Gallery • 10 Photos

Arwen Pelletier

A COMEBACK KNIGHT The Knights won the varsity boys basketball matchup against Manor New Tech 65-62. According to senior guard Ethan Plummer, the team had to rethink its approach with several players unavailable. “We were short-handed, so we focused on half-court defense to save our energy,” Plummer said. “We didn’t want to give up too many open looks on the perimeter.” With the lineup different from usual, new contributors stepped in and delivered big moments. “Alex came in playing really physical,” Plummer said. “It was a major energy boost for us.” Plummer and the McCallum Knights basketball team took pride in winning this game, since it was on their home court. “It was our home opener, and we take a lot of pride in winning on homecourt,” Plummer said. “The knights also had to fight for a comeback since Manor was up at one point, which really pushed the players to stay resilient.” A goal that Plummer has for himself and the team as a whole is to win district three years in a row, which has only happened once in McCallum's History, in the 1960s. Plummer remarks that this could be a special experience, since it's his senior year and he wants to finish out strong and make history. “Having been a part of the two past championships, and it being my senior year, I really hope I can be part of McCallum basketball history,” Plummer said. Caption by Reese Clinchard.

The McCallum boys varsity basketball team scored a 65–62 victory over Manor New Tech on Nov. 24. The close matchup took place in the home gym over Thanksgiving break and marked the team’s first home win of the season. Following the off-season, the players were glad to open their home schedule with a competitive performance.

We are proud to present the McCallum boys varsity basketball team at this week’s Thursday Top 10. 

A COMEBACK KNIGHT The Knights won the varsity boys basketball matchup against Manor New Tech 65-62. According to senior guard Ethan Plummer, the team had to rethink its approach with several players unavailable.

“We were short-handed, so we focused on half-court defense to save our energy,” Plummer said. “We didn’t want to give up too many open looks on the perimeter.”
With the lineup different from usual, new contributors stepped in and delivered big moments.

“Alex came in playing really physical,” Plummer said. “It was a major energy boost for us.”

Plummer and the McCallum Knights basketball team took pride in winning this game, since it was on their home court.

“It was our home opener, and we take a lot of pride in winning on homecourt,” Plummer said. “The knights also had to fight for a comeback since Manor was up at one point, which really pushed the players to stay resilient.”

A goal that Plummer has for himself and the team as a whole is to win district three years in a row, which has only happened once in McCallum’s History, in the 1960s. Plummer remarks that this could be a special experience, since it’s his senior year and he wants to finish out strong and make history.

“Having been a part of the two past championships, and it being my senior year, I really hope I can be part of McCallum basketball history,” Plummer said.

Caption by Reese Clinchard. Photo by Arwen Pelletier.

A THANKSGIVING THREE-POINTER Joe Alvarez shoots a three-pointer in the first half of the varsity boys’ basketball game against Manor New Tech over Thanksgiving break. Alvarez enjoyed the game because he felt the two teams were well-matched.

“The close games are a little more stressful, but at the same time, it’s fun when it’s close because we’re playing a competition, challenging ourselves, and getting better as a team,” Alvarez said.

Although the Knights won the game 65-62, they trailed the Manor New Tech Titans by five points for most of the first quarter. Alvarez is proud of how his team’s defense held the Titans to five points and how their offense increased their pressure to take the lead at the end of the second quarter.

“It’s nice knowing that we’re able to not let that first quarter, where we came out slow, affect us going forward and push past that challenge,” Alvarez said.

In the third quarter, the Knights extended their lead over the Titans by eight points. However, the Titans rallied at the end of the fourth quarter and tied the game with only thirty seconds left on the clock. As time ran out, Alvarez took the ball, ran downcourt, and shot a layup to give the Knights the lead.

“It definitely felt great because it sealed the game,” Alvarez said.

Although the Titans tried to shoot a three-pointer, the Knights’ defense pressured their players and prevented them from making their shot to secure the Knights’ win. After the close game, Alvarez is looking forward to more opportunities to play in upcoming games.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the big games,” Alvarez said. “Those are going to be competitive and fun because I know people from other schools, and a lot of students will come to the game.”

