Faith Flames basketball hits hardwood with strong first week
Faith Academy of Marble Falls junior post Brock Davis (33) and sophomore guard Gabe Lopez and the Flames returned to the basketball court, posting a 4-2 record in the first week. Photo by Stennis Shotts
Days after wrapping up the football season, several Faith Academy of Marble Falls athletes traded in their football uniforms for basketball gear and promptly helped the team post a 4-2 record in its first week on the hardwood.
The Flames started out with a 77-37 victory against Round Rock Concordia on Dec. 7, followed by a 60-31 win against Fredericksburg Heritage two days later to begin their own tournament. They added a 70-22 win against Austin Griffin the night of Dec. 9.
Faith lost 65-39 to San Marcos Homeschool in the tournament, but bounced back with a 41-40 win over Killeen Memorial. The victory gave the Flames a spot in the tournament championship and a rematch with San Marcos Homeschool.
However, San Marcos once again got the better of Faith and the tournament title with a 58-47 victory.
Faith plays Lago Vista on Tuesday, Dec. 14, with tipoff at 7:30 p.m. at Lago Vista High, 5185 Lohman Ford Road. The Flames end the week by hosting New Braunfels Christian Academy at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at The Fire Pit, 3151 RR 1431 East.
Head coach Zakk Revelle said he deliberately had a full schedule the first week.
“It was purposeful to schedule this many games this quickly,” he said. “We had the opportunity to host this tournament. We try to do that every year. We wanted to play as many games as we could this week to see what we need to work on.”
With Faith Academy about to go on Christmas break, Revelle wanted a look at the roster, rotations, and other important factors before the Flames begin District 4-2A of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
“We understand we need to get in as many games as we possibly can,” the coach said. “To play this many games is an advantage because we get to see what we’re good at.”
The team is guard heavy, led by a couple of senior points guards: Case Coleman and Dylan Offutt. The two, along with senior guard Kooper Cain, return from last season’s state tournament team.
The coach noted that Coleman and Offutt provide valuable leadership, which translates to success on the floor.
“They have come together as a group really quickly,” Revelle said of his squad. “I can tell by how hard they’re playing. Defensively, we can be really good. Offensively, we’ve struggled at times. A lot of that has to do with them not playing together very long.”
Under the basket, the Flames will rely heavily on junior post Brock Davis for his muscle on the lower block.
“Brock is our big-time insider who played with a bunch of guards,” Revelle said. “This is one of our better defensive teams. We have Brock. He helps with that; he’s our rim protector.”