As expected, the JV boys basketball team opened the season with a difficult opponent in Nashville Central Christian.  From the opening tip, the Rockets were challenged to remain disciplined on the defensive end as NCC moved the ball around in a very active "5-Out" set.  Cutting, slashing, and sharp shooting helped the Warriors take a 26 to 11 lead into the half.

On the offensive end, the Rockets seemed to make the correct reads at times, but were simply late delivering the pass.  This led to some turnovers, and to the lack of production leading into the half.  

Still, the eight players who suited up for the Rockets never gave up.  The second half saw Forrest nearly double their offensive production from the first half.  They began to find the open man, which led to a trifecta of three pointers in the fourth quarter. (2 from Freshman Will Edmonson, and 1 from freshman Colton Cook)  The Rockets battled and won the 4th quarter, which was a small moral victory in the grand scheme of the entire game.  The Warriors from NCC finished the game with the victory, 49 - 31. 

Reasons for Optimism:

1.  7 of 8 Rockets scored 2 points or more, which is an example of all players bringing quality minutes. (Chase Hensley, Ty Hoeft, and Will Edmonson led Rocket scorers with 6 pts each)

2.  Spurts of defensive intensity.  There were times that the JV boys really locked down a very active and disciplined NCC offense.  The Rockets must simply work on consistency. 

3.  Shot 63% from the free throw line as a team.  Given the maximum minutes that the players played in this game, that is not a terrible percentage.

4.  The team showed more grit as the game went on.  Being the first game of the season, it was important to show improvement and more confidence as the game progressed.  The Rockets did this. 

Areas for Improvement:

1.  Getting our game legs ready.  The first few weeks of the season are always difficult, as teams transition from the practice floor to game speed.  The Rockets battled fatigue and mental breakdowns at times in this game.

2.  Better understanding of the offense and the reads within.  The JV team, on average, gets fewer reps in practice than the varsity players.  This leads to a more difficult transition running the offense, and slower reads when  there are players open.  This will get better as the year progresses. The large schedule should help. 

3.  Being more aggressive, playing with confidence, and attacking the basket. The Rockets were pushed around a little bit tonight, by a bigger and more physical team.  This mental and physical toughness will have to improve. 

All in all, this game did exactly what was expected.  It will give the Forrest coaches a baseline to monitor improvement.  The next JV game will be on Tuesday, Nov. 15th at Franklin.  Check back with Forresthoops.com for more JV basketball coverage.