By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
After opening the 2021-2022 season with a 53-45 loss to Burlingame High School, Cair Paravel's boys basketball team has responded in impressive fashion with four straight wins.
“We usually put some points on the board, but the first game was a bit more difficult for us,'' Cair Paravel coach Mike Malloy said. "Lately, we’ve done well and have beaten some good competition. We have a bunch of good solid individuals.
"These guys want to be good. They want to put in the effort. This year, so far, has been fun. Having fun is helping our guys this year.''
Senior Zach Clark (5) leads 4-1 Cair Paravel Latin with a 14.6 scoring average entering Friday's home game against Kansas City Christian. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Noah Hastert (4) is a top returning player for Cair Paravel Latin, which is 4-1 on the season with four straight victories. [File photo/TSN]
At this point in the 2020-2021 season, the Lions sat at 3-2. That wasn’t a bad place to be for the Lions. At the end of the season, Cair Paravel Latin School finished with a 10-8 record, falling in the playoffs against Burlingame. The trajectory for this year is much higher than it was last year.
One game sticks out more than the rest during the current four-game win streak, with Cair Paravel defeating Christ Prep Academy, 91-37. The Lions shot the ball 70 times and converted 42 of those shots. That was the most amount of points the Lions have scored since February 14th, 2020, when Cair Paravel put up 100 points against Whitefield Academy in a 100-30 victory.
The victories Cair Paravel has put together have been convincing. When the Lions win, they’ve outscored opponents, 275-163. Cair Paravel has shot at a 49-percent mark.
Cair Paravel’s success isn’t by luck or accident, with nearly half of the team comprised of seniors. Zach Clark, Noah Hastert, Carter Brian, Ethan Everhart and Levi Will have had a significant impact on the young season.
Clark is averaging a team-high 14.6 points and has been on the floor for 119 minutes this season. Clark scored a season-high in points of 22 against Christ Prep Academy back on December 7th.
Seniors Hastert, Brian, Everhart and Will are averaging a combined 32 points, 12.4 assists, and 23.2 rebounds per game.
“The best thing I can say about (the seniors) is that these guys help each other out and they are great teammates for each other and the underclassmen,'' Malloy said. "They work together, they play together well, and they are always there to help each other out. As far as this season, they have been great with their roles and it has given us some success.
“We have to keep up the hard work and be the best we can be every day.''
Cair Paravel will host Kansas City Christian School (2-3) on Friday, trying to extend its undefeated record at home.
