Freshman Jimmy Scholler began to heat up right before half, knocking down consecutive three’s going into the break. His career high twenty point game would help push the FHC boys JV basketball team over top of the Northview Wildcats 51-35 on Thursday night.

“I was getting good looks, and my teammates were getting me the ball,” Jimmy said. “I was feeling it tonight, and my shots just kept falling. It felt good.”

Only three seconds into the game, the Rangers already had claimed their first lead of the night. Off of a tip play, Jimmy was able to lay the ball in for his first of many baskets to follow. FHC came out with an effective half court trap that forced several Northview turnovers early on. The Rangers were able to score numerous buckets in transition and forced a Wildcat timeout after only three and a half minutes of play. FHC continued to play lockdown defense throughout the first, only allowing six points to be scored by the opposition. At the end of one, the Rangers led 16-6.

“We come into every game with the mentality of playing hard-nosed Rangerball defense,” Coach James Telman said. “It was effective, and we held them to minimal scoring. What we’ve been practicing is working.”

FHC continued to have a great defensive showing in the second. Due to the Rangers defensive pressure applied, Northview began the second quarter with five consecutive possessions resulting in turnovers. Nearing the end of the second, Jimmy decided to turn it on. In the final two minutes before half, Jimmy added eleven points to his already impressive six. Burying three consecutive three’s and converting a layup off of a Northview mishap, Jimmy helped increase the Rangers lead going into the break. At the half, FHC led 31-17. Jimmy accounted for seventeen of his teams thirty-one. He had accomplished an impressive feat. After sixteen minutes of play, Jimmy had the same number of points as the Wildcats did combined.

“As a team, we played some great basketball,” Jimmy said. “We were applying pressure defensively, and moving the ball efficiently on offense.”

The third quarter brought more of the same, as Jimmy picked up right where he left off. On FHC’s first possession of the second half, Jimmy drove to the basket and converted an and one. As a team, the Rangers stayed hot shooting from behind the arc. The Wildcats continued to play catch up, but never really closed the gap. FHC led at the end of the third 40-25.

“Our offense was clicking on all cylinders,” sophomore Mitchell Wilkinson said. “They weren’t a bad team, it’s just that we played some of our best basketball all year.”

In the fourth, FHC returned to their half court trap to give the Wildcats a new look. Sophomore, and birthday boy, Tate Hallock came up with several blocks late in the fourth and solidified a win for the Rangers. FHC had defeated Northview 51-35.

Continuing to win, the JV boys team remains undefeated midway through the season.

“We have a lot of special players on this team,” Telman said. “We’ve been putting in lots of work, and it seems to be paying off. Everyone’s buying in, and we’re having success because of it.”