HESPERIA — Hesperia messed up its final offensive play coming out of a timeout, down a point, in Thursday’ rivalry game against Holton. Luckily, sophomore Dominick Rivera was there to save the day.
Rivera got loose at the top of the key with about 20 seconds left, stepped forward and knocked down a jump shot, and after a defensive stop, the Panthers greeted a joyous student section that stormed the court to celebrate a 47-46 comeback victory.
Rivera entered the fourth quarter with zero points - and his team down 40-28 - but he hit a big three-pointer early in the quarter to help spark a comeback, and he didn’t hesitate when the moment arrived in the final minute.
“We were supposed to set a pick low,” Hesperia coach Scott Warsaw said. “We missed the pick. We froze, and Dom cut. The one thing I’ll say about Dom is, he can go 0-for-50, and he thinks he’ll hit the next one. That’s a great quality.”
It was a dramatic night for Rivera, and an emotional one; he said his family recently lost his grandmother and his uncle, and basketball has helped keep him steady through a tough time.
“I just dedicated this game to them, and whatever shot I shot, I felt confident in it,” Rivera said. “Keep shooting. I had that confidence.
“It’s just the amount of time I put in over time after practice, getting those shots up. At that moment, the shot felt good, and the amount of practice I put in after practice, at home when it’s snowing, every single time the shots feel good. It was just amazing.”
Hesperia then managed to get a stop on Holton’s final possession after focusing defensive efforts on the Red Devils’ Keon McMillan and Jacob Berghuis. Fortunately for Hesperia, two shots near the rim did not fall, and the ball came loose after that as time ran out.
Rivera’s shot was truly remarkable, but it may never have had a chance to occur if not for another unsung hero: Freshman Evan Conkle, a recent JV call-up who exploded in the second half for 14 points, almost single-handedly leading the Panthers back into the game before fouling out with about three minutes to play. One especially impressive play in the third quarter saw Conkle race down the floor on a fast break, reel in a long pass from a teammate and go up for a layup in one motion, scoring through contact.
Warsaw said Conkle has had to fight the inclination to defer to teammates, and the team has been clear that he’s in the varsity lineup because they believe he can be a factor.
“His teammates had confidence in him, and he began to feel good,” Warsaw said. “Sometimes when you get brought up from the JV, you think, ‘I’ll let the other guys (control the game),’ but you’ve got to do your thing. He’s a great player.”
Rivera, who along with several teammates also played football with Conkle this fall, expressed confidence in Conkle as well.
“We already know that he’s a man-child,” Rivera said. “He’s a dog. Even in football, he’s a dog. Once you put him in the game, he gets the job done. He is our teammate, and he’s always welcome, always.”
After Conkle fouled out, Tyler Rumsey checked in to replace him and picked up where Conkle left off, scoring a driving layup to tie the score at 44. Holton scored again to take the lead, but Rumsey got to the line and hit 1-of-2. After Holton missed a pair of free throws, the Panthers drew a foul with a chance to take the lead. Although they missed both, a jump ball on the rebound gave them another chance, which resulted in Rivera’s star turn.
The added emotion of the rivalry made the victory even sweeter for Hesperia; a late third-quarter argument had to be quieted down by officials after the Panthers were called for a foul in an attempt to take the ball away.
“At half, we said, ‘No matter what, let’s play with heart and passion,’” Warsaw said. “Now, to be honest, (that was) a little too much passion, but it’s a rivalry game. I’m proud, not because we won, but because we didn’t quit. And if you don’t quit, you have a chance.”
Hesperia hung around early despite a sloppy first half marred by several turnovers. That was largely thanks to Malakai Sellers and Weston Hasted, who accounted for all the Panthers’ first-half points - eight each - as Holton took a 25-16 lead into the locker room. Sellers ended the night with 12 points, and Hasted had 11.
“We always have a game like this,” Warsaw said. “We hadn’t this year, but as crosstown rivals, this is a huge game for us and a huge game for them.”
