Lakeland boys’ basketball took on the North Central Wolfpack at the Wolf Packs stadium. The Hawks suffered a hard loss, falling 68-73 in their season opener.
Despite the loss, the Hawks had many things to be proud of throughout the game. Lakeland kept a solid lead right from the start, but the Wolf Pack kept the pressure on until the end.
“The whole team came in with a good mindset and ready to play,” Jace Taylor said.
North Central is not a team Lakeland is known for playing, so the Hawks came into this game with a clean slate. The Wolf Pack is known for its outstanding basketball program, coached by former Gonzaga Bulldog basketball player Robert Sacre.
This team is a well-oiled machine coming fresh off a State Championship win. The Hawks didn’t know much about the team, but they knew for sure that this was going to be a team that would not back down regardless of the scoreboard.
The Hawks were getting buckets regardless: Varner 0 0-0 0, Hensley 4 3-4 8, Yager 1 0-0 2, Larcher 1 0-0 0, Taylor 2 0-0 4, Roth 10 2-3 10, Cook 1 0-0 2, Harris 8 0-2 18, Cassel 7 1-2 1.
Putting sixty-eight in a season opener against a new team gives the Hawks a lot to build on for their next game this Saturday. The Hawks will play their home opener against Freeman High School, looking to bounce back from their loss to North Central.
“A win at home to start a momentum for our team will be huge for us in the long run,” Taylor said.
As a team, losing the season’s first game is a hard pill to swallow, but recovering and learning from the loss makes a significant difference. The Hawks are ready to let all that hard work during the preseason show, and what better way to let it shine than in front of a home crowd?
