Flames see positives in playoff loss to San Antonio Lutheran
SAN ANTONIO – Though a 52-21 loss isn’t the ending the Faith Academy boys basketball team looked for in the squad’s first playoff game, there’s still a positive lesson to be learned, head coach John Berkman said.
It proved the Flames can set and reach a goal no matter the odds, Berkman said after the win Feb. 14 by San Antonio Lutheran.
"I’m proud of the guys. Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make the playoffs and we did," the coach said. "We started a tradition and hopefully we’ll add on to that in the years to come."
The Flames (9-15) couldn’t overcome San Antonio Lutheran’s inside presence during the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 2A bi-district round.
Mustangs’ junior post Anthony Hernandez led all scorers with 21 points as San Antonio Lutheran (17-12) ended the Flames’ season.
Flames’ wing Jason Byrd scored the game’s first five points to give the Faith Academy squad an early 5-0 lead, but the Mustangs ended the quarter on a 13-0 run and never looked back.
Byrd finished as the Flames’ leading scorer with seven points. Sophomore guard Reagan Vaughn and senior post Casey Clendennen each had five points and Brian Freeman scored three.
Senior guard J.C. Perea said the loss was tough, but he was thankful for the chance to be a part of history at the Marble Falls Christian academy, founded about a dozen years ago.
"Despite this, me, Casey and the team have made history," Perea said. "I couldn’t ask for more."
Berkman said he’ll miss his two seniors.
"It’s always tough when you lose guys, but especially great guys like them," he said. "They’re great kids as well as great basketball players."
But with only two seniors graduating, Berkman has a young team returning next year with playoff experience.
"They all now have a taste of the playoffs," Berkman said. "We can keep the tradition moving on now."