On Nov. 19, the UHS Boys’ Varsity Basketball team opened their season with a 59-34 victory over the Orange Panthers.

The starting five featured senior captains Shervin Moarrefian and Issac Evans at shooting guard and point guard, respectively. Seniors Faris Harb and Eli Pretto filled the small forward and center positions, while sophomore Abdallah Shami completed the lineup at power forward. 

“We practiced and did a lot of practice and did a lot of work on defensive drills,” Varsity Head Coach Beau Budde said.

The Trojans opened strong, nearly shutting out the Panthers with a 24-2 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Panthers barely touched the ball, with the Trojans dominating position and snuffing most of their chances. The Panthers found their rhythm as the game went on, narrowing the gap with quarter scores of 13-10 and 14-13 in the second and third quarters. The Trojans lost momentum in the fourth quarter, trailing 9-8, but their early lead secured the overall victory.

“The game went well; we came out with great energy from the tip and started off the season strong,” Moarrefian said.

Moarrefian led the team with 18 points, followed by Evans with 17. Shami led the team in rebounds and blocks with 12 and four, respectively, in just 26 minutes of play. 

“I thought the kids played great,” Budde said. “There’s a lot to do for sure, but there’s a lot of promise and a lot of hope, so I’m excited for the year.”

Many players share Coach Budde’s optimism, are satisfied with the game’s result, and look to continue performing well.

“We played really well and took care of business,” Shami said. “We executed our plays and showed full intensity throughout.” 

Both Shami and Moarrefian have high aspirations for the season.

“My personal goals for this season are to help qualify us for CIF,” Moarrefian said. 

The Trojans’ next game is at Tesoro High School for the North/South OC Challenge on Dec. 21.