Casa Grande’s varsity basketball squad, now on a four-game losing streak, looked to take their recent frustrations out on their town rivals. Petaluma High, however, was looking to exact revenge after their heartbreaking loss to Casa a few weeks ago. With both teams motivated to win, fierce competitiveness was guaranteed. 

Casa came out of the gates with an explosion of shooting. Senior Jordan Giacomini drew a quick foul to start the game, and he proceeded to make both free throws. Before the Trojans could get the ball in the basket, senior Carter Cerruti and Giacomini drained three-pointers. The Gauchos were off to an 8-0 lead. The nice cushion was too good to be true as the Trojans quickly took a 9-8 lead. An obnoxious crowd of Trojan students attempted to get in the heads of the Gauchos, but they remained resilient. After big scoring runs by both teams, the end of the first quarter finished with the Trojans up 16-13. It was clear the game would most likely be an intense battle until the final buzzer.

The emotions began to boil starting in the second quarter. Petaluma High coach, Anton, was given a technical foul for leaving the coach’s box, an area designated for the coach along the sideline. The Trojans’ crowd hurled boos as the Gauchos appreciated the referee’s meticulous following of the rules. Sloppy play from both sides limited the scoring, but a few three-pointers from the Trojans increased their lead to 25-17 with a few minutes left until halftime. The Gauchos looked to cut into the lead before halftime, but instead, the Trojans had a double-digit lead heading into the break, 31-21.

Casa could not afford to let the lead grow any higher, but their shooting woes continued. The Trojans continued to push the pace on the offensive side, and the lead inflated to 37-21. The Gauchos had their chances to put up some points at the free-throw line, but the shots were not falling. The three-point specialists for the Trojans continued to rain down three-pointers — as if the Bay Area needed any more rain! The disappointment began to settle in the Casa crowd. The Trojans ended the third quarter with a 49-29 lead.

The opening minutes of the fourth quarter were no different than the first three quarters. The Trojans continued to overpower the Gauchos on the three-point line and in the paint. Junior Kyle Carlson provided some offensive energy, but the Gauchos still remained down big. With the game time approaching zero, the excitement of the Trojans began to swell. The Gauchos just wanted this game to be over. In a hostile environment, the Gauchos played to win, but the Trojans prevailed 58-40. 

The Gauchos’ next home game will be on Jan. 25 against Napa High School. Their next contest against Petaluma will be on Jan. 30 at Petaluma High School.