Five straight and counting; crown awaits
- Updated: December 6, 2021
2021-21 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
By Dave Dickens
EastCountySports.com
CORONADO (12-4-2021) — It is always a beautiful ride over the Coronado bridge, and over to the island.
The air seems cleaner, the sun shines brighter, and another win for Monte Vista, Santa has definitely come early and often for the Monarchs.
Coach Mike Tully, a legend himself within the Grossmont Conference, just doesn’t receive the accolades due from the true coaching and life lessons he delivers to these young student-athletes.
Every ship needs a great captain, and you can set sail with Captain Mike Tully anytime, as he transforms these kids by showing them that if you buy into this system, he can direct you into the winning direction, and he has done it for more than two decades.
After a demolishing of winless Liberty Charter, it was time to show the Islanders what true monarchy really is.
As the 5-1 Monarchs arrived, they were warming up quickly to take on another winless, but competitive Coronado Islanders (0-3).
Up 25-18 at the half, the Islanders appeared to make a push, but after the third quarter of play, the scoreboard read 42-33, Monarchs.
For the visiting Monarchs, it was looking a little too close for comfort, as the hosts cut it to 48-43, with four minutes left in the fourth.
Senior Brandon Tully, similar to what he has done last year and especially this year, went on a 12-0 run to solidify the fifth straight for the mighty Monarchs.
Chris Lybarger had a great game, with two field goals, while going 2-for-2 at the free-throw line for six total points.
Armando Rasing played great defense, dad a pair of field goals, made a three-pointer and was 2-for-2 at the line for 9 total points.
Isaiah Hilke had four field goals, while 5-for-6 from the line, and had 13 total points scored, while Brandon Tully finished the evening with seven field goals, three three-pointers, was 5-of-6 from the foul line, and had 27 points.
“Saheed Jervis also gave us quality minutes off the bench, and Marco (Balhin) controlled the game from the point “ said Coach Tully.
“I felt like our defense was the strong point of our game tonight and limiting the turnovers that we had. Also, we were able to hit our free throws, when we had the opportunity to. Overall we did the little things better than they did,” said Hilke.
“I’ve just been working hard in practice and outside of practice, and Coach Tully has just been motivating me to play harder,” Said Jervis.
“Saheed has been playing hard off the bench, giving great minutes. In the end, I had the hot hand, my team put me in great situations to make my shots and score. As a team, we played amazing defense at the end to make my 12-0 run at the end possible,” said Tully.
Up next for the Monarchs (6-1), they travel once again, this time to the North County in Carlsbad to take on Pacific Ridge (7-1), on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Pacific Ridge knocked off Valley Center, 67-42, this past Friday.
This should be a great one folks, if it fits in your schedule, this one will be a beauty.
