The KIPP Esperanza Eagles will be home for the holidays to greet the Mid-Peninsula Dragons at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but KIPP Esperanza ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They walked away with a 45-38 win over East Palo Alto Academy. The win was familiar territory for KIPP Esperanza who now have three in a row.
KIPP Esperanza found their leader in underclassman Eddie Whiteside, who scored 34 points. That makes it three consecutive games in which Whiteside has scored at least 25% of KIPP Esperanza's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Tuli Vea, who scored six points.
Meanwhile, Mid-Peninsula had to endure a 15-game losing streak dating back to last season, but that streak is no more. They took down Cindy Avitia 66-50 on Tuesday. Mid-Peninsula's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
KIPP Esperanza's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Mid-Peninsula, their win ended a eight-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-5.
Everything came up roses for KIPP Esperanza against Mid-Peninsula in their previous matchup back in December of 2022 as the squad secured a 60-29 win. Will KIPP Esperanza repeat their success, or does Mid-Peninsula have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
