On Friday, the boys freshman basketball team celebrated a tremendous win versus Grand Rapids Christian. However, its next opponent, the Greenville Yellow Jackets, could not be overlooked. 

“Even though we had a huge win on Friday, we need to stay focused on our main goal, which is winning the conference,” Brendan Cargill stated. “Greenville is the next team that stands in our way, so we have to come out fired up like any other game.”

On Tuesday, the Rangers faced off against the overlooked Yellow Jackets. The start of the game did not go as planned for the Rangers. Greenville started in a 2-3 defense flabbergasted FHC’s offense. No team had scored through the first two minutes until Tyler Dickinson knocked down a jumper. The first four minutes of the first quarter seemed to be an observation period for each team, figuring out how to beat each other’s defense. While the Rangers forced many turnovers, they struggled to handle the ball themselves and missed a few shots. Denis Medic sparked the team after two layups, and a Brendan Cargill fast-break layup gave the Rangers an 8-3 lead after the first quarter. 

Seder Middaugh had a contested finish and a chase-down block to start the second quarter. This was the quarter that FHC changed its defense from pure man-to-man to a man-trap defense. This led to a few easy buckets, including four straight points from Malik Thomas. The Yellow Jackets tried to slow the game down by changing their defense three different times, but the Rangers figured out each defense. At halftime, the boys led Greenville 17-5. Heading into the third quarter, FHC needed to make a few adjustments offensively. Head coach Gordon Shields acknowledged this and saw quick results from his team. 

“We struggled with their zone in the first half, but I told the guys to space the floor more and finished the shots we weren’t,” coach Shields said. “We did just that and got some easy transition looks as well.”

Forest Hills Central got out to a fast start, and Greenville could not catch up. The third quarter started with a Max Holser three and an alley-oop finish from Billy Musgraves. Next, Denis Medic and Tyler Dickinson knocked down a three-pointer which elevated the lead to 19 points. Defensively, the Rangers did not let off the gas pedal and continued to pressure the Yellow Jackets. Max Holser had a pair of steals and a three to make it 37-15 at the end of the third quarter. 

The fourth quarter was similar to the third, with frequent defensive pressure and easy buckets. Seder Middaugh knocked down a deep three and blocked a Greenville shot on the next defensive possession. Central led 45-22 with five minutes left, and the team planned on holding Greenville under 25 points. The Rangers did just that, winning 51-24. 

Malik Thomas and Denis Medic dominated the low post, with Thomas scoring 11 points and Medic adding 12 of his own. Seder Middaugh had seven points and multiple blocks, proving to be a force down low. The team showed great perseverance throughout the game, which made coach Shields content with the performance.

“We came into the game not facing many zones all year, so I’m happy with how the players fought through some adversity,” coach Shields said. “It will only make us better and help us achieve our end goal.”