The Basketball Battle of Pleasanton: Falcons versus Dons

On Friday, February 16th, the Foothill boys basketball varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams played Amador Valley High School in a highly anticipated rivalry game attended by many students from both schools. In the first game, the freshmen team battled hard for both halves but couldn’t overcome Amador Valley, ending with the final score of 33-58. However, junior varsity was able to have the closest game of the night, finishing with a tight 56-50 victory despite taking a loss against them in the previous season. Finally, the varsity team came up short against the Dons, ending 46-62, despite all of their hard work during the season. Overall, the matchup showcased the efforts of the three boys basketball teams and reflected the intense school spirit that has been a part of the rivalry tradition. Reflecting after the game, junior varsity basketball player Dev Chakraborty [10] said, “My mindset going into the game was trying our best to win, as winning this game would be the perfect end to our 24-3 season. We worked hard all season and wanted to leave it all on the court. The outcome was the best feeling as that memory and moment is one that is impossible to forget. I am planning to work on everything and all skills as I need to completely improve as a player, as I aim to try and make varsity in my junior year.” His words show how basketball players at Foothill value growth and effort, not just winning a game. During the game, the student section was booming with hundreds of students from both teams, peaking in excitement during the varsity game. Despite a few close losses, the Foothill Basketball program’s motivation and spirit has continued to grow this season.