Caption by Elizabeth Nation. Photo by Fletcher Vandegrift.

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER In their game against Manor New Tech on Monday, the Titans lost to the McCallum varsity basketball team 65-62. The Knights’ first quarter was slow, but following the second quarter, they picked up speed and came back. ​Tristen Wright, a senior power forward, played a pivotal role in the victory.

“We had a rough preseason with lots of injuries from the returners, but as we got up to the season starting, we made sure we were ready and prepared,” Wright said. “The season so far has been fun, we played aggressively and never let up on the pressure. Along with that, we cut down our number of turnovers and got more rebounds, which led us to beating Manor New Tech.”

According to Wright, the win was a testament to the Knights’ resilience and teamwork, especially after overcoming preseason setbacks. Wright also had a fast break dunk in the game, which was a pivotal moment that energized the team and the crowd.

“My favorite moment from the game was my fast break dunk,” Wright said. “But also another moment that got us fired up was Alex Hopper with his and-1 layup and Ethan Plummer hitting clutch [three pointers].”

Caption by Delaney Lavelle. Photo by Arwen Pelletier.

A SOLID WIN The Knights’ 65-62 win over Manor New Tech Nov. 24 showed how much the team is starting to figure out who they are this season, according to Head Coach Daniel Fuentes, who said he was proud of how the players handled Manor’s quick offense and strong shooting.

“We fought through some adversity, and that was really big for us,” Fuentes said. “The tournament the weekend before helped us find our identity.”

The Knights held a small lead for most of the game, and Fuentes said their best strength was switching between three different defenses and communicating effectively throughout.

“It’s not easy to do that, but the guys stayed locked in,” Fuentes said.

Although senior Ethan Plummer led the team in scoring, Fuentes also pointed out seniors Darby Roldan and juniors Joe Alvarez, Miller Stephens, and Ben Cook for stepping up.

“We had a lot of guys play their roles, and that made a difference,” Fuentes said. He added that he loves watching the team grow every week and that games like this show how much their hard work is paying off. Fuentes said he’s excited to see how the team continues to build on this momentum.

Caption by Makenzie Brin. Photo by Arwen Pelletier.

HE SHOOTS; HE SCORES Junior Cole Truong shoots a layup after a dead ball in the boys’ varsity basketball game against Manor New Tech on Nov. 24. The Knights won the game by three points in the heated battle with a final score of 65-62. According to Truong, the team did a good job of getting open shots on offense and implemented several different defenses, which helped change things up on the defensive end. Truong explained that the second half was an intense back-and-forth.

“We started off pretty slow, but we were in the lead most of the 2nd half before the 4th, when the game became pretty close again, and trading who was leading,” Truong said.

Truong stated that the team’s chemistry and control allowed them to come away with the win, but that their shot-making and rebounding held them back.

“We stayed composed by limiting turnovers and being careful with the ball,” Truong said. “Also being aggressive on defense. We hyped each other up the whole game, so keeping that chemistry up was also a big part for getting the win. I think shot making and rebounding are where we need to improve the most.”

The varsity boys’ basketball team will play in a tournament at Marble Falls from this Thursday, Dec 4, to Saturday, Dec 6. Truong explained that he is looking forward to building team chemistry at the tournament.

“I’m looking forward to spending time with the team and playing a lot of games at the tournament,” Truong said.

Caption by Evelyn Jenkins. Photo by Fletcher Vandegrift.

EMOTIONS ARISING Senior Josh Zuniga watches as his teammates celebrate a great play, during an intense game of a 65-62 win against Manor, last Monday on Nov. 24th.

“The hardest part was staying composed under pressure as a team,” Zuniga said.

While maintaining a calm and composed stature throughout the game the team still fought through ups and downs while maintaining a lead throughout most of the game. The team played short handed, with fewer players than usual, making it a different game than they are used to.

“We played well with some bumps in the road,” Zuniga said. “I think we were able to recover well, even though we got kind of sloppy towards the end and let them get closer, so we need to stay disciplined throughout the whole game.”

