On Dec. 14, the boys’ basketball team took on the Seneca High School Redhawks in the first home game of the 2013-2014 regular season.

Manual had been tested in their previous game against Bardstown High School, losing by 12 points, so they hoped to make a better showing on their home court. The Crimsons prevailed, defeating Seneca by a score of 72-36.

The game started out at a fast-paced tempo and rapid ball movement from the Crimsons. This high level of energy flustered Seneca which allowed the Crimsons numerous opportunities for easy points. This proved a very effective strategy, seeing as Seneca could never quite catch their footing and gain any momentum in the game.

“It’s always good to get out of the gates quick. How your team starts is crucial to every basketball game and if you can find a way to get in the lead early on, you’ve got a huge advantage for the remainder of the game,” said Jarrett Harness (11, #4).

Then came a game-long pattern of Seneca inbounding the ball and Manual forcing the turnover, whether by stealing the ball or forcing a bad pass. Manual’s press has greatly improved since last year.

“Our guys do a really good job of keeping the pressure on the other team when they’re bringing the ball up the court. Our conditioning really helped with that this year because you have to be quick and aggressive when you press and that requires a lot of stamina and endurance,” said Trey Boyd (12, #33).

The Crimsons’ next game is scheduled for Dec. 19 against Iroquois High School in the Oldham County Invitational. Follow @theCSPNsports on Twitter for live tweets of the game.