The North Forsyth Raider Varsity Basketball Team won 79 – 52 against the Lumpkin County Indians in their first official game of the season on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Playing at the Raider Arena, North came out on top with a strong defense. Both teams had trouble driving the ball to the goal during most of the game, but the Raiders scored many three-pointers. The Raiders had several fouls, which allowed the Indians to score many free throws throughout the game.

The starting players for North were sophomore Matthew Rouse, #5, junior Aiden Kudlas, #10, sophomore DJ Hyams, #11, sophomore Kal-el Delgadillo, #24, and senior Jackson Olson, #32. Olson scored the beginning points within the first few seconds of the game. In the first quarter, the Indians had many fouls and turnovers, allowing North to score extra points. By the end of the quarter, the Raiders had scored 17 points, fronted by Delgadillo, who scored six points.

Near the start of the second quarter, Kudlas was penalized for an illegal block, allowing the Indians to score two free-throw points. The Raiders had multiple fouls, which allowed the Indians multiple chances to gain points through free throws. Freshman Braden Mullis, #22, scored multiple three-pointers for a total of 12 points by the end of the quarter. Mullis also fouled four times during the second quarter. The Raiders picked up 25 points, and the Indians picked up 15 points. The first half ended with the Raiders leading 42 – 20. 

Many three-pointers were scored in the third quarter on both sides. The defense was strong for both teams, making it difficult for either of them to drive the ball to the goal. Kudlas was on fire in the third quarter, scoring a little over 10 points. Rouse had a strong drive to the basket for a layup; however, he had several turnovers for carrying the ball. 

The two teams entered the final quarter with the Raiders still ahead with a score of 66 – 42. #44 Temidadayo Akinrinmade, a sophomore, scored two points in the last minute, bringing the team to a total score of 79 points. North managed to stay ahead of the entire game for a final score of 79. The Indians were over 20 points behind the Raiders with a score of 52. 

The top scorer was Braden Mullis, one of the two freshmen on the team. Mullis scored a total of 15 points for the Raiders. Aiden Kudlas, junior, explained that “Being a young team, we’ve got to grow. We’re really young. We started with four sophomores, so I got a lead and I’m proud of the way we started the season.” He expressed that the team still has a lot to improve on. He said “Once regionals start we will be a lot better. Right now we have a lack of experience. Once we start getting better we will improve with defense and communication.” The team is made up of two freshmen, seven sophomores, two juniors, and one senior. Kudlas believes that being a young team, they still have room to grow and improve.

The next boys varsity game is Saturday, Dec. 5 at 3:30 p.m. in the Raider Arena against Roswell High School. Come support the Raiders!