As the first league game of the season, varsity basketball took a loss against Warren High School, 49-45, on Jan. 9, at 7:00 p.m. Their next game versus Schurr will take place at home on Jan. 11, at 7:00 p.m.
“I knew it’d be a tough game,” senior Dakari Archer said. “The Press Telegram and other newspapers kind of predicted Warren would win; we we went in as the underdogs of the game.”
The Vikings held the lead in the first quarter, 14-9, with some resistance from their opponent. The jump ball ended in Downey’s court by senior Carlos Quinonez who made a pass to senior Aaron Wallace. Although neither of the two given foul shots were made, Wallace, with an assist by sophomore Jeraun Richards, made the first shot for Downey six minutes into the quarter.
“It gave me a lot of confidence to score more,” Wallace said. “This is my first year on varsity and that feels pretty good.”
Warren took a steal in the second quarter and was able to make a shot of their own. The three-pointer didn’t count, however, due to a push by a Bear.
“I thought that call was pretty fair even though a lot of people didn’t agree with it,” junior Sergio Castillo said. “Of course, maybe it’s just because I’m from Downey.”
Warren, determined to overcome the fouls called against them, kept their plays tight behind the three-point line. Downey’s foul shots were completed, and they ended up tying with the Bears at 6:17, both at 14 points. Wallace, although a forward, proved to maintain a strong aid as a center. Standing at 6’4”, his height and skill allowed to reach for many of the rebounds from both his team and Warren. A Bear blocked a pass by Archer that was quickly saved by Wallace who scored and broke the tie.
“I was in foul trouble, so with three fouls already on me I couldn’t play after the first half,” Wallace said. “It was intense; I thought it’s be a low scoring game.
At the 4:00 mark, both teams returned from a time-out and a heightened defense. By the end, the constant ups and downs of their scores ended at a tie, 24-24.
“As their first game of the season, it’s crazy to see them tie so soon,” alumni Eric Castillo said. “The team that played my year had the same issue.”
Throughout the second half, the Vikings and Bears continued to inch their way to what could have been anyone’s victory. Some of the team members could not make it quickly enough to score simple shots; Archer felt it was fatigue that stopped them from winning.
“We got a little tired,” Archer said. “It was our defense. If we played a little harder, we could have pulled it off.
Ending the close game 49-45, the Viking team now has an idea of what to expect of their cross-town rival for their game later in the year. The team has played with each other at various locations and grows more and more comfortable as they make their way toward their goal of San Gabriel Valley League champions.
