by Steve Bradley
After traveling down Route 7 to Tamarac High School, the Panthers boys basketball team faced the Tamarac Bengals Tuesday evening. Austin Pitt scored 19 second half points, ending with 21. His points were hard earned, mostly inside points. The Panthers scored in bursts. They scored well early, then sat at 15 for a stretch, then pulled away during a second quarter burst, taking a 27 – 14 halftime lead.
After getting to 38 points, then sitting there for a while, the Panthers put everything together and burst away to a 48 – 28 end of third quarter lead. With liberal substitutions in the fourth quarter on both sides, the game was played out evenly, with the Panthers winning by a 22 point margin.
The Panthers’ record now stands at 3 – 0. Andrew Hoag had a nice outing, scoring 14. Noah Chani added 11.
With balanced scoring and unselfish play, this Panther team is difficult to defend. This team was undefeated in the JV ranks two years ago. There are nine players on the roster, including the addition of sophomore Kellan Skott who has been brought up to varsity because he earned the chance to fill a spot. At this point all the starters are juniors. Lacking a little bit of height until Levi Brewster’s return, they make up for it in quickness and hustle. This could be a fine year for Panther boys basketball.
This Friday, December 13, the Panthers host the 1 – 1 Schuylerville Black Horses in the Panther Den. Next Tuesday, December 17, the Panthers travel to 2 – 1 Greenwich. For both evenings, JV tip-off is at 6 pm, and varsity game will begin at about 7:30.