With different emotions throughout the game, Zuniga was happy to have won and celebrated with his team. After seeing the last few games play out Zuniga feels they will have a very good season, and has faith in their chances of winning.

“ I am pretty confident for the rest of this season, we have all played together for a while and we have good chemistry and skill throughout the team,” Zuniga said.

Zuniga loves celebrating his teammates, as his favorite moment from the game was watching his teammate Tristian Wright get a dunk, after a fast break. The excitement of the game is one of the things Zuniga loves most about playing basketball.

“I am always very excited before the games, and more calm during, but there are moments during the game that make it so much fun, and afterwards I was just very happy that we won,” Zuniga said. “I love the freedom and the fast pace of the game.”

Caption by Piper Adair. Photo by Fletcher Vandegrift.

CONFIDENT HOME OPENER Tristen Wright drives to the basket during the varsity boys’ basketball home opener against Manor New Tech, Nov. 24. Wright said the Knights entered the game “pretty confident,” carrying high energy as they aimed to set early-season standards in rebounding and limiting turnovers.

“It was our home opener, but the vibes were high for the whole team,” Wright said. “We went in very confident and had some goals to set, like rebounding, cutting turnovers, to set a standard for the season.”

Wright said he felt he contributed across the board during the game.

“I thought I played pretty good, I was having fun playing with the team,” Wright said. “I kind of did a bit of everything during the game, like scoring and rebounding.”

With many games on the schedule, Wright says that he’s looking forward to playing Anderson the most.

“The game is in around a month,” Wright said, “All of the guys on the team are really looking forward to it, and it seems to be the game to win.”

Caption by V Overstreet. Photo by Elizabeth Nation.

TEAM PLAYER Senior Will Garnes helps lead the Knights on the court during the boys’ varsity basketball match-up against Manor New Tech on Nov. 24. The Knights came away with a tight three-point victory in a continuously close game up until the final buzzer, ending up beating the Titans 65-62.

According to Garnes, the team’s growing chemistry has played a major role in their recent success, helping them move the ball smoothly on offense and stay connected throughout the game.

“Every game we learn how to play each other more, so we play smoothly now,” Garnes said. “It’s more fun to play when we understand where each other are going to be.”

Garnes added that since it was Thanksgiving break, the atmosphere was noticeably different with fewer fans cheering them on, making it harder to find their team energy. Even so, he said the team stayed focused and remembered what mattered most.

“It was definitely a little different where there were not so many people in the stands, it was harder to find the energy,” Garnes said. “We still played hard and won by three, those close games are always fun, no matter what.”

The Knights will continue their season this week, building upon their teamwork and gaining momentum heading into the next set of games.

Caption by Isa Truan. Photo by Arwen Pelletier.

HELPING HAND On Nov. 24th, junior small forward Miller Stephens and the McCallum boys varsity basketball team won against Manor New Tech 65-62, scoring the most points in a game at home this season. This year is Miller’s first on varsity and third playing with the Knights.

“After a hard tournament, we were really ready to win,” Stephens said.

In order to keep up the hot streak of scoring, the Knights needed to continue to turn defense into offense, according to Stephens.

“We definitely need to make sure we take the right shots because of how much we were forced in games before,” Stephens said.

The Knights face another non-district game against Cedar Park at Don Caldwell Gymnasium on Dec. 2nd.

Caption by Ethan Roberts. Photo by Fletcher Vandegrift.

SEASON POTENTIAL Last week, the boys’ Varsity basketball team welcomed the Manor Tech Titans to the Don Caldwell gymnasium for their third non-district game of the season. Senior power forward Alex Hopper says the game went well, despite some technical challenges going into the game.

“The game went well, and we got the win,” Hopper said. “We had a lot of players out because they were on vacation already, but we still found a way to get this win, which was really nice.”

For Hopper, the team still has a few things they will need to work on if they want to succeed in district play.

“I think we needed to work on the energy at the beginning of the game,” Hopper said. “I think if we can fix that, we will have the potential to be a good team.”

The Knights will start district play once we return from winter break. Their district opener will be against LASA on Jan. 26.

Caption by Sofia Saucedo. Photo by Fletcher Vandegrift.