HS Boys Basketball: Highlanders End the Season On a High Note Following Sound Victory Over Oak Ridge

OAK RIDGE NORTH, TX -- The Woodlands Highlanders ended their season positively with a 75-57 win against the hosting Oak Ridge War Eagles, avenging their loss earlier in the season.

A brutal 55-63 overtime loss to the War Eagles earlier in the district slate put the Highlanders on the back burner for much of the season. But with pride at play to close the year, The Woodlands took the lessons from their defeat and used them to shape a strong closing effort.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Highlander Head Coach Dale Reed discussed the team’s January loss and how the team hoped to overcome their past mistakes.

“Coach Gonzales does a great job and he had his guys ready to play at our place where we had opportunities to win in regulation and we just didn’t,” said Reed. “So for us, it was about coming here and having a tough mindset while defending our tails off.”

The Highlander mindset of strong defense was well-established during the regular season. Fast guards set traps and forced opposing players to make rushed decisions, typically resulting in a Woodlands steal and transition play.

Despite a rough start and some solid offensive possessions by the War Eagles, the defending Highlanders settled into their positions and captured their usual momentum.

Oak Ridge’s push toward the basket worked initially. Jaden Turner benefited from strong hands underneath for layups while Bryson Bond and Jaylon Williams stretched the floor.

However, missed shots in open space and the increasing number of turnovers forced by the resurging Highlander defense undid Oak Ridge's strong push.

The Woodlands defense spurred multiple transitions from steals into fastbreak layups, but even their regular speed offensive sets were cashing in opportunities. Strong rebounding from players like Dayjhon Miller and Jake Dorsett scooped up what misses there were and put the boards in the basket for easy points.

Settling in and relying on the defense rewarded the Highlanders with a slight edge and an 18-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

But, more of the same tendencies from The Woodlands continued to pile on points against an Oak Ridge squad still looking for answers offensively.

Brick-wall defending kept the War Eagle push at a bare minimum during the second quarter. A lengthy scoring drought of only four points started the team’s dismal second quarter, giving the Highlanders plenty of breathing room to extend their lead.

Points from seven different Highlanders during the second quarter highlighted the versatility of scoring put on by The Woodlands. 10 different players contributed points on the entire half, a rate of success that pushed the team ahead on another productive quarter.

“It's crazy and it's really hard,” said Reed on the multitude of scorers. “Tonight, we knew all 12 of our guys were going to play and we were going to see who played better and who played more. The guys just stepped up.”

The snowball effect of defensive stops paired with frequent effective scoring propelled the Highlanders on a dominant push to end the half with a solid lead.

The 38-23 Highlander lead going into the locker rooms was a testament to the team’s near end-to-end control. But with the lead in hand, the strategy never shifted from the understood mentality.

“It’s hard because the kids see that we’re up by 20 and think it's a sign to relax,” explained Reed. “But we discussed at the beginning of the game that we want to try and win every quarter.”

The all-gas and no-breaks mentality fueled another strong quarter from the Highlanders to signal the final processions of the season ending positively for the visiting Woodlands.

Seeming gassed due to the relentless Highlander defensive pressure, Oak Ridge committed another damaging string of turnovers that scuttled the team’s push to attempt a comeback.

Just three War Eagles posted any amount of points during the third quarter. Turner, Williams, and Cade Fogle had to shoulder Oak Ridge’s entire scoring weight during a down third quarter that saw their opponents stretch the lead for the second consecutive time.

The Highlanders double the War Eagles in their amount of scorers during the third quarter, with the guards taking center stage as the leading contributors.

Steals in the open floor and interceptions in passing lanes got guards like Caycen Bartolazzi and Ben Alexander moving into fastbreaks with full heads of steam for more buckets in transition.

Even bigs like Evan Fresquez joined in the scoring parade for the Highlanders. Overall, The Woodlands’ lead swelled from the previous game-high of 15 up to 19 by the time the third quarter ended.

The final nails in Oak Ridge’s coffin had been hammered into their positions, but even while down 57-38 ahead of the fourth quarter, the War Eagles refused to go silently into the night.

Determined and unflinching play from Bond demonstrated the drive found within the War Eagles during the game’s closing minutes. Meaningful contributions from the Oak Ridge senior class sent cheers through the gym with every point that hit the scoreboard.

Drives to the rim and attempts to bite back into the sizable Woodlands lead were signs of Oak Ridge’s remaining fight, but it was too late to completely overcome the Highlander mountain.

Quality minutes down the stretch from players in their last game ended the night with the Highlanders taking a season-ending 75-57 win.

With the playoffs out of reach for the first time in 19 years, the Highlanders will have to re-tool, refocus, and be ready for a lengthy offseason ahead of an anticipated return to the hardwood.

“It’s hard to win games in 6-A basketball with freshmen, sophomores, and juniors,” said Reed. “But we fought through it. Those guys are going to be older next year and so we expect them to be better, bigger, and stronger. And if we put in the work, the results will come.”

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