On Thursday, January 26, the boys JV basketball team faced off against the Pioneers of East Grand Rapids. There was tension going into the game, as both were highly competitive and very skilled. The storied EGR-FHC rivalry only added to this tension.

The goal for the Rangers that night was simple: play solid defense and play together, as a team. Right from the jump, this was obvious. The boys were sharing the ball, playing good defense, and seemed to overwhelm East Grand Rapids with their size and athleticism. The boys jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back. They finished the game with a 72-52 win.

Sophomore guard Max Holser was very happy after the game. “Overwhelming them on defense and not letting them run their plays comfortably was the key to winning.” The Rangers did just that, as shown in the final score.

After this win, the JV Rangerball squad waited another week until the next game. This time, on February 2, the team traveled to inner-district rivals, Forest Hills Northern. This was the second meeting between the two teams, and FHC, having won the first one, was looking for the sweep.

The Rangers started off quite slow but began to pick it up heading into the half. Then, in the second half, the boys poured on the score and began to showcase incredible skill. The boys never looked back and rolled the Huskies 56-41, completing the season sweep.

“It felt great to beat Northern both times because they are a cross-town rival, we don’t really like them, and they don’t really like us. They were talking a lot of trash, so it felt good to make them quiet by beating them” Seder Middaugh stated after the win.

The boys had a quick turnaround as they practiced twice before traveling to Byron Center to match up against the Bulldogs. This was also the second matchup between the two teams. The first time, the Rangers dropped the game in overtime and were seeking revenge. In the first half, it did not look like the Rangers were going to get their revenge, as they got down by almost 20 points early. However, coming out of the half the boys were a completely new team. They clawed all the way back into the game, getting within three points with under a minute to go. The boys had a chance to tie the game but executed poorly and fell short 54-51. A tough loss and a dagger to the heart, but there is still optimism for the rest of the season.

“Looking at only seven games left so we are focusing on finishing the season out strong.” Coach Ike Tilden said as he prepares his guys for the games ahead.

The JV Rangerball team will be back in action on Thursday, February 9 at home versus Northview.