The boys freshman basketball team faced off against Ottawa Hills at home for an 81-56 win and a seat on top of the OK White.

“Winning the conference was our number one goal all year, and I’m glad we were able to do that tonight, especially in our own gym,” head coach Adam Monroe said.

The Rangers started out hot—as usual. The first time they played Ottawa Hills they managed to put up 16 points in the first quarter, but this time they ended the half with 24. The Rangers’ first few defensive stops allowed some easy buckets on the other end. The Bengals couldn’t handle how prepared their opponent was and went down 12-0 at the start, forcing them to call a timeout.

In the second quarter, both teams just about doubled their points. The Rangers still held the upper hand to start, however, leading 24-9. Ottawa Hills managed to run a few of its sets and even scored a few nice jumpers. The Bengals would go on a 5-0 run, then the Rangers would fire back with 8 points to pull the lead back. Eventually, FHC’s defensive and offensive intensity was too much, and Ottawa Hills was forced into the locker room trailing by 21 at halftime.

“We managed to stop them on the defensive end and push the ball up the floor all half,” freshman captain Jack McNamara said. “I am very proud of how we came out with intensity as a team.”

Freshman Jacob Bonnet was a key factor in the last matchup between the Bengals and Rangers, knocking down shots for a total of 34 points. Ottawa Hills tried to halt Jacob in his tracks, but he still somehow provided 32 total points for the indefinite win.

Although down 21, the Bengals came out firing on all cylinders, coming out with intensity and catching their opponent off guard. They switched up defenses, which halted the Rangers’ plan, bringing their lead to 57-44 at the end of the third. This was a quick scare for FHC, but it managed to get right back on track in the fourth quarter to finalize the win. The Rangers ran their sets and slowed the Bengals’ pace down, allowing for an easy quarter.

Freshmen Pierson Van Gorp and Benny Scholler also had amazing games. Along with his strong presence on the defensive end, Benny had 10 total points to go along with Pierson’s 9, which consisted of three three-pointers.

“Winning today showed a lot,” leading-scorer Jacob Bonnet said. “It showed that all 14 of us can work together to achieve one goal, and that was to win conference. We battled hard all season long to get to where we are, and it shows that all of us can play together as a team when it matters.”

This win brought the Rangers to 8-0 in conference and 13-2 on the season. Now that Ottawa Hills was knocked off, FHC took the spot at the top of the conference. The Rangers’ next game is at home against Forest Hills Northern on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 4:00 pm.