Photo credit: Purvi Singhania
The Aragon varsity boys basketball team (12-9 overall, 6-3 Peninsula-South) defeated San Mateo (8-12 overall, 1-7 Peninsula-South) in dominant fashion 48-34 on Feb. 3. Behind a balanced offensive attack and an aggressive defense, the Dons jumped out to a huge 22-4 halftime lead that they never relinquished.
“We didn’t want to give them [any] space [on defense],” said junior guard Jacob Ruttenberg. “We’ve got to keep the pressure on when we’re up and I’m glad we were able to do that in the third quarter.”
The Dons’ defense was the catalyst of their great beginning. Aragon consistently crowded the Bearcats’ shooting pockets, leading to difficult shots and a mere four points gained by the opponent at halftime.“I was extremely happy with the defense in the first half,” said head coach Hosea Patton. “I don’t think I’ve ever coached and held a high school varsity team to four points.”
Building on their defense, the Dons got ample opportunities in transition, getting to the rim for easy layups or finding open shooters on the perimeter. Led by senior point guard Logan Wall’s 17 points and Ruttenberg’s 13, the Dons were able to generate efficient offense, cutting into the middle of San Mateo’s zone and playing inside-out basketball.
“We like … playing patiently in our offense in order to get opportunities, especially at the rim,” said junior forward Elan Smyla.
The Dons were extremely physical inside, creating space on the perimeter for easier shots, including three three-pointers by sophomore forward Jasper Caffo. When the Dons did miss, they grabbed offensive rebounds, leading to more shots.
However, the Dons took their foot off the gas pedal in the fourth quarter, allowing San Mateo to gain momentum and get back in the game.
“We showed some complacency and the effort went down a little bit [toward the end],” Patton said.
Despite the late push from San Mateo, the Dons stayed composed enough to close out the game.
“We’ve been here before,” Ruttenberg said. “We were relaxed and poised.”
Coming off an underwhelming 2021-2022 campaign that saw the team place sixth in the Peninsula-South league, the Dons looked to have a bounce-back season by turning to their younger players.
“We’re actually younger than in the past … [with] two sophomores that are on the team and are in the starting lineup at any given time,” Patton said.
Even though they have a relatively new group of players, the team has started developing a strong chemistry, which flows into their offensive philosophy of sharing the ball.
“[We could] use a little bit more ball movement instead of rushing and [getting] guys to trust that they don’t have to do it all themselves,” Patton said. “Let the ball move and we’ll get the best shot under the circumstances.”
The ball movement doesn’t only stem from screening action, however. The drive-and-kick game is another major part of the Dons’ offense.
“If our offense gets stagnant, a lot of time [I’ll] drive … and score or … find shooters out on the wing,” Wall said.
Because the Dons offense relies heavily on outside shooting, both in transition and half-court sets, the coaching staff aims to instill a more aggressive approach when driving into the paint to prevent an overreliance on three-pointers.
“I’m trying to get my guys to put more pressure [and take] higher percentage shots,” Patton said. “If the defense sets, then the natural progression will be [to look for] somebody on the perimeter to catch and shoot.”
Defensively, the Dons employ a double-and-rotate strategy in order to deter the opposition from taking easy shots.
“Whenever we do defensive drills, our coach always makes sure that everyone is saying where you are, saying who you’re guarding,” Wall said. “If all five people on defense are talking and communicating with each other, it makes the defense way stronger.
Although this type of defense can reap immense rewards when performed correctly, it can be difficult to execute because of the amount of talking required.
“We run shell drills [with] four people on the floor moving the ball and four defenders who talk and communicate when defending,” Smyla said.
Despite the potential for the team, their relative inexperience repeatedly shows up, mainly through turnovers and inconsistency in tight games.
“When it gets close, we shoot too many threes,” Wall said. “We need to be more patient on offense and get better shots … towards the hoop.”
Their play in the clutch has reflected their shortcomings but as the season progresses, the Dons hope to fix these errors and gain momentum towards the CCS playoffs.
The Dons will face the Hillsdale Knights (16-5 overall, 8-1 Peninsula-South), who are currently third place in the league, at home on Feb. 10 at 6:15 p.m.
*stats as of Feb. 4
