The Alba-Golden Panthers sprinted out to a 16-0 lead, enroute to a 68-37 district win at Fruitvale last Tuesday. 

Once underway, the Panthers level of activity was excellent, converting hustle into points. 

A review of those first 16 points reveal a well-rounded effort. Luke Sutton got the Panthers started by hitting two free throws after getting fouled on a break. Boogie Trimble scored on a well-executed inbound play, and Wyatt Sutton followed with a steal and score. An offensive rebound put-back by Payton Dickinson and a kick-out corner 3-pointer by Samuel Olson made the score 11-0. 

Luke Jones hit a soft jumper from the baseline and Trimble concluded the run with a 3-pointer. Six Panthers scored on that run. 

That surge propelled Alba-Golden to a 20-7 lead at the quarter break and a 42-15 lead at halftime. The Panthers scoring continued in the third quarter before purposely slowing in the final quarter with the game well in hand. 

Three aspects of the win are particularly noteworthy.

First, the Panthers did not hesitate to attack the basket. This trait will become even more important against top-tier opposition as the season continues. 

Secondly, Alba-Golden remains one of the best-conditioned teams in East Texas. The positive, secondary effects of being in top physical shape are unquantifiable, but translate into winning turnovers, forcing bad shots and outrebounding the opposition.   

Lastly, a subtle change is detectable in the Panthers’ offense. Although they are yet aggressive in trying to get the ball to the post players, and to come up with quick assist passes, they have accepted some limits of the possible when it comes to forcing a pass through traffic. While there is more work that needs to be done on this, the trend is in the right direction.

With each game, the Panthers are synching-up better and better as a team. Perhaps the team’s strongest quality, as demonstrated against Fruitvale, was the tireless effort given by the Panthers. On this evening it was exemplified by the hustle and relentless activity of two seniors: wingers Gavin Parker and Payton Dickinson. 

Alba-Golden fans look forward to a solid district campaign this year.  

After a 2-0 district start, the Panthers will face North Hopkins and Cooper before hosting Como-Pickton Tuesday, Jan. 16.