Aztecs Defeat Spartans

On Tuesday, January 24th, our Boys Basketball team took on rival Gonzales Spartans. The Aztecs were led by senior Samuel Caldera who had a 15 point night and showed off extraordinary range behind the arc as well as some tremendous work in the paint. Juniors Beto Tinajero and Billy Hollman both had 12 points to end the night.

From tip off you were able to tell that it was going to be a lopsided game. The Aztecs looked in sync after a few shaky starts in the beginning of the season with co-captain Isaac Lopez storming down the court for an easy layup to get the crowd going in the beginning of the game. Since it was a rivalry game the crowd’s atmosphere was electric, more than usual, and the tension was felt throughout the gym. Tinajero was also on fire behind the arc racking up a pair of 3’s. Hollman had been quiet this season with his perimeter shots but he decided to let it go this game, he had a few shots just inside the 3 point line. That being said, there has to be some relief on Head Coach Zapien’s part knowing his starting center can shoot from the perimeter.

Going into the 3rd and 4th quarter, Gonzales tried to rally up some points and crawl back into the game; however, after a steal by Lopez, Hollman took the ball down the court for a slam and the crowd completely lost it. It is clear that Hollman is looking to continue to spread his wings throughout the remainder of the season. Caldera also let a pair of 3’s fly in the 4th quarter to finish off the game. The Aztecs defeating Gonzales 62-45, adding another win to their record.

Photographed by Alec Ramirez