Basketball Game Preview: Whittell Warriors vs. Excel Christian Warriors

The Whittell Warriors will face off against the Excel Christian Warriors at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Whittell and five for Excel Christian.

Last Saturday, Whittell was beaten by Smith Valley 71-23. While losing is never fun, the Warriors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nevada basketball rankings (they are ranked 94th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 26th).

Despite the defeat, Whittell got top-tier performance from Rocky Laremore, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 13 boards. The dominant performance also gave Laremore a new career-high in steals (six). Zachary Claypatch was another key player, putting up six points.

Meanwhile, Excel Christian played a tough game on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against Pyramid Lake, falling 56-31. The Warriors were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 31-8.

Excel Christian's loss dropped their record down to 1-8. As for Whittell, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.

Whittell was dealt a bruising 63-24 loss at the hands of Excel Christian in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can Whittell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.