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Going in for a dunk, Luke Carpenter ‘26 puts the team up another 2 points against Manor on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The Warriors held a lead of 47-10 at the halftime mark, with a massive lead constantly throughout the game. “We had watched Manor play so we knew what to expect so we just wanted to come out and play hard regardless of the result,” Coach Rigney said.
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Placing pressure, Thomas Burke ‘25 intensely guards an opponent on Manor. The Warriors constantly had possession of the ball throughout the game, and were able to restore the ball quickly, if they lost it. “I think [to keep playing like this] we have to continue staying aggressive and locked in on defense,” Burke said. “And if we do that, I think we have a good chance in the district.”
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Waiting for his free throw shot, Tyson Woods ‘25 rests, before making the bucket to further the score in the game against Manor to 40-9. The Mustangs periodically played aggressively, conducting fouls, and allowing Warriors to score easy baskets. “I think what we did that mattered is we didn’t play down to the competition,” Coach Rigney said.
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In an unstoppable match, the varsity boys basketball team destroyed the Manor Mustangs on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The student section stayed hype as the Warriors made basket after basket over the Mustang defense, eventually ending the game with an impressive final score, winning 82-35.
After a quick first quarter, the boys went into the second quarter septupling Manor’s score with the game at 36-5. The game still stayed the same after the quarter break as the energy stayed high, with the Warriors jamming in three back-to-back layups from easy steals in the paint. This trend of frequent baskets continued throughout the game as the Warrior’s lead only increased. The Warriors, in addition to their no-stops offense, kept a strong defense that prevented any breathing room for the Mustangs. During each half, John Chuo ‘26 was a key to the Warriors’ success on defense, as he locked down the Mustang point guard, rarely allowing Manor to get into any position to make a basket. This over the top defense gave the Warriors many chances to steal and make a fast break.
“We were confident. We just wanted to come out and play hard and fast and play under control,” Coach Rigney said.
Later in the second quarter, after a holding call from the Mustangs , Tyson Woods ‘25 sank two baskets after a foul from the Mustang’s defense, putting the Warriors 31 points above Manor, leading 40-9. Not long after, with another foul from the Mustangs on Woods, he made it 42-10 with another set of gifted free-throws. Continuing their onslaught, the Warriors did not relent as interceptions and an effective passing game allowed Dillon Garza ‘26 to get into position for an easy three-point bucket. The Warriors, going into the half up 47-10 had their heads high after nearly quintupling the Mustang’s performance. Hustling into the second half, the Warriors kept their starters, which gave Thomas Burke ‘25 an easy chance to rack up the score even more. Burke quickly stole from a slow Mustang pass and flew down the court for the layup, however in a stroke of skill from Manor, in the defensive stop, Burke was knocked down on his way up to the basket. However, after a quick rebound from John McNair ‘26 and a few disputed passes, Indy McBrearty ‘25 was able to score in the paint, bringing the score to 49-12. McBrearty was able to make another layup not long after as Burke continued his streak with another layup even with Mustang defense on top of him.
“We worked really well together, everyone had points in this game, so overall it was really good,” Burke said.
Towards the end of the third quarter, it became clear that Manor was playing desperate as their shots got more erratic, and their defense got far more aggressive. This aggressive play style adopted by Manor had its own weaknesses as a foul on Chuo, where he was nearly shoved out of bounds, gave the Warriors even more opportunities to score. Additionally, fouls like this continued from the Mustangs for the rest of the game as they tried to claw back some points. The Warriors, continuing to put points on the board, barely even took a breath between the third and fourth quarter. Now back on the court for the final quarter, Garza knocked down another shot, giving his team the rebound and eventually two more points, bringing the Warriors’ lead to 69-18. The game continued with strong moves from the Westwood Warriors as back up, Landeyn Vallery ‘26, drove the lane amongst Mustang defenders, executing an impressive jump shot, bringing the game to 71-22.
The Warriors closed out the Mustangs 82-35 with a small resistance from the Mustangs in the final minutes of regulation. The Warriors look to remain undefeated overall and in district as they travel to Hutto to play the Hippos on Friday, Dec. 13.
![After taking a hit, John McNair '26 jumps above his defenders into the paint, trying to deepen the Warriors' lead over the Cedar Ridge Raiders on Tuesday, Dec. 3. McNair, after his time on the freshman team as a leading scorer joined the varsity team in his sophomore year in the hopes to continue his yearly tradition of layups, free throws, and buckets. "The way that we play [and succeed] does not matter what the other team looks like," Coach Rigney said. "We are just going to play the same way as we do."](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_7402-761x1200.jpg)
