After returning from their Cedar Hill tournament in Dallas, Texas, the Spartans hoped to start off district play with a win against the Americas Trailblazers. However, Americas was able to take steal one on the road, 60-48.

The first quarter was as competitive as advertised, two of the better teams in the city squaring off. The Spartans and Blazers were neck-and-neck the entire first quarter of play. The Blazers ended the first, 11-10.

Austin Brown was able to bring the Spartans back up into the lead with two consecutive three-pointers.

Towards the end of the second quarter, Blazers began to put a dent in Spartan defensive play. Several turnovers from the Spartans resulted in more offensive drives by the Blazers, putting the Blazers on top once again.

“Offensively, we need to come together,” head coach Arturo Escobar said on regarding improvements that can be made. “We need to play as a union.”

The second half would not look to seek favor for the Spartans. Americas offense would become too comfortable and began putting more points on the board, extending the lead. Blazers would soon create a 17-point lead halfway through the third quarter.

Junior Diego Mudloff, who played his first district varsity game tonight, says that if they bonded more like a team and elevate their chemistry, they would become unstoppable.

“We should improve on making smarter decisions with the ball instead of being fancy,” Mudloff said.

Blazer defense was able to put Spartan offensive plays to a stop, making it more difficult for the Spartans to get back in the game.

The Spartans are back in action this Friday afternoon Dec. 15  as they welcome the visiting Socorro Bulldogs. The Spartans look to avoid dropping consecutive games to open up their district portion of the schedule.