In a thrilling game on the last day of the Seahawk Holiday Classic, a late comeback gave Hilton Head High a 47-41 win over Ferguson (Fla.) on Monday.
Both teams started the game slowly but were able to pick up intensity as the first quarter came to a close. It was the Falcon defense that kept after the Seahawks, frustrating them as they headed into the locker room at halftime.
Down by seven points to start the third quarter, the Seahawks needed strong performances on offense to gain the lead in the second half. They got that and more from junior Sam Summa and senior Aiden Morel who combined for 21 points.
“Our mindset (at halftime) was to spark everyone’s offensive and defensive sides and push our game to the max,” said Morel.
It was Morel’s shot early in the second half that ignited the fiery Seahawk offense and helped spark a comeback late in the game. But without a strong defense to supplement the offensive threat, the Seahawks would not have been able to secure the game.
The Seahawk defense was strong in the win and has improved drastically from the beginning of the season.
“From the start of the season we didn’t have a lot of intensity on the defensive end.” Summa said. “We have picked it up and gotten after it a lot harder and it’s resulted in a lot more fast-break points.”
Those same fast-break points are what gave the Seahawks the offensive advantage in Monday’s game, fueling a fourth-quarter comeback to give the Seahawks their only tournament win.
“(In the second half) we were more composed offensively and we controlled the ball a lot more,” Seahawks coach Chane Brown said. “It showed when we came out with a victory.”
UP NEXT
HHIHS (4-5) travels to Richmond Hill at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Photos and story by Brooke Simons
Brooke Simons is a student-athlete at Hilton Head Island High School and an aspiring journalist. She has a passion for photography and broadcasting.