there,” said Coach Brandyn Pedersen. The boys were down by 17 points in the first half of the game. Additionally, coach Pedersen mentioned the Wolverines struggled to put the basket in the first quarter and wished the team bought in on the defense earlier in the game. However, Blaine is an 1A school that finished third in state the past year. For the boys to end the game 72-76 is a great feat and Pedersen is proud of that. As said by him, “One stop, one bucket.”

After the boys, the girls played their first game of the season Nov. 27. After fighting hard against the Borderites, however, Blaine won with a final score of 28-10.

Following strong opening games, the Wolverines’ take on Toledo High School this Friday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Turnbull Gym. Come support both teams as they challenge the Riverhawks.