Tracy High School’s boys basketball team tipped off their season with their matchup at Kimball High School on Friday, Nov. 22.
There was plenty of buzz surrounding this game for weeks leading up to game night and the Bulldogs had a disadvantage already some of their key players ruled out. With Kareem Asaf ineligible to play due to transfer rules, starting guard Lars Lindros was out due to a foot injury and Aiden Guzman out due to illness, it was not looking like a good start for Tracy.
The game started off as Maximillian Russell picked up two fouls in the first quarter and was pulled out for strategy later in the game. With their star player out, they needed someone to step up and Ahmad Hardman was the guy they went with.
Hardman seized this opportunity by dropping a Double-Double with 12 points and 11 rebounds by the end of the night.
“This win is going to conduct the momentum through the whole season,” Hardman explained. “We are going to win and lose as a team.”
Tracy was looking at some early foul trouble as their starting point guard Cam Breckinridge found himself with two fouls and Russell with three by halftime. This carried into the next half as Russell was forced to sit out for a lot of the third quarter so that he could be available in the most important moments of the game.
Jaden Martinez, a starting guard for Tracy High, stepped up in a crucial moment by hitting a big-time three-pointer give the Bulldogs a 37-35 lead going into the fourth quarter. Along with taking the lead, this shot was a key momentum shift to start off a very evenly played fourth quarter.
The entire fourth quarter was back and forth, with three pointers dropping from both teams which had the crowd on their feet and excited to see what would surely be a great finish to the game.
With the scoreboard reading 55-55 and 20 seconds left on the clock, the Bulldogs had the ball and the opportunity to end it themselves. The ball ended up in Juan Godoy’s hands as he sunk a buzzer beating layup that gave Tracy High their first win with a final score of 57-55.
Breckinridge ended up being a key player in this ballgame and put up seven points with five assists before the night’s thrilling finish.
“I feel like this big win gives us momentum and energy to win league this season,” Breckinridge said.
Tracy High is looking forward to continuing this momentum and confidence into the rest of their schedule after showing off plenty of fight in their first victory of the new season.
