AVC v IMC

SoCal Prep & High School Report

Still More High Desert Hi-Jinks:
Immanuel Beats AVC--(February 3, 1998)

You don't hear about the Agape League, or the Hi-Lo League (how descriptive) very often. We're going to change that. Read this:

After years of losing to the Antelope Valley Christian Eagles, Immanuel Christian School, which plays in the Hi-Lo League of Southern Section with such teams as Baker, Calvary Christian, Lee Vining, and Owens Valley, is exacting its share of revenge for past losses inflicted on them by the Eagles.

AV Christian plays in the Agape League against such schools as Apple Valley Christian, Bethel Christ, New Life Christian, and Victor Valley Christian. Even though AVC and IMC are in different leagues, they've traditionally played a mid-season game against each other. AVC is way ahead in the series. But on Friday night, the Immanuel Crusaders took a step at rebalancing the ledger, playing at the Kerr McGee Center and beating the Eagles 76-66

The win by Immanuel (15-3) is just the second time in the school's history that it has beaten AVC. The first came Jan. 15 in Lancaster where the Crusaders cruised to a 74-58 victory. Combined with a 51-22 win by the Lady Crusaders, it is the second time this year that Immanuel has swept the Eagles and only the second time in school history.

After leading 35-28 at halftime, Immanuel showed a renewed vigor early in the third when it went on a 6-0 run that dampened the Eagles' spirit. The Crusaders forced three straight turnovers and capitalized on each one to force AVC into a timeout with 6:22 to go in the third quarter. It did little good, as
Immanuel went on a 23-14 run that secured the win. Throughout the night, the Crusaders displayed a variety of passing talents that gave evidence of very little selfishness within their ranks. On several trips up the floor on offense Immanuel made four touch passes to go end-to-end and score.

Antelope Valley made a run late in the fourth, but it was diminished again by the Crusaders willingness to slow things down and run the clock instead of blazing up and down the floor on fastbreaks. The highlight of the final period was a mini-dunk by center Matt Cross for Immanuel that brought many of the Crusader faithful to their feet and gave Cross his only two points of the night. Anthony Pfau and Matt Bisaro led Immanuel with 17 points each. Pfau also led the team in assists with 13 and steals with seven. Justin Nelson added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Chris Fowler had nine points and a team-high 13 boards.

Michael Nurse led AVC with 19 points, while Mitch Kyle had 14 and Jonathan Pratt got 10. The Crusaders will play their final regular season home game of the 1997-98 season today, Tuesday when they host Owens Valley in a return to Hi-Lo League play. Immanuel is currently 4-0 in Hi-Lo league play.

Scoring for Antelope Valley was led by Nurse with 19 points, followed by Kyle with 14. Others scoring were Hannah with 3, JiPratt with 3, JoPratt 10 points, Cho with 4, Smith 9, and Kim with 3 points. Immaneul was led by Pfau with 17, Nelson 13, Cross 2, Metcalf 7, Bisaro 17, Skatvold 5, Fowler 9, and Vassar with 6 points.

There, now don't you feel better? We know that some of the AVC and IMC players, who never really get any attention probably do, even if half of them feel the wrong team won.