Only five and a half minutes into the game, senior Chris Kress had already racked up 12 of the Giants’ first 14 points. The varsity veteran’s performance in the first quarter was foreshadowing for Redwood’s strong performance in their 57-50 victory over Northgate on Saturday.

Coming off of a 2015-16 season in which they had a record of 16-13, the Giants outlasted the Broncos in their home opener by getting off to a blazing start and relying on stout defense to defend their lead.

After a strong first half, the Giants struggled to hold their lead in the final two quarters, but managed to hang on thanks to aggressive defense from Redwood’s senior leaders.

Senior Brendan Shepard played impressively, making key baskets throughout the game and locking up the Broncos with shutdown defense.

Shepard declined to comment on his own performance, but was evaluative of the team.

“We need to work on our execution,” Shepard said. “However, our intensity was definitely there. It feels good to get the first win.”

Although the Giants lost key starters from last season, Shepard is optimistic for the rest of the season.

“It’s the first game, so it’s to be expected that not everything is perfectly worked out, but things will only get better as the season goes on,” Shepard said.

The Giants play next against the Pittsburg Pirates in Pittsburg today at 7 p.m.