Top 5 Toughest Losses
Girls ski @ State Championships
After raising a State Championship banner in 2017 and with key skiers returning from that team, as well as valuable additions, a State Championship run looked more than possible for the girls ski team. The Rangers dominated the competition at Regionals and during the regular season. So, when the team finished in third in the Giant Slalom and seventh in the Slalom races, the star seniors who are leaving the team were a bit surprised. Individually, the highest-placed skier in the Slalom races was senior Kayley Reynolds, who finished in seventh. The biggest disappointment on the day was for senior Courtney McAlindon, who skied exceptionally well in the Giant Slalom, falling just short of first place to take second.
Boys varsity basketball vs. Grandville
After an impressive 13-point win against Traverse City Central on the road, the boys varsity basketball team shifted its attention to its first home game in the Kyle Carhart era against the Grandville Bulldogs. The Rangers got off to a very slow start, as the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run to start the game. FHC’s first bucket wouldn’t come until there were three minutes left in the first quarter with an offensive rebound and putback by senior Jake Ball. Another thing that hurt the Rangers was slowing down OK Red All-Conference Bulldog point guard TJ Barnes, as he led all scoring with 21 points. The Rangers got more and more comfortable as the game went on thanks to some big shots by juniors Jimmy Scholler and Mitchell Wilkinson. FHC managed to come back and tie the game up with a layup by Jake with 30 seconds left, but Grandville guard Freddy Baker snuck around the Ranger defense and secured a layup with 1.5 seconds left in the game; FHC fell 66-64.
“[Grandville] was the first home game of the year; we had a big crowd, and we had momentum towards the end [of the game],” Jimmy said. “Then they made a big layup at the buzzer, which kind of took our spirits away for a little bit.”
Boys swim and dive vs. EGR
Coming off a huge win against Jenison 110-71, the swim and dive team looked to carry its momentum into a huge rivalry game against EGR on Senior Night. Senior Henry Schutte captured two event titles, competing in the 200- and 100-yard Freestyle. Sophomore Avery LeTourneau also captured first place in two events, competing in the 50-yard Freestyle and the 100-yard Butterfly. Another senior that swam well was senior Charlie Krug, placing third in the 50- and 100-yard Freestyle. Despite the success from most of the FH swimmers, they fell short of the rival Pioneers on Senior Night 108-78.
Girls varsity basketball vs. Cedar Springs in District Semifinal
Coming off of a dominating win over Greenville in the previous round, the girls varsity basketball team came into the District Semifinal matchup against Cedar Springs expecting an easy win. Right out the gate, the Red Hawks came to play; they started the game off on a 7-0 run, creating instant momentum for the Red Hawks. The Rangers struggled defensively in the first half, trailing 21-15 at halftime. On the offensive end, the Rangers shot 28% from the field; senior Claire Baguley scored only 1 point in the second half, and the Rangers trailed by a whopping 12 points halfway into the third quarter. Sophomore Katy Majick sparked a bit of a comeback, knocking down two three-pointers in the fourth quarter to diminish the Red Hawk lead. Cedar Springs made all the free throws they needed in the end, giving them the 42-38 victory.
“[The loss] was super tough for us,” freshman Theryn Hallock said. “After beating them twice earlier in the season, we thought we’d be able to get the third, but we just needed to come out stronger.”
Varsity hockey vs. Jackson Lumen Christi in Regional Semifinal
In the first round of playoffs, the hockey team took on the Jackson Lumen Christi Titans. The game was back and forth, with each team exchanging dominance in the offensive half of the ice. FHC scored in the first period off of a goal from junior Cole Munger to lead 1-0, which was quickly erased in the second period thanks to a Titan goal. In the third period, the game was very even. Sophomore Xavier Ott regained the lead for a majority of the period, but the Titans knotted things up with only two minutes to go in an absolute scramble of a goal. In overtime, the Rangers could taste victory, as junior Ryan Jeffreys barely missed a shot to win it, knocking one off of the post. With only 1:48 to go in the first overtime, a defensive giveaway resulted in a breakaway for the Titans, and Titan forward Owen Campbell took his chance. Campbell skated past the only defender in his way, giving him a one-on-one with senior goalie Carl Mielock. Campbell scored on that chance, giving the Titans a 3-2 victory and ending the Rangers’ playoff hopes.
“We went into that game thinking we had a pretty good chance,“ Cole said. “All of us were playing for the seniors so they could play another game. I believe we were the better team than them overall and we outplayed them, but it didn’t show up on the scoreboard and that was frustrating.“