Feb. 2, 2010, exactly 1,798 days ago, MacArthur’s boys basketball faced Churchill and won 40-38, they were led by sophomore guard Jordan Pratt who scored 11 points. This was the last time that the Brahmas beat the Chargers, since then Churchill has won 10 straight, despite both schools remaining competitive in the district every year since 2010.
Boys basketball faces Churchill tonight at 7:30 in their only true home game of the year. The 12-8 Brahmas are slight underdogs against the 16-4 Chargers.
The main reason for that is Churchill’s dominant size. Senior Clevon Brown is 6’8, (averages 18.7 ppg) can protect the rim, handle a double team, and bring down the house with his thunderous dunks. Brown, also a Vanderbilt commit, is not alone as Jeff Fesperman, Naasier Fludd, and Preston Bigley all have the ability to play defense, rebound, and put the ball in the basket.
On the other end, MacArthur is led by a completely different type of player, 5’10 guard Kyle Murphy. Murphy (averages 18.3 ppg) is the best shooter in the district, and in the conversation for best shooter in San Antonio. The team promptly follows his lead as they attempt to push the ball in transition and hit the open man for the three. However, the key to getting transition points is getting the rebound and pushing. When you face Churchill they are not only one of the most efficient teams in the district but they also have the height to grab any offensive rebound near them, making it hard to run on them consistently.
The fellow contributors for Mac include seniors Kevin Luckey and Josh Rodgers, who will be asked to try to take advantage of any defensive lapses by the Chargers. Both are terrific defenders and strong finishers at the rim.
Their contrasting styles make this showdown fascinating, but the game itself is the most important test for either team so far this season.
