Faith Academy boys split games in opening week

CAPTION: Faith Academy sophomore point guard Austin Skahill is earning valuable minutes right against some challenging opponents. Photo by Stennis Shotts

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball team lost to Lake Travis 86-59 Nov. 15 after beating San Antonio St. Mary’s Hall 69-59 Nov. 11.

Flames head coach Zakk Revelle said he saw plenty of positives and plenty of opportunities to get better.

Against the Cavaliers, he pointed out keys that indicate progress.

The Flames (1-4) had a nine-point deficit after the first quarter that went to 15 going into the intermission thanks to a 9-0 Lake Travis run toward the end of the second period.

Revelle believes it could have been worse had it not been for the play of center Judah Phillips and guard Jase Marshall, who are both seniors.

“We know how good (Phillips) is,” the coach said. “We see the work he puts in, we see all the things no one else does. He was able to play the full game. The way he leads is probably the most remarkable thing. He led us really well and kept us in the game. I thought Jase handling the ball and all the things he does was another big thing that really helped us.”

Revelle noted the game allowed the Flames to give extended minutes to reserves.

“Our youth being able to play a team of that caliber is so beneficial for us,” he said. “We’re getting to play such a fast pace. And so being able to play at this speed is really, really good for the future, and we’re just really thankful that we get the opportunity to do it.” 

Against St. Mary’s Hall, the Flames had a 22-point lead during the game, but the Barons (1-3) went to their outside shooting to cut into the deficit in the fourth period. Former professional basketball player Reece Gaines took over as head coach of the program in September. He played college basketball at Louisville for former head coach Rick Pitano.

So he guided his players into believing no deficit is too big.

Meanwhile, Revelle noted his Flames had to learn something, too.

“This group has to learn how to win and put games away,” he said. “And so it was a really good learning lesson for us – the game is never over. Even when you’re down 20 in the fourth quarter, the game is not over. You could still make a run and so good for us to learn that. But then also good for us to figure out how to win it at the end.”

He noted the Flames will compete in the HTeaO Hoops Classic hosted by Marble Falls High School Dec. 4-6 with some really good competition against Magnolia and Austin East View.

“You play these really hard non-distrct games, you want to get ready for the district and playoffs,” the coach said. “As we move on, hopefully we continue to get better. Our first 5 games are probably the best teams we’ll play all year, and that’s not a knock at the rest of our schedule. But that’s just the reality of the situation. We played all these other teams so the speed of the game hopefully won’t be an issue for us.”

The Flames travel to play at Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.  

CAPTION: Faith Academy senior post Judah Phillips is always a tough match-up because of his height, body control and footwork. With his added strength, opponents are finding he is even tougher to defend and shoot over. Photo by Stennis Shotts