Yavneh defeated Texoma Christian School of Sherman, Texas 64-37 Tuesday night. The win clinches the TAPPS 3A District 2 title for 2020 outright and improves the Bulldogs record to 26-3 (11-0). This is now the 13th straight win this season and the 41st consecutive conference regular season feat for the program.
For all the dominance Yavneh has had this season in District 2, including a combined 10-game margin of 795-471 and only a pair of games decided by high-single digits, they were facing a precarious situation far north of the “Big City” Tuesday. None of the previous 10 healthy victories could prevent a tight knot at the top of the district standings should Texoma Christian simply hold serve against the Bulldogs in their gym on a brisk Tuesday night essentially in Oklahoma. Its not as if the first meeting between these teams was all that convincing even in the comforts of the SRC as Texoma outshot Yavneh and held them to just a +1 board edge at a paltry 25-24. But why wouldn’t this team, with their community hurting and mourning, rise to the occasion? Why would they not heed the harmonious, delightfully screeching orders to “GET THE REBOUND” that were so often commanded to this team in their glorious history by mother, mentor, superfan, and staunch supporter Annette Wolk z”l In fact, a 42-22 rebounding clinic by the now back-to-back-to-back-to-back district champions was just the recipe to storm past this pesky Eagles squad that had not blinked in any other game throughout the conference season. Senior Mason Schwaber led the assault on the boards right from the get-go with a tip follow for the first bucket of the night. In fact, Schwaber and his partner in crime Jonah Eber were more intent on showing off their volleyball talents to score the first full touchdown in the first game following SuperBowl LIV. They set, spiked, and corralled several second chances to account for the initial 5 points and a Schwaber lunging steal found Tyler C Winton and on to Jason Prager for the 7-0 beginning. A Prager steal for a score injected some more energy combined with an Eber to Schwaber connection and surged the road team into a 13-5 edge. Of all the rebounds, and there were many, Noah Ohayon’s elevator trampoline follow and finish was the most awe-inspiring of all. He has not been that high off the ground since the flight back from Baltimore in late 2019, and another Prager steal found fellow Junior transfer Avery Levy for a foul line jumper to end the first period. The 17-5 lead for Yavneh came courtesy of a 15-4 rebounding domination and 7 forced turnovers. While the offense was a little frenetic and included several misses on Texoma blocked shots, the defense was awesome. The Eagles only pair of field goals came on bully-ball out of bounds plays underneath for star post Thomas Barnett. Rebound #16 came on yet another Schwaber tip follow as Mount Mason was simply locked and loaded on this special night in his career. Prager darted a pass to Eber on a precision cut into the lane, capping a 10-0 run for the Bulldogs and a 21-5 edge. Ohayon added one of his patented Eraser Specials as he obliterated one Texoma shot attempt in the lane. Winton was fired up in this game and he facilitated greatness as well. One steal/assist pushed countered a Texoma mini-run and pushed the score to 23-9 in response. Schwaber followed with a pair of consecutive field goals from Winton and Prager to further stem the tide. It was then JP’s launching theft that went to fellow Splash Brother Winton for a McBuckets transition finger roll finish. Prager also bottomed a triple to cap a 12-4 retaliatory spurt to net a 33-13 halftime lead. The Bulldogs led in shooting, rebounding, ball security, and just flat out energy. The teams combined to shoot 1/13 from three point range in the first half and Schwaber led the way with 14 points/8 rebounds to the Eagles total 13 points/10 rebounds by himself.
This team was not going to let Texoma back into this game and they played with a purpose from buzzer to buzzer on this night. Schwaber, who had as good a clinching game as one could ask for, held a block party to start the second half with multiple rejections. Eber stole, scored, and completed an AND-ONE, Winton threw a great skip pass to Prager for one three ball, and Schwaber tip passed his way moments later for a dejavu trifecta from Pistol Prager. For all the rebounding, the side show may well have been the refreshing renaissance of the Jonah Eber free throw. Not once but twice did the oft embattled charity javelin thrower connect on a perfect pair of free throw swishes en route to a 7/10 night from the line. Winton’s seeing-eye pass threaded the needle to Levy for a finish off glass and a great drive-and-dish from Hillel Baynash to Ohayon ended the third period with a healthy 50-31 edge. The final stanza of drama for this district regular season had no theatrics….at least in terms of score. A great patient possession culminated with an Eber to Schwaber hookup, as the Bulldogs were stylistically closing out this district race one trip at a time. Ben Rael took yet another charge to go along with his 7 enormous rebounds and efforted all game while flying from end to end on the court. Reece Parker’s breathtaking helper to Schwaber came predictably in the fourth quarter for a player that we all know shines like none other during that time frame. Nik Krasovitsky grabbed a mammoth late rebound that resulted in a trip to the free throw line while Elisha Klein and Tom Oster combined for 3 blocks, adding to the ridiculous 12 total on the night. For a third straight game, Oster’s energy level on defense was a difference maker and is a huge factor in the zero drop-off this squad has had defensively throughout the games. As remarkable a district run as you can have, both Schwaber and Eber made the clinching game one to remember. Dueling DOUBLE-DOUBLE performances saw Jonah Eber score 19 points and pull down 11 rebounds while Mason Schwaber’s 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots was just as majestic. Jason Prager’s 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals (including all 3 team triples) added insult to injury to make it 52 points for those three versus the Eagles mere 37 total points. Ben Rael’s 7 rebounds and Tyler Winton’s 5 assists highlighted yet another game where the entire roster significantly contributed.
Yavneh (26-3) has clinched the 1 seed in District 2, a first-round BYE, and a home playoff game come February 18th. With only a rematch with Heritage Christian standing in the way of a 3rd consecutive perfect district regular season, SENIOR NIGHT awaits on Thursday. While the 111 points scored in the game at Rockwall leaves fans only imagining what the possibilities might be for this final regular-season game in the careers of Eber, Schwaber, Winton, and Parker, it should be noted that no other team has scored in the 60s or 70s against the Bulldogs this season (71 points allowed in the first meeting) As the Red-and-Black begins to prepare in earnest for another State title run and a 4th straight appearance at STATE, it will be an interesting final month of the 2019-20 season.
The Kennel Report, now in its 16th season, is written by…
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