The boys basketball program has been a model of consistency in the past 10 years. The Chaps dominated district play with a record-setting 81-game district win streak which ended last year.
The team isn’t accustomed to losing as early and often as they have this season. They’ve developed chemistry on the fly after losing two of their four leading scorers from a 2022 team that went 31-5. Supporting players stepped into major roles on the program. Guard senior Max Purushothaman and post senior Wonder Kahozi stepped up, being glue guys and helping to maintain a winning culture.
But Friday night at Al Bennett Court, the Chaps (20-7, 7-2 District 26-6A) proved once again that some things never change. They dominated Del Valle (6-16, 3-7 26-6A), 72-36, for their 18th-straight win over the Cardinals. Forward junior Jack Seiders led the way with 15 points, but it was a balanced attack for the Chaps. Three players scored in double digits as the boys basketball team never trailed and used a 12-2 run at the start of the game to spark the district win.
The Chaps attacked the paint early. Seiders scored the first six for them, all in the paint. They continued their hot start with two 3-pointers to get a double-digit lead early in the first quarter. Both offenses faltered towards the end of the frame, as they mustered only two points apiece in the last four-and-a-half minutes. The offenses picked it up in the second quarter, and the Cardinals kept pace with the Chaps, trading buckets throughout the quarter.
Guard senior Gavin Paull stepped into a 3-pointer on the left wing and absorbed contact to earn and convert a four point play. The shot started a 12-0 run for the Chaps to begin the third quarter. They stretched their lead to 21 points from where there was no looking back.
With the game in hand, the Chaps rotated through 14 players, 11 of whom scored. The bench was electric as starters got to see their teammates get in, and they added enthusiasm to the entire game.
“You saw tonight, everybody got in the game, and everybody that gets in there and plays hard, ” head coach Robert Lucero said. “I think when you have a game like this, and guys know that there might be some opportunity for them to get into games, I think that helps with their energy. [District games] can hopefully make us a more multi-dimensional team. We want to get better at walking it up the court later in the year, especially in the playoffs.”
The Chaps will face multiple quality opponents in their remaining regular season schedule. The Chaps will host the 19-8 Bowie Bulldogs, who are currently on a four-game win streak, outscoring their opponents 224-162 in that span. The Bulldogs are coming to Yvonne Adams Gym seeking the third-place spot in district. They currently trail the Chaps by two games for that spot.
The Bulldogs are looking for revenge after a two-point loss in early January. The team will then travel to Buda to take on the Johnson Jaguars, who sit on top of the district. The first time these two teams met, Johnson left the Chaps with a two point victory to extend their first-place lead. They march into Johnson hoping to make a case for a ninth-straight district title.
