Shortly after picking up a huge win in the final seconds against rival East Grand Rapids, the boys varsity basketball team squared off against the Lowell Red Arrows for the first time this season. The Rangers rarely missed a beat all game long, as all but one player scored during the outing. Highlighted by his second straight double-double, 22 points for junior Conner Milton along with 12 rebounds was put on display in the eventual 78-43 blowout. FHC dominated the entire game, with no mercy for the Red Arrows.

As the game began, the 4-3 Rangers took the early lead when senior Dallas Hopson hit a three-pointer off of the bench. Dallas had it going in the beginning stages, as the guard knocked down another triple to improve his point total to eight in just the opening minutes. Following this, Milton began to take over. The junior forward scored a basket on an offensive rebound, which he complemented with an acrobatic and-one conversion on a tough finish. Finishing with 22, there is no doubt that the scoring from Milton was a huge boost.

“The key has been my coaches putting me in the right spots to make things happen and they challenge me every day by pushing me to do more,” claimed Conner as he set a new career-high. “To build on it, I have to grab more rebounds.”

Despite his double-digit rebounding performance, Milton is not satisfied with his output. This type of drive and mentality is vital to maintain for Rangerball moving forward. 

The scoring surge by Conner pushed FHC to a 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. From here, the heavily-favored Rangers never looked back. Junior Jacob Bonnett scored his first two buckets of the night, a run that was capped off by a brilliant steal and feed by Peyton Bush to fellow senior Jeremy James. To end the first half, Milton went to work yet again. Three straight baskets by Conner and a three-pointer from senior Chris Battiste gave Rangerball a commanding 45-21 lead at the half.  

Right out of the halftime break, FHC showed no signs of stopping. Jacob Bonnett scored the first six points for the Rangers, where he would hand it off to the seniors. Chris Battiste as well as Dallas Hopson, Jonah Spates, and Jacob Ervin all pitched in their respective points in this stretch, as the scoreboard now showed a 30-point advantage for FHC. As a result, head coach Kyle Carhart was able to enjoy the luxury of playing everybody off of the bench. Unlike a normally competitive game, players such as juniors Joe Seurynck and Pierson VanGorp saw considerable minutes. The ability to give these players minutes creates an opportunity for both the coaches to evaluate and the players to compete in a real-game experience. 

“I thought that Pierson and Joe continued what they have shown in practice recently,” head coach Carhart praised. “Just like all of our guys, they are getting better defensively and really came in and played hard.” In the event of a blowout, it is an excellent occasion for players such as these to contribute. 

In the end, the Rangers wrapped up the game with a final score of 78-43. Conner Milton’s double-double led all scorers with 22 and rebounders with 12, along with 15 strong points from senior Dallas Hopson that included two triples. Junior guard-pair Jacob Bonnett and Benny Scholler combined for twenty points and seven rebounds, showing what this duo can accomplish. Looking at the big picture, it was truly an all-around effort on both sides of the ball.

“I noticed we had great senior leadership to be prepared for a unique start time for an important game,” Carhart said, referring to the unusual 10:00 AM tip-off. “Additionally, we got significant contributions from everyone. All of our players work extremely hard on a daily basis; it’s great when all of them get a chance to be celebrated with in-game moments.”

Looking ahead, the upcoming schedule for Rangerball is quite daunting. As the conference standings begin to tighten up, each game for the Rangers is increasingly important. On Tuesday, March 2nd, FHC plays its third straight home game, hosting Northview at 7. Three days later, the team travels to Forest Hills Northern to take on the highly-acclaimed Huskies in efforts to avenge the early-season loss to FHN.