On Friday, Dec. 16, the Redwood boys’ varsity basketball team defeated Tamalpais High School (Tam) with a final score of 66-57. This fierce inter-district rivalry fueled a physical game. The Giants were in control for most of the game due to strong performances from the starting lineup. Captain Ainsworth Fish led the team with 19 points, followed by junior Jake Vasquez with 17 points and senior Brady Weingart with 15 points. Vasquez ran the offense throughout the night and also tagged along six rebounds and five assists to his statline. The Giants struggled to keep up their level of play consistent throughout the game which made the game much more competitive than anticipated.

“We played a solid game, but as you can see it is the beginning of the year and we still have a lot to work on,” Vasquez said.

The game started out neck and neck with each team unable to pull ahead. Yet thanks to a three-pointer by senior Gavin Edelen late in the first quarter, the Giants were able to gain a four point lead.

During the second quarter, both teams played intense defense making it difficult for either offense to score. Redwood’s loud student section did not make it easy for the Red-Tailed Hawks with constant energy coming from the bleachers. The Giants were able to rally behind their home-crowd and went into halftime up six points. 

“We came out slow to start the game, but we were able to pick it up in the second quarter,” Edelen said.

The Giants came out hot in the second half, quickly jumping to a 12 point lead. Weingart and senior Johan Swildens took over the third quarter. Swildens was especially pivotal on the offensive glass, finishing with four offensive rebounds that provided his team with crucial second chance opportunities. The third quarter ended with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Edelen.

“We were up eight at the time and they were going on a little bit of a run so I felt like I was able to stop their momentum [with the ending shot],” Edelen said.

The Giants pulled away in the fourth quarter, gaining an 18 point lead, following Vasquez’s sharp shooting and a dunk by Fish. The Red-Tailed Hawks went on a 8-0 run to end the game, but the Giants still came out on top. The boys’ next tip-off is at the Classic at Damien on Dec. 27 in La Verne, California.

“Our goal is to keep teams under 40 or 50 [points] every game. We know that we are going to score enough points so playing lockdown defense is crucial,” Vasquez said. “Playing fast and making our shots, that’s what we [have] to do.”