Following a stellar season that saw the Rangers go 17-6, the varsity basketball team charged into the playoffs, going on a historic run and finding lots of success against teams from around the city and state.
vs Arlington Martin (2/23)
Traveling out to Colleyville Heritage, the Rangers took on the Arlington Martin Warriors in the bi-district round. Following a tight first quarter that saw the Rangers up 19-18, Jesuit was able to pull away and head into halftime up 6. Coming out of the locker room, Jesuit went on a tear, sending Martin home with a 76-64 win.
Gavin Perryman ’21 was double-teamed for most of the game but was still able to go 7-8 from behind the arc. On top of Perryman’s 26 point outing, Conor Moore ’21 and Ben Johnson ’22 both put up 14 points, with Moore snagging 14 rebounds and Johnson going 3-3 from downtown in the first half. The Ranger defensive effort was able to shut down Martin’s offense, forcing the Warriors to only shoot 37% from 3.
vs McKinney (2/25)
Playing in Coppell in front of a sold-out crowd, Jesuit was able to topple a McKinney that was ranked 8th in the state, sending home the Lions after a clutch series from Cal Linn ’21. The Rangers stopped the Lions from scoring in the final two minutes, going on an 11-0 run to send McKinney home by a score of 64-60.
Linn had a dominating performance, scoring 25 points while going 6-10 from 3. Conor Moore ’21 again put up double digits, pouring in 14 points and snagging 13 rebounds. The game was tight for almost the whole game, but the Rangers didn’t quit and were able to pull off an upset victory and advanced to the next round.
vs Lake Highlands (2/27)
Taking on a familiar district foe in their third game of the week, Jesuit took down the Wildcats in a gritty battle. The Rangers were in control for a large portion of the game and were able to suppress a Wildcat comeback attempt at the start of the fourth quarter. The key for the Rangers this game was the defense as they forced LH to shoot only 17% from 3 and got key players into foul trouble early.
23 points from Gavin Perryman ’21 and a third double-double from Conor Moore ’21 helped the Rangers elevate over Lake Highlands and secure their first regional semifinal berth since the 2017-2018 season with a 55-46 win.
vs El Paso Americas (3/2)
Journeying out to Stanton, Texas near Midland, the Rangers met in the middle to face off against the District 1-6A champions from out west. Though it remained tight in the first quarter, the Rangers were able to blow the game open and put up 16 points in the second quarter while holding Americas to 4. By speeding up the pace and running in the open court, the Rangers were able to defeat Americas and return home victorious.
Double-digit scoring from Linn ’21, Perryman ’21, and Moore ’21 helped the Rangers beat back any efforts made by El Paso and 23 team rebounds made sure there were no shots at second-chance points. By defeating Americas 61-40, the Rangers moved onto the regional final, tying the school record for the deepest playoff run (2017-2018 team was the previous holder).
vs Richardson (3/5)
Staying in town to take on a district rival that had beaten Jesuit on buzzer-beaters in two games, the Rangers took on the number 3 ranked team in the state in front of a sold-out crowd at Loos Fieldhouse. The Rangers struggled throughout with hitting from deep, shooting a playoff low 24% while the Eagles were able to hit on 43% of their 3-balls. Jesuit was able to keep it close in the first quarter, going into the huddle down 13-14, but a series of runs by Richardson left the Rangers without the time to come back.
Despite their struggles, Jesuit stayed determined throughout, with Moore ’21 and Perryman ’21 both finishing in double digits and Shane Hatzmann ’21 was also able to go 5-7 from the field, scoring 7. Though they fell 43-66, the Rangers put up a valiant effort and shared a touching moment while singing the alma mater song with the student section.
Recap
Despite coming short in the end, the Rangers had an outstanding year. To go from missing the playoffs last year to an incredible playoff run is nothing short of amazing. The hard work and dedication they put into becoming a unified team was the difference-maker this year, and it showed in their end result.
