As 7:30 approaches, students dressed in gold fill the stands on the night of the Jesuit Gold Out game versus W.T. White. The teams take the court, followed by a galvanizing roar from the student section. The game begins, and chants fill the air. Michael Jankovich ’18 buries a three-pointer in the face of his opponent, solidifying Jesuit’s lead and inciting chaos from the students. The Rangers maintain their lead through the whole game and add another victory to their record.
The annual Gold Out basketball game vs WT White occurred on Friday, January 8th, ending with an 80-33 point victory. The Rangers performed spectacularly, earning their best shooting performance of the year. Standout players include sophomore Michael Jankovich ’18 with 19 points and team veteran Mitch Prendergast ’17 scoring 17 points of his own. Prendergast commented, “We really played well on defense and on offense we really passed the ball around well and got everyone involved.”
Jesuit continued their winning streak against a much more competent team, Irving MacArthur, the following Tuesday, January 12th, narrowly winning 64-61. Ranked number 22 in the state, defeating MacArthur on their home court was a huge win for the team. Sophomore Marcus Hill ’18 was the highest scorer for the Rangers with a whopping 22 points. Juniors Prendergast and Jacob Palisch also performed exceptionally, both scoring double digits, with a total of eight rebounds from Palisch. “This win was a big statement for us,” commented Palisch, “Nobody expected much from us, going up against a highly ranked team, and it earned us well deserved respect within the district.”
Riding off of the momentum from the MacArthur win, the Rangers challenged RL Turner in Walsh Gym on Friday, January 15th, dominating them 68-38. Marcus Hill again asserted his dominance, scoring the team high of 24 points, followed by Prendergast with 11 points and 4 assists, and senior Ben Kunasek scored 10 points with 2 assists of his own. “We’ve had a great season so far and I hope we can keep up this winning streak,” exclaimed Kunasek. Hill, aside from his own personal success, emphasized “The team has been playing very well. We are sharing the ball well and everybody is making plays to win.”
Good luck Rangers and remember to go support your team!
