LINDEN - Fountain Central boys have high expectations for this season. The 2022-23 campaign began for them on Tuesday with a dominating display on the defensive side of the ball in their 46-24 win over the Chargers. What highlighted the effort was holding North Montgomery scoreless in the third quarter as the Chargers didn’t score in the second half until 4:45 mark of the fourth. For the game FC held the Chargers to 11-48 (23%) from the floor and 0-17 from behind the three-point arc.
For much of the first half the game was close with the Mustangs clinging to a 14-13 lead. Then a 12-0 ensued for the visitors giving them a 26-13 lead and they never looked back as FC cruised to a season opening win.
“We talked about before the game that we didn’t know what was going to happen,” second year Mustang coach Greg Dean said. “We told ourselves that if we come out of the gate and play good solid defense and get after them a little bit we’d be fine. I was really proud of our effort on that side of the ball. They did as a unit and played physical. That’s something we focus on heavily and they came out and guarded like crazy.”
Will Harmon was a big part of that run in the second for the Mustangs as he drilled three straight threes as the junior led all scorers in the game with 16 points. Mason Larkin added 10 with Isaac Gayler scoring nine. Owen Acton added six for FC, Luke Foxworthy three, and Koby Wolf two.
“Will has the ability to pass and score at a very high level,” Dean said. “I’m real proud of the way he played. Offensively as a unit we have to find more efficient ways to score but that will come with time. Sometimes we have to be more patient and sacrifice a good shot for a great one.”
North Montgomery was led in scoring by sophomore Kelby Harwood who ended the game with 14 points in the loss. Jarrod Kirsch added six while both Drew Norman and Cameron Enlow each scored two. Charger coach Chad Arnold credited the Mustangs for how they came out and gave his team fits in the season opener.
“That’s a good basketball team that we played tonight,” Arnold said. “I thought we did a good job of competing especially in that first half. Harmon is a good player and just hit some contested shots. Colton Zachary did a good job of staying on him. Going into the first game of the year like that against a good team is hard to do. We’ll be alright and our guys will learn from this.”
FC begins the year at 1-0 and will have 10 days off between games as they’ll return to action on Dec. 2 at home vs Clinton Central. North Montgomery will be back in action next Friday when they travel to county rival Southmont for an early season county and Sagamore Conference showdown.
