The Charger men's basketball team had a very difficult schedule to begin the season. They have faced seven Top-10 ranked teams from Classes 3A, 4A, and 5A. The Chargers have fared well in the ranked games this season, having a record of 5-2 this season. 

However, the schedule is not getting easier with the Chargers facing 6A #17 Deer Creek and 6A #3 Edmond Memorial in the Bruce Gray Invitational. Not only do they have at least two ranked games in that tournament, but the Chargers also finish the regular season with five of their last six games being against ranked foes.

Heritage Hall currently holds a record of 9-2 (4-1 in Class 4A), but their last three wins have not been easy.

On January 4th, the Chargers played host to the Ada Cougars, who came into the game with a record of 4-3, but spinning out on a three-game losing streak. The Cougars did not seem to be phased by their recent performances as they came out to open the game on a 10-0 run. 

Although the shooting was not best for the Cougars, they also held Chargers scoreless until 46 seconds left in the first quarter, when senior Adam Buckler (5 points, 3 steals, 2 blocks in the game) split a pair of free throws. The Chargers did not make their first basket from the floor until junior Austin Lemon drilled a 3-point buzzer-beater from the corner to make the score 10-4 at the end of the first. Lemon finished with 7 points in the game. 

Early in the second, the Cougars were able to extend their lead back to 10 points going up 16-6. Then, junior Orie Walker (8 points, 9 rebounds) gave the Chargers the spark they were looking for with a tough "And-1" layup to cut the lead 16-9. 

From the 6:24 mark of the second quarter until 3:06, the Chargers held Ada scoreless and went on a 10-0 run of their own to tie the game at 16. The Chargers and the Cougars traded baskets, with Ada going up 22-19, until Senior Ethan Franks (game-high 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) hit another 3-point buzzer-beater for the Chargers and tied the game at 22 going into the break. 

Ada and Heritage Hall continued to trade baskets in the 3rd, but Ada was able to take a three-point lead going into the 4th, 34-31. The Cougars quickly grew their lead 40-34 at the beginning of the 4th. 

However, once again, the Chargers went on another run to tie the game at 40. With close to a minute remaining in the 4th, the game was tied at 49. Ada hit a tough layup to go up 51-49. With under 15 seconds to go, Ethan Franks was able to get into the paint and hit a lay-up to tie the game once again. 

Ada missed what would have been the game-winning layup at the buzzer and the game was heading to overtime. The game felt different because it seemed that both teams' offenses had begun to figure out how to succeed against the tough defenses. 

Once again, the teams traded baskets throughout the overtime period, but the Chargers found themselves up 59-57 with under a minute left. Ada could not capitalize on missed free throws by Heritage Hall that left them down by 3 and Heritage Hall was able to get the victory 61-57.

The next game would not be any easier than the previous, as the Bethany Bronchos faced the Chargers on January 7th. The Broncos came into this game with a record of 6-2 and on a three-game winning streak. 

The Chargers got out to an early 4-0 start, but that start was nullified by Bethany as they went on an 11-4 run to close out the first quarter. 

Bethany continued their hot run by opening the second with a three. Late in the second, the Chargers could not seem to find an answer to what Bethany was doing and found themselves down 20-10. However, with under two minutes left to go in the 2nd quarter, Bethany led 22-13. The Chargers needed to find a spark to get back in this game, and found one when Junior Kyle McLaughlin (game high 18 points, plus 5 rebounds) hit a three. Moments later, Orie Walker stole the ball with the Chargers pressing full court. Ethan Franks was able to find McLaughlin again for another three and just like that the Chargers were down 22-19. Franks finished the game with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. 

Bethany went down the court and answered to grab a 25-19 lead going into the half. Bethany once again came out strong and found themselves up 32-23 late in the third quarter. The Chargers were only able to cut the lead down to 7 before the end of the third and Bethany led 38-31. 

Heritage Hall was able to go on a 5-0 run in the first 4 minutes of the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 38-36. Bethany responded with a run of their own to extend their lead to 44-38 with 2:30 left in the game. 

Once again, Kyle McLaughlin provided the spark Heritage Hall needed as he hit two 3-pointers and tied the game at 44 with 1:51 left. Neither team was able to score and the game went to overtime tied at 46. 

In the extra period, neither offense could get going like they had during regulation. Bethany was up 51-49 with just under one minute left. Junior CJ Smith (12 points, 7 rebounds), was able to hit an "And-1" layup to tie the game at 51, but could not hit the free throw that would put the Chargers on top. 

A pair of fouls by Bethany put Ethan Franks and sophomore Rashuad Smith at the line and both of them split their free throws. Rashaud Smith finished with 5 points and 5 rebounds. 

With HH up 53-51, Bethany had a chance to tie it and force another overtime, but great defense by the Chargers forced a bad shot by Bethany, and Heritage Hall held on to win 53-51.

The tough stretch was not over as the Chargers hosted Victory Christian on January 18th. The Conquerors had already bested the Chargers on December 17th, 67-41. 

Through the first quarter, no team really had a clear advantage and Victory Christian was up 15-12. Victory Christian's lead remained around three points for the majority of the second quarter until the Conquerors were able to extend the lead to 25-18 with under four minutes left to go in the half. 

Then the Chargers went on an 8-3 run to close the lead to 28-26 with just over one minute left to go in the quarter. With thirty seconds left, Victory Christian was up 31-28 and The Hall had the ball. CJ Smith (4 points, 3 rebounds) hit a very tough off-balance layup to beat the buzzer by a couple of seconds. Then, as Victory Christian was inbounding the ball, Austin Lemon (8 points) stepped in the passing lane, stole the ball, and scored a layup to put the Chargers up 32-31 at halftime. 

Throughout the third quarter, it went back and forth with no team getting a lead larger than four. The Chargers clung to a 49-46 lead heading into the final quarter. 

Heritage Hall was able to get the lead up to 54-50 and then they began to hold the ball to chew the clock. Victory Christian didn't do anything for about two minutes as Ethan Franks (team high 14 points) dribbled out much of the clock. 

However, this almost cost the Chargers because when the Conquerors finally forced the issue, The Hall could not score. On their next possession, Victory Christian quickly tied the game at 54 with 42 seconds left. 

Franks once again dribbled the clock out, ensuring that either the Chargers would win or the game would go to overtime. With 10 seconds left, Ethan Franks kicked the ball out to none other than Kyle McLaughlin, who drilled the clutch three-pointer with under 10 seconds left. McLaughlin finished the game with 9 points. 

After calling timeout, Victory Christian could not convert with the 4 seconds they had left and Heritage Hall beat Victory Christian, 57-54.

Although the tough schedule is not over, the Chargers have been able to beat three very good teams. Heritage Hall faces Deer Creek and Edmond Memorial this weekend, and then returns home next week on January 25th to face 3A #1 OCS.

Onward, Chargers!

Written by Caleb Kalcich '22
Photos by Kimberly Richelle