After two 1-2 records in the past 2 tournaments, the Falcons looked to fare better as they traveled to Napa to play in the Justin Siena Christmas Classic.
The Falcons played the Freedom Falcons from Oakley in their first game of the tournament. The 1st quarter was marked with turnovers as our Falcons had a few that turned into points for Freedom. With those points off of turnovers, Freedom led by 2 with the score being 13-11 at the end of the 1st. Both teams were trading shots in the 2nd quarter, but Freedom was still up 28-27 going into halftime. In the 3rd quarter the Falcons started to hit their stride and find holes in Freedom’s defense. The Falcons also played great defensively only allowing 5 points which gave them the lead at 49-33. In the first few minutes of the last quarter, Freedom started to pick up their offense again, but it was too late as the Falcons were able to close them out and finish the game with a win at 55-41.
On the second day of the tourney, the Falcons played the KIPP King Lions, a collegiate high school in San Lorenzo. The Falcons played amazing in the first quarter putting on a press which forced multiple turnovers that they capitalized on in points. The Falcons also shot well which made the score a whopping 26-8 in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter the Falcons kept their offense rolling, while the only source of offense the Lions could find was from the free throw line. The game was still out of reach for the Lions as the Falcons put up 36 points and led the game 62-20. The Falcons were putting it on the Lions as the score was 99-31 at the end of the 3rd quarter. From the very start the Falcons were the dominant team in this one as the game ended in a 79 point blowout with a score of 114-35.
On the final day of the tournament the Falcons played the Elsie Allen Lobos from Santa Rosa. In the 1st quarter the Falcons were dominating like they have been this whole tournament, playing a fast paced offense which gave them an early lead of 25-7. The Falcons kept on rolling through the lobos as there were signs of another blowout as the score was 46-18 with the Falcons on top. At the end of the 3rd quarter the Falcons led 65-35, and to finish the game the Falcons won with a score of 83-44 as they were able to tame the lobos.
The Falcons were able to get their first sweep in a tournament this season, winning against all 3 teams they played. While the Falcons might not have played a team that gave them a challenge, they definitely grew together as brothers as the whole team took a van down and back from Napa and stayed in a hotel the entire tournament. Everybody was bunked with another teammate and got to form a bond with that teammate. The team also went through fun experiences such as singing Christmas songs in front of their teammates and parents, getting food and eating as a team, and also getting stuck in their hotel elevator. Overall, this business trip was very successful as everybody on the team had fun, got to grow together as brothers, and experience the feeling of success.
The Falcons have already beat last year’s record of 6 wins and one can really tell that the culture of Christian Brothers Basketball has really changed. The Falcons are 10-4 going into their next game against the Laguna Creek Cardinals. This is the Falcons first home game in nearly a month and it is next Tuesday at 7:00pm. Good Luck Falcons!