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Faith Academy teams win against Austin Hill Country

Faith Academy senior forward Joanna Piatek allows the Austin Hill Country defender to fly by as she completes a fast break during the Lady Flames' 58-21 win Jan. 31. Courtesy photo

Win earns Faith boys chance at district title

JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

AUSTIN — The Faith Academy boys basketball team held on for a 50-47 win against Austin Hill Country on Jan. 31.

Rich Coleman made three free throws and Jonathan Reyes dribbled out the final six seconds to allow the Flames to claim the win.

And that’s what made this victory special, head coach Randy Denton said, because the team’s top players didn’t decide the outcome.

“You can depend on the whole team to do a job,” he said. “It makes the coach’s job easier.”

The Flames trailed 7-5 after the first quarter and 23-22 at the half before tying the contest at 32-32 going into the fourth quarter.

“We have to get them to the mindset that you have to be ready to play,” head coach Randy Denton said. “I could tell from the beginning we weren’t ready. To (the players’ credit), they hung in there.”

Denton said the players are still learning what it means to play as a visiting team where the most of the crowd isn’t cheering in your favor and adjusting to the way calls are made as a road team.

“These guys haven’t played in a hostile gym,” he said.

As a result of the win, Faith plays Waco Vanguard for a share of the District 4-2A title of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

“This will be the first opportunity for the Flames to win a district title,” the coach said.

jfierro@thepicayune.com

ON OFFENSE: Faith (points) – Rich Coleman 18, Rawley Jackson 10, Sam Marrs 9, Joseph Woods 8, Jonathan Reyes 3, Bradbury 2. Record 10-6 (6-1). Hill Country (points) – Ricky Trent 13, Ashton Dise 9, Jonathan Innis 9, Noah Wallace 6, Seth Jackson 5, Noah Policke 5.

RECORDS: Faith — 10-6 overall, 6-1 in District 4-2A play of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools; Hill Country — 5-13 overall, 2-5 in district

UP NEXT: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4, Faith vs. Waco Vanguard at The Fire Pit, three miles east of Marble Falls off RR 1431

 

Faith Academy 58, Austin Hill Country 21

 

AUSTIN — The Faith Academy girls basketball team defeated Austin Hill Country 58-21 on Jan. 31.The Lady Flames led 18-6 after the first quarter and 28-6 at the half. By the middle of the third period, the mercy rule was in effect because Faith had a 40-point lead.

Hill Country trailed 44-9 headed into the final stanza. Reserves played the majority of the final 12 minutes.

Head coach Jerry English said the reason for the lopsided victory came down to his players’ commitment on defense.

“We played as good defense as we’ve played in a number of years,” he said. “We’ve been using an analogy of fingers closing into a fist. That’s how our players are closing in on the ball.”

He noted he’s watched three and four Lady Flames commitment to playing defense the way he wants, but not all five at the same time. That wasn’t the case against Hill Country, he said.

English complimented senior forwards Joanna Piatek and Kristen Cherry for “picking up their level of play.”

The coach also liked seeing so many different players get slash marks in the scorebook, adding there wasn’t a 20-point scorer.

“This is the best balanced scoring we’ve had since I’ve been at Faith,” he said. “I’ve always prided that in my program.”

The Lady Flames will play three games this week beginning Feb. 4 when they welcome Waco Vanguard (6-1) at 6 p.m. A win will clinch the outright District 4-2A title, English said. In addition to winning some hardware, the district champ gets to host at least one playoff contest.

On Feb. 6, Faith goes to Waco Texas Christian to close out the district campaign and finishes the week at home Feb. 7 against Holland at 6 p.m.

jfierro@thepicayune.com

ON OFFENSE: Points – Joanna Piatek 13, Taylor Denton 11, Hannah Cozby 11, Kristen Cherry 7, Sierra Brinkley 6, Alisha Williams 6, Juliette Fisher 4; assists – Denton 6, Brinkley 4, Cherry 4, Fisher 2; rebounds – Fisher 3, Piatek 2, Brinkley 2, Cherry 2, Cozby 2, Denton 1

ON DEFENSE: Steals – Denton 6, Piatek 4, Brinkley 4, Cherry 4, Cozby 2, Fisher 1; rebounds – Fisher 5, Piatek 4, Cherry 4, Cozby 2, Brinkley 1, Williams 1; blocks – Cozby 2, Brinkley 1

RECORDS: Faith — 22-4 overall, 7-0 in District 4-2A; Hill Country — 8-11, 3-4 in district

UP NEXT: 6:15 p.m. Feb. 4, Faith vs. Waco Vanguard at The Fire Pit, three miles east of Marble Falls off RR 1431