The boys freshman basketball team’s last loss came on December 17, 2021. In that game, it faced a detrimental amount of pressure from East Kentwood. The boys would face similar pressure in Thursday’s game against Byron Center over a month later.

Heading into the Byron Center game, the boys were on an eight-game winning streak and seemed like the team to beat in the OK White Conference. With wins over Forest Hills Northern and Grand Rapids Christian, the Rangers needed another big win to add to their resume. That team was the Byron Center Bulldogs. But, it would not be as easy as the team thought. 

The first few minutes of the game was how almost every game of the season has gone so far: Byron Center and FHC trading buckets. Near the end of the first quarter, the score was 8-8. Byron Center started to gain a minimal lead towards halftime and found itself up 23-21 at halftime. 

In the second half, the Bulldogs upped their pressure and the Rangers went on a scoring drought. Byron Center took a 33-24 lead midway through the third quarter and head coach Gordon Shields was forced to take a timeout. This timeout seemed necessary, as FHC went on a run of its own. The Rangers only gave up six points in the next 8 minutes and wiggled their way back in the game.

Taking care of the ball was crucial for the Rangers in the last few minutes of the game. They turned it over multiple times which led to a few Bulldog buckets. The Rangers could not come back and were defeated by a score of 53-44. 

Although FHC lost, Seder Middaugh dominated in the paint, scoring a team-high 15 points. Brendan Cargill added six points and  Denis Medic had four points. 

The boys freshman team drops to 9-2 on the season after the tough loss. The boys look to bounce back in their next game against the Lowell Red Arrows, who they beat by 50 in their last matchup.