By Meagan Newsom

With 59.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter, a red-faced, hot tempered, balding Johnson coach calls a timeout; just 10.3 seconds later; a stern Coach Val calls a timeout. As the last 48.9 seconds dwindle down, Madison passes the ball to sophomore Brandyn Hawk at the 3 point line…SWISH the basket is good, but doesn’t clench a win for Mavericks.

With the first district game over and done with, the boys don’t let the 52-58 loss get them down, instead they look at it as a growing experience and what to look for in the season ahead. The boys are not shy to point out their own mistakes and what they need to work on.

“Well tonight Johnson was coming back from a loss and we were a bounce back game for them,” senior captain Philip Brown said. “They shot great and we just didn’t play good enough defense. That’s why we lost that game. Our coach told us about their abilities and we didn’t respect that.”

Coach John Valenzuela, although disappointed in their playing, explained that the team he saw playing against Johnson wasn’t playing their game. He knows that his boys are capable of so much more, and is ready to see them play to their potential.

“They know they’re better than what they played last night,” Coach Valenzuela said.

Brown commented on the team not playing their “A game,” and the knowledge that once the team starts playing their game, the outcome of games will be much different. 6 a.m. practices show a much different team, a team playing the game they know; that they own.

“We just need to play like we practice and play like there’s no tomorrow,” senior captain Emilio Trejo said.

The Mavericks practiced early this morning, perfecting any little problem before their noon game tommorow (Saturday) at Blossom Athletic Center against Roosevelt.

“I think it’s a good wake up call. Hah this [is] what the district race is all about. Johnson is over and done; it’s all about beating Roosevelt,” senior Taylor Henry said.