The First Presbyterian Christian Academy boys’ basketball team opened the season with a win Tuesday by beating Appling Christian, 76-49, in Baxley.
FPCA coach Ernie Walthour said the Highlanders started off a bit sluggish, but quickly found their tempo and held a six-point lead at halftime. Chris Guilfo and Herbert Roberts started to mesh well in the second half, and Ahmad Mohammed and Domonique Kirkley nabbed a lot of rebounds. Walthour added that newcomer Richard Smith played quality minutes off the bench.
“Our ball movement in the second half was real good,” Walthour said. “It was a great team win. We also had quality minutes from DeAngelo Streeter … I was real pleased with our rotation.”
Tonight, the Highlanders head to Savannah to play rival Bethesda. When these two schools were in the same classification, they battled intensely for the region championship and state title. FPCA managed to beat Bethesda for the state crown three times, something the Blazers likely will never forget.
“This is a good measuring stick for us to see how we will progress for the season, and it’s just a great rivalry for us,” Walthour said. “This game will tell us where we are at for sure.”
In other action Tuesday, the Lady ‘Landers had a tough time in their opener, losing to Appling Christian losing, 44-18.
Boys’ box score
FPCA 14|19|26|17 – 76
Appling 13|14|9|13 – 49
Highlanders open season with a win
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