With the boys’ varsity basketball season in full swing, the team beat Viera on Tuesday in a tight game. It finished the first half being down by 13 points, and the team ended up beating Viera by one point for a final score of 67-66.

“I went into the game with a mentality that if we all did our jobs, we would come out on top at the end,” junior forward Zack Shahzad said. “I had full belief that we could take down Viera.”

The team was led by 25 points from senior guard Auston Gonzalez and 22 points from Travis McClendon. McClendon hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds left to seal the win. Gonzalez said that  McClendon played a major role in the team’s victory.

“Travis really came through in the end,” Gonzalez said. “The game-clinching shot that he hit in the last few seconds was obviously crucial, but his calm mentality and leadership throughout the entire game was necessary for us to win. I think having him and me as a one-two punch makes us a difficult team to beat.”

According to Shahzad the win over Viera created a new buzz for the school, letting other teams know that the boys are a serious team.

“It felt amazing to take down a powerhouse school that would expect to just blow us out because they think ‘it’s just West Shore,'” Shahzad said. “It feels good to start letting other schools in the county know that we are a serious team ready to make noise in the [Cape Coast Conference].”

The team will play its next game at Eau Gallie on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. 

By Lena Hatter