Linden is 0-10 against Calaveras since January of 2015 but things could change on Tuesday. The Linden Lions will welcome the Calaveras Red Hawks at 7:15 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Linden took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top against Summerville by a score of 57-44.
Will Hubbart continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, putting up 23 points. Braden Busalacchi was another key player, scoring 12 points.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Calaveras' good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell just short of Bret Harte by a score of 60-57. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Red Hawks have suffered since November 28, 2023.
Despite the defeat, Calaveras saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Cohen Curran went 7 for 8 on his way to 18 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Josh Manzo, who posted eight points and 11 boards.
Even though they lost, Calaveras smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.
Linden has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.3 points per game. As for Calaveras, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 12-8.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as Linden and Calaveras are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Linden hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 58.3 points per game. However, it's not like Calaveras struggles in that department as they've been averaging 62.1 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Linden came up short against Calaveras when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 57-49. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Calaveras' Ryan Clifton, who went 6 of 12 en route to 18 points. Now that Linden knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
