Never underestimate your opponent.
It seemed that the Barnstable High Red Raider boys hoop squad may have done just a bit of that heading into last night's season home opener versus the Sandwich High Blue Knights (2-3), but thanks to a stellar fourth quarter by senior Manny Perry and some opportune late buckets from senior Jason Eddy, the Red & White pulled out a win, 59-39.
But until the fourth quarter, it looked like the visiting Sandwich five had the upper hand. The Blue Knights led their hosts 11-8 after a meagre first quarter and held a 25-23 lead at the half.
Barnstable pulled out a 38-37 edge after three frames, but in the fourth quarter the Red Raiders turned things up a notch as Perry scored eight of his 10 points late and those vital baskets came through just in the nick of time - all of them scored after Eddy hit a bucket to make it 40-37 at the 7:10 mark of the fourth.
It was a lead Barnstable would not relinquish as Sandwich lost the handle on its earlier offensive poise and gave up its beneath-the-glass dominance to senior co-captain Nick Peabody who finished the night with 7 hard-earned points and 14 boards.
Eddy was the high-scorer for Barnstable with 17 points on the night, but in the early going the hot hand belonged not to him, but to Sandwich's Johnny Stanton who buried three of five downtown bombs and ended with 15 pts. altogether.
Barnstable now stands at 3-1 on the season.
Tedaro France finished the night with 8 points, followed by Dylan Morris (4 pts.), James Burke (4 pts.), Elijah Baptiste (3 pts.), Jake Kipnes (2 pts.), Colby Blaze (2 pts.) and Sean Skagestad (2 pts). Derek Estes and Dan Walsh also had time on the floor for the Red & White.