Kylee Meter
ASU Student Journalist

Valley Christian defeats Northwest Christian in final home game of the season

February 6, 2018 by Kylee Meter, Arizona State University


Both Valley Christian and Northwest Christian high schools entered Tuesday night’s matchup on six-game win streaks, but it was the Valley Christian Trojans who prevailed with a seventh straight win.

The Trojans (18-7-0) defeated the Northwest Christian Crusaders (20-6-0) by 20 points in their final home game of the season, posting a final score of 52-32 from Bradley Gym.

During the 2016-17 season, Valley Christian overpowered Northwest Christian in the teams' two meetings. Although this was the first time these non-conference opponents faced off this season, VCHS sophomore Logan Phillips said his team knew how to prepare against the familiar Crusaders.

“We knew exactly what they were going to come out with, they were going to be rough and tough,” Phillips said.

The Crusaders “rough and tough” defense was a concern for Valley Christian, but Northwest Christian struggled to maintain possession throughout the game.

“We had so many bad turnovers, all night was bad turnovers,” Northwest Christian head coach Jason Cook said. “When we don’t score, we don’t play very well.”

The first quarter looked promising for the Crusaders, who managed to tie up the game despite the Trojans taking the initial lead.

“This is a great rivalry, they know us and we know them,” Valley Christian head coach Greg Haagsma said. “So, we knew it was going to be close in the beginning.”

The second frame began with Valley Christian in the lead by three points, but the Crusaders’ turnover woes and numerous missed shots made it difficult to overcome their opponent’s building lead.

“I think as the game went on we saw the holes in their defense a little bit better, we started playing faster, which certainly opened up some lanes as well,” Haagsma said.

Valley Christian ended the first half with a 10-point lead. However, the third quarter featured multiple fouls for both teams and each struggled to score off plays that weren’t free throws.

Haagsma said the attempts to make fast shots prevented his team from getting into a flow. The referees’ whistles didn’t dampen the Trojans’ effort, and VCHS set the tone for the fourth with a three-pointer from junior Zach Timmer as the buzzer sounded.

Valley Christian had its most productive quarter in the fourth, and with 15 additional points for the Trojans, a comeback was becoming less probable for the Crusaders.

Phillips, who is the leader in points per game for the Trojans, explained that the fouls in the third served as motivation during the fourth quarter.

Despite falling further behind, Northwest Christian continued to put in an effort that lasted until the final seconds of their loss.

“Our kids are always going to play hard,” Cook said. “They hate losing, and we never want to play cheap at all. We just want to play hard.”

For Valley Christian, the victory was bittersweet. Haagsma said the team has become a family, and acknowledging that it was the final home game for the five seniors was “tough.”

The Trojans have one more regular season game against Pusch Ridge Christian Academy on Feb. 9 before the state playoffs begin.