The high school sports season shows no signs of slowing down. With volleyball barely in the rearview mirror, it was time for the school teams to take the hardcourt for the start of Superhoops.

On Thursday, the Porter Creek Rams paid a visit to F.H. Collins to play the Warriors in the day’s second game. The Rams collapsed the paint and turned defence into transition points as they got their first win 98-82.

It was a dream start for the Rams at the opening tip. They were scoring at will, getting buckets at the rim and from distance.

F.H. made it a clear point to get to the foul line and that is where they lived in the first quarter.

Porter Creek coach, Paul MacDonald, said the team did well to clean up the fouls when they stopped reaching and started moving their feet on defence.

“It was good first start and I’m happy with the effort,” said MacDonald. “We were a little bit foul crazy in the first quarter but we cleaned it up big time. I think we looked at it and half their points, at least, came at the foul line in the first quarter.

“I wanted them to play intense but you forget that it’s the first game. We aren’t quite there yet. They want to play with their hands instead of their feet and not square up.”

Porter Creek player of the game Kenny Wyatt, was the first to figure out F.H.’s game plan and got in the lane and stood his ground taking several charges.

“That’s always a good thing for a team,” said MacDonald. “There is nothing more motivational to a team than when your teammate stands in and takes a charge. He’s like Kyle Lowry. He’ll lead the league in charges.”

The Warriors were down 31-16 heading into the second quarter and that’s when Ralph Hermosa, one of the best players in high school basketball, got rolling.

F.H. cut the lead to 41-36 heading into the break. At the start of the second half, MacDonald said his team did a better job of neutralizing Hermosa.

“We’ve got some quick guys and we have guys who want to play Ralph,” said MacDonald. “A couple of those guys got in foul trouble earlier so had to go deeper into the bench.”

“I said ‘Boys, Ralph is going to beat you’ and if he beats you, you have to rely on your teammates to recover and play good help defence. I think we did a little better at that.” MacDonald said he wanted the Rams to limit the rest of the F.H. offence.

“He’s (Hermosa) is going to get 25-30 points but can we limit the rest of them,” said MacDonald.

“If he doesn’t have the ball I wanted them up and denying the ball and I prefer him not bringing the ball up the court and deny the first pass.”

In the third quarter, the Rams were able to rebuild their advantage that got whittled away before the halftime break.

Wyatt made two threes early for a six-point swing and when the defence collapsed on the driving lanes he found open shooters.

Kiiwaadin Swan hit some threes and got out on the fast break for transition buckets at the rim.

On defence, the Rams collapsed the paint and forced F.H. into difficult shots with a hand in their face. As well, they boxed out and didn’t allow the Warriors to secure offensive rebounds for second chance point opportunities.

Porter Creek kept their foot on the gas to start the fourth quarter. Their defence remained stifling and that led to more fast-break opportunities.

Cameron Ryles put the game out of reach with an eight-point swing. First, he made a highlight-reel play as he split two Warriors defenders while wrapping the ball behind his back and laying it in uncontested.

His teammates then found him at the elbows of the three-point arc and he buried both attempts, nothing but net.

F.H. player of the game was Andrei Salas who was dominant on the boards during the first half.