With the season coming to a close, the conference championship has been competitive between three teams at the freshman basketball level. Byron Center was on top with FHC and Grand Rapids Christian right behind them. In Friday’s matchup against Grand Rapids Christian, the Rangers looked to boost their chances of winning the conference outright. 

“If we want to win the conference, this game is pivotal for our season,” head coach Gordon Shields said. “We get to travel to Christian and face a team that is very excited to play us, especially after we beat them earlier in the season.”

Normally, the freshman team pounces on its opponents to start games and looks for easy baskets. In this game, Christian was the aggressor out of the gate, which caught FHC by surprise.

The Eagles pestered FHC’s offense and held the Rangers to seven first-quarter points. When FHC tried to settle it down and run its motion offense, the Eagles took that as an opportunity to force even more turnovers. It seemed like GRC wanted it more, and at halftime, the deficit was the biggest that the Rangers had faced all year.

The Rangers continued to struggle during the second half, even with some adjustments. It seemed evident that the Rangers were gassed from the Eagles’ pressure, which explains why FHC tallied only five points in the fourth quarter. With a season-high 19 turnovers, the Rangers were defeated by Grand Rapids Christian 59-33. 

One bright spot for the Rangers was leading scorer Max Holser, who had 12 points. Malik Thomas added six points and Denis Medic had four points as well. 

After the loss, the boys freshman team’s hopes of winning the conference are still on the table. FHC needs to win out and for Grand Rapids Christian to beat Byron Center in their final matchup for a three-way tie for the conference.

First, the Rangers need to focus on bouncing back as they face Greenville this upcoming Tuesday, which is a perfect opportunity to get back in the win column.