HS Boys Basketball: Lights-Out Shooting Lifts Grand Oaks to Victory Over the Tough Wildkats

WILLIS, TX -- The Grand Oaks Grizzlies found their strokes from range to secure a 67-55 road win over the venerable Willis Wildkats.

Grand Oaks defended their home court in a 60-51 victory, which extensively eliminated the Wildkats from district title contention. However, entering Willis’ gym is another battle that needs to be taken on with the crowd in mind.

Teams like College Park, The Woodlands, and Conroe had all entered the Willis High School gym with the hopes of winning but were all turned around in defeat. The intense, fan-led environment would be difficult to overcome, but sound preparation from Grand Oaks went into readying the team for one of 13-6A’s toughest atmospheres.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Anthony Stephens discussed the mindset needed to prepare for Willis’ home defense.

“I told the guys that they’re a good team, we’re a talented team, and talented teams take care of the house,” said Stephens. “They protect the house, but we have to come in and weather the storm.”

With the fans bearing down on them, the Grizzlies stumbled to a terrible opening quarter that nearly sank the team before the first eight minutes had even expired.

The typical offensive strengths of reliable shooting and putbacks near the rim were completely absent in Grand Oaks’ first-quarter push.

Zero threes or mid-range shots fell for the visiting team, only a layup from K.J. Waddell and a putback from Jadyn Murray found the bottom of the net in Grand Oaks’ abysmal opening quarter.

Willis took the opportunity of Grand Oaks being off and started to pull away early with their solid showing.

A six-point opening quarter from S.J. Young got the Wildkats off on the right foot, outpacing the entire Grizzlies first quarter by himself. Added contributions from Jackson Day and Rondell Lewis compounded the opening struggles for Grand Oaks, ending the first quarter in a brutal 14-4 Willis lead.

“I think it was just the moment,” said Stephens on what was plaguing the team early. “It was a packed house, senior night, and you could feel that the crowd was really into the game.”

The Grizzlies' offensive ineptitude continued into the second quarter. Over five minutes of continuous play, Grand Oaks made countless shots, but they scored zero points.

Meanwhile, the Wildkats continued to accelerate with the advantage. Willis’ second-quarter scoring saw more points from Young and a handful of others that stretched the team’s lead to 21-4 with just over six minutes remaining in the half.

Desperate to find a solution, the Grizzlies trusted long-time scorer Tre Lewis to ignite the flame of a hopeful comeback.

The trusty Grizzly shooter found his marks in the off-ball-moving offense to land himself in open space for good looks. Catching and shooting turned free spaces into made buckets for Lewis on his way to a 12-point second quarter, leading all players in scoring for the quarter.

Lewis’ contributions started a wave of support from the rest of the Grand Oaks team. Five different scorers for the Grizzlies during the second quarter was enough of a push to wipe away Willis’ nearly 20-point cushion and replace it with a tight-knit Grand Oaks lead.

Willis’ early grip on the game quickly slipped away behind a lagging defense and an offense that began to suffer from frequent turnovers. Without a sound response, the Wildkats started to falter before the halftime break.

Grand Oaks’ half-closing push was strong enough to reward the team with a 28-27 lead going into the locker rooms. With renewed shooting and a confident defense, the Grizzlies knew they had the tools to seal the game shut during the second half.

Points of emphasis, including the team’s rebounding game, were pounded home for the Grizzlies during halftime as a means of shutting down Wildkat possessions while giving themselves a second chance on offense.

“The last time we played [Willis], they dominated the glass,” said Stephens. “I told them that if we win the rebounding battle, we win the game.”

The Grizzlies needed very few second-chance looks during the third quarter due to a monstrous shooting performance from a previously quiet hero.

Morgan Luzey had entered the second half with a single three-pointer to his credit. But with how fluid the Grand Oaks offense was in setting up shooters behind the arch, the prepared Grizzly was ready to make his impact.

Nearly every time he touched the ball, Luzey was letting it fly toward the basket. His tremendous accuracy from behind the three-point line ignited a quarter that eventually left him with 15 points in just eight minutes.

Not only was Luzey’s scoring instrumental in providing his team with a momentum boost, but it also revamped the traveling Grizzly fans into a mood that resembled the team’s home vibes.

“I told him during one of the timeouts, ‘Welcome to the party. I’m glad you showed up,’” said Stephens to his lights-out shooter. “We’re a shot-making team and he’s one of our top shot-makers.”

Willis’ inability to guard Luzey and the rest of the Grizzlies during the third quarter was symptomatic of the team’s overall struggles during a down eight minutes.

Another lengthy stretch of turnovers, missed shots, and only two scorers meant the Wildkats were quickly running out of steam in the face of Grand Oaks’ unmatchable production.

The Wildkats only posted nine points during the third quarter compared to 23 from the visiting Grizzlies.

Without strong showings from multiple Wildkats during the third quarter, the team’s hopes of ending the regular season with a home win on senior night would quickly diminish.

Instead of letting the foot off the gas while up 51-36 heading into the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies kept up the intense defense to ensure Willis had no chance of coming back in the closing hour.

A fast-switching, zone defense kept the Wildkats constantly in sight of the Grizzly defenders. The three-point line was closely contested and Wildkat passes into the paint were regularly tipped away and stolen.

Michael Rosario was an unsung hero in Grand Oaks’ game-sealing fourth. Rosario’s lock-down defense near half-court turned multiple steals into layups or dunks for his teammates, keeping Willis scoreless while building on the team’s sturdy lead.

Willis tried to find room in the corners by skipping passes over defenders, but critical misses and Grand Oaks’ rebounding advantage meant the Wildkats continued to play from behind.

Six different Grizzlies would benefit from steals, open shots, or putbacks during the team’s final sprint to the finish in what was one of the district’s toughest places to play.

The final buzzer sent a wave of Wildkat fans to their cars while giving the Grizzlies a hard-fought 67-55 victory that nearly secures the team its hopeful district title.

“Good teams, they weathered the storm in tough, playoff environments, and tonight was a playoff-like environment,” said Stephens. “When things went wrong and we were down 21 to four, we never wavered. Guys didn’t blame each other, we looked at each other and took it one bucket at a time.”

Grand Oaks will get a chance to clinch the 13-6A District Championship on their home floor should they overcome the visiting Caney Creek Panthers on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the regular season has ended for the Willis Wildkats, but time to prepare for the upcoming playoffs will be well spent getting ready for the upcoming gauntlet.

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