Coming off a big rivalry win over the Forest Hills Northern Huskies this past Tuesday, the boys JV basketball team hoped to carry the momentum of a rivalry win into a showdown with the East Grand Rapids Pioneers. They, unfortunately, could not steal a win on the Pioneer’s home floor, losing 64-56. Offensively, sophomores Dallas Hopson and Chris Battiste continued to do what they normally do, putting up points for the Rangers and making plays for their teammates. Sophomore George Hatchett also continues to make a huge impact on the team, leading the team in scoring with 14 points despite the loss.

FHC found itself down 10-1 early in the ballgame, and the team was forced to play catch up for almost the entire game. Missed defensive assignments and shots not going in were ultimately what contributed to a nightmare 1st quarter. The Pioneers were able to get in their offensive with ease and dissect the Ranger defense. Thanks to George, Chris, and Dallas, FHC was able to stay in the game going on multiple runs. But the Rangers couldn’t get consecutive stops to capitalize on their sudden offensive success. FHC went into the locker room knowing a lot needed to be improved.

The Rangers came out much better defensively in the second half. George’s defense on one of EGR’s better players helped limit the Pioneer’s offense. FHC was able to hang with the Pioneers for a while because of more made shots, and consistent defense. The Rangers made a big run late in the fourth quarter, thanks to big shots by Dallas and George. Sophomore Jonah Spates also helped during the run by getting to the free throw line and knocking down huge free throws. But FHC was not able to take advantage of the opportunity, and EGR pulled away from the Rangers, ending with a final score of 64-56.

The loss from Thursday night puts the Rangers at 6-6 overall, and still 3-2 in the OK White Conference. FHC will have a makeup game against the Lowell Red Arrows on Monday, and will quickly turn around to take on another non-conference opponent against the Wyoming Wolves on Tuesday. These two teams gave the Rangers a test last year, so FHC will need to be locked in from the start in order to beat these two teams.