Playoffs end for the Panthers in close game vs Bobcats
By John Earp
The Jal Panthers Varsity Boys Basketball Team squared off against the Hagerman Bobcats Wednesday night in the Panther Gym in round two of the district playoffs. The Panthers had some trouble early on, with the Bobcats pulling ahead 9-5 with 2:41 remaining in the first period. The Panthers were able to battle back from behind though, and with 40 seconds remaining in the first period, Zadyn Lujan tied the game up at 9 with a successful free throw. The score remained 9-9 at the start of the second period. Sebastian Arroyo gave Jal the lead with a jump shot in the opening minute of the second period. Adrian Rodriguez gave the Panthers a 14-12 lead with six minutes remaining in the second period with a successful three-pointer. Hagerman had an observable height advantage, with several players appearing to be well over six feet in height. Nevertheless, the Panthers competed well. The Bobcats were able to gain the lead, 18-14, with about three minutes remaining in the second period, with a couple of successful three-pointers. The Bobcats continued to dominate the Panthers defensively and offensively in the final minutes of the second period. At halftime, they had advanced to their biggest lead of the game, 26-18.
Adrian Navarette tied the game up at 32 with just over three minutes remaining in the third period with a beautiful steal followed by a perfect layup. The game rocked along at a very fast pace for the rest of the third period, with Jal leading 37-36 at the start of the fourth. The game was tied at 37 throughout most of the first half of the final period, with Hagerman pulling ahead with a three-pointer about midway through the period. The game had become steadily more intense, especially defensively, on the part of both teams. Hagerman gained the upper hand, however, and with just under three minutes remaining in the game, they led Jal 44-37. Nolbert Cervantes sank a three-pointer with just over a minute left in the game, narrowing Hagerman’s lead to four.
In the final seconds of the game, timeout was called with Hagerman being ahead 50-47 after a successful three pointer by Lujan. Final score was 51-47, bringing an unfortunate end to the Panthers’ season in what was a very close and competitive game. Nolbert Cervantes was given an award for having scored a thousand points in his basketball career at Jal High School.
