Basketball Game Preview: Samueli Academy Firewolves vs. Vistamar Vikings

Samueli Academy hasn't had much luck against Vistamar recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Firewolves will be playing in front of their home fans against the Vikings at 2:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Samueli Academy will bounce into Saturday's game after beating Avalon, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Firewolves walked away with a 50-39 win over the Lancers on Thursday.

Zack Castruita

Points

01/15/26 @ Avalon	20
01/06/26 vs First Baptist	20
01/08/26 vs Acaciawood	16
01/14/26 @ Southlands Christian	10
01/03/26 vs Edgewood	10
+ 7 more games

Zack Castruita was the offensive standout of the contest as he posted 20 points. He is becoming a predictor of Samueli Academy's success: when he posts at least 15 points the team is undefeated (and 3-13 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Brenden Coughlin, who earned 11 points.

Meanwhile, Vistamar came tearing into Thursday's matchup with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 points), and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 81-43 victory over the Wolves. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 20 points or more this season.

Vistamar's win bumped their record up to 15-5. As for Samueli Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 6-13.

Samueli Academy came up short against Vistamar in their previous meeting back in January of 2025, falling 57-50. Thankfully for the Firewolves, Isaiah Hill (who dropped a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.