Rochester Boys’ varsity game against Decatur Macarthur took place on Friday at the Rochester Athletic Center. Decatur Macarthur was predicted to win the game since they were seated first in their conference, with Rochester having a 14-4 win record.
The game starts and Macarthur receives the jump ball. They immediately make their way down the court, Macarthur’s #2 Carson lines up for a 3-pointer and swiftly makes it in. Carson scores another 3-pointer on the next offensive play, easily intimidating the Rockets. Rochester’s #5 Cox scores a 2-pointer on the next run down, but this would be about as far as the Rockets went. From this point on, Macarthur dominates the first quarter leading the Rockets 6-23. Macarthur’s defense was exceptional with players #1 Brown, #5 Lee, and #10 Dees shining. In the second half, Macarthur intercepts many of Rochester’s passes, taking the ball back to their own basket. Players #2, #1, and #10 consistently are drowning 3-pointers. Not only this, but they also continue to make layups and constantly are rebounding the ball after the few misses they have. The second quarter ends and the score at halftime is 36-9.
After halftime, the Rockets start to make a comeback. Players #5 Cox and #1 Khorbin Gregory consistently start making shots. These shots are rebounds and 2-pointer shots. The Rockets play more offensively and take more chances with their shots, leading to better scoring. However, Macarthur is unstoppable as they continue to make 3-pointers and constant lay-ups. Players #4 KT Thomas and #3 Cook continually make the shots look flawless and help Macarthur stay on top of the Rockets’ advance. The third quarter ends and the score is 45-16. The final quarter begins and Macarthur and Rochester both become highly competitive. Macarthur playing hard defense while the Rockets make a stand on their offense. Both teams are highly competitive but Macarthur’s players including #4, #3, #2, and #1 hang tough and complete their goal of staving off the rockets. In the last minute and a half of the quarter, both teams sub in mostly JV players to finish the game. Players from Rochester subbed in included: #32 Sean Plessa, #14 Parker Deathrage, and #40 Graham Wainman. Macarthur put in players #10 Trae Ridley, #14 Charles Rice, and #3 Jaltein Lawson. The final quarter ended with the score being 27-57 with Macarthur winning.
After the game, JV assistant coach Josh Heberling was interviewed. “Khorbin was the stand-out player from the game,” Heberling stated. He led the team in points for the game.” Heberling also discussed the upcoming end of the season: “There is a lot of potential to make a run at the end of the season.” The Rockets, with their 14-5 record, help support this and put them in a good position for the future.
During halftime, the Rocket Poms dance team showcased their annual Guys and Girls dance. This tradition has been around for years. The girls each choose a boy to dance with, and there are weeks worth of preparation leading up to the performance. This year, the dance was themed like undercover spies with everyone dressed in all-black. The crowd loved the performance and loudly cheered for the guys and girls and was called a major success.
