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2025 HSNCT: FALCONS WIN 4 GAMES AS NEVADA'S LONE REPRESENTATIVE
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Serving as the lone Nevada representative at the 2025 NAQT High School National Championship Tournament, Coral Academy made their debut against one of the deepest fields in history. At a tournament where 3 wins is considered an accomplishment for a debut team, the Falcons went an impressive 4-6, the second-most wins by any Nevada school making their HSNCT debut.
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SATURDAY PRELIMS
At HSNCT, teams are given the option to request the morning session or afternoon session for Saturday prelims. Placed in the morning session, the Falcons faced the unenviable tasks of overcoming a time zone difference of 3 hours AND drawing Livingston C (NJ) to start the day. In a match that began at 6:00 AM on their body clocks, the Falcons still hung tough all the way through halftime and into T15. Trailing by just 30 points (135-105) on T16, a Falcon neg was converted by Livingston C along with 20 on the bonus. From there, the Falcons could only muster one tossup over the final seven cycles before falling 305-110. Josiah Chong led the Falcons in scoring with a 0-5-1 line for 45. Despite not having the most balance in the first match, Coral still managed to stay competitive for 2/3 of the contest. Their second match was much more balanced and showed an ability to build off of a loss. Taking on Okemos C (MI), the Falcons trailed by 30 points at halftime, 100-70. In the second half, they finally all woke up. John Fenic started a run with 10 on T13 that saw Coral take six of the next eight cycles. During the run, Daniel Obstgarten secured one power and two 10s. Fenic capped it with another 10 on T19 to give the Falcons a 165-150 lead. |
CORAL ACADEMY
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Coral called their timeout to set up what looked like about 3 more tossups given the clock situation. Thanks to the pressure they applied, Okemos C negged the next two tossups. The Falcons successfully rebounded one of them, and that was all they needed to get their first-ever win at HSNCT in a 205-140 tightly contested victory.
From there, a clear pattern emerged--one game down followed by one game up. Their third match was a tense 205-165 loss to Paideia B (GA). The Falcons led that one most away before Paideia snuck up right at the end. But with great resilience, Coral scored a convincing 200-95 win over Hudson (WI). Obstgarten, Chong, and Kristin Peng combined for 10 tossups in the victory.
The reward for that win was a brutal draw with Morris, one of the best teams in all of Oklahoma and the recent Very Small School Champion at SSNCT. Unsurprisingly, Morris won handily 390-90. But given the pattern, all it meant was the Falcons were due to bounce back. And they promptly did so in defeating Louisville Collegiate (KY) 205-180 in a match that saw Obstgarten ice it with a critical 10 on T20 before the clock ran out after T21. The pattern recycled one more time, ending with a loss to East Chapel Hill (NC) in the final game of the day, 395-140. In order for the Falcons to make the playoffs, they would have to go 3-0.
SUNDAY PRELIMS
With every game now essentially an elimination game, Coral's playoffs basically began right away. They drew Okemos D (MI), the second team they had faced from Okemos High School. Okemos jumped out early and led for most of the first half. However, Obstgarten and Chong kept the Falcons within 1 cycle during that time and nabbed a tossup right before halftime to take a 70-65 lead. In the second half, it was Coral's turn to hold a 1-cycle lead most of the way. Obstgarten and Chong combined to take 4 of the first 6 tossups and preserve the slim margin. After T17, Coral called timeout, leading 155-145. Based on the clock, they figured there would only be 1 or 2 more tossups left (with proper clock stalling). On T18, Okemos D took a neg. Given the chance to end the game, Coral missed the rebound. On T19, Josiah Chong made up for it with a 10 followed by 30 on the bonus to ice the game. The 195-140 victory put the Falcons at 4-4.
Needing the last 2 on their schedule to qualify, Coral were given the extremely unfortunate draw of Thomas Jefferson B (VA). Their upset bid began with great spirit, leading to only a 20-point deficit at halftime (110-90). In a half that saw TJ B take 2 negs, it was clear that the Falcons had their opponent slightly off-kilter. If they received a few more gifts, they could definitely keep the playoff bid alive.
In the second half, the start couldn't have gone better. TJ B negged on T11 and Obstgarten rebounded with 10 and a 20 bonus to go up 25. Even though TJ B took the next 3 cycles, the Falcons only trailed by 45 after T14. Another TJ B neg came on T15, but Coral couldn't convert the rebound. No matter, though. Obstgarten took T16 and T17 (another TJ B neg) to put the Falcons back in front, 170-155. Unfortunately for Coral, the next 2 cycles derailed the upset. Negs on T18 and T19 allowed TJ B to take a 185-160 lead after 19. On T20, yet another TJ B neg went unanswered by the Falcons. After a Falcon timeout and enough time for about 3 cycles, T21 went dead. T22 went to Obstgarten and was then followed up with a tough bagel on the bonus. On the final cycle, Obstgarten did what any coach would want--decide the game on your own terms instead of waiting for the opponent. This time, though, it ended in a neg. The 200-165 loss eliminated Coral from contention. After that, the final game mattered only for final placement, a 145-135 loss to Winston Churchill B (MD). As so many of their games went, it also came down to the final cycle.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The news is definitely not all bad, though. 4-6 record is the second-best HSNCT debut ever by a Nevada school, tying them with nearby Coronado High School. With all of their scoring returning next year, the Falcons will not have to undergo a rebuild of any kind. They can simply pick up where they left off at the end of this season. That should make them a team to watch locally and nationally next year, too.
From there, a clear pattern emerged--one game down followed by one game up. Their third match was a tense 205-165 loss to Paideia B (GA). The Falcons led that one most away before Paideia snuck up right at the end. But with great resilience, Coral scored a convincing 200-95 win over Hudson (WI). Obstgarten, Chong, and Kristin Peng combined for 10 tossups in the victory.
The reward for that win was a brutal draw with Morris, one of the best teams in all of Oklahoma and the recent Very Small School Champion at SSNCT. Unsurprisingly, Morris won handily 390-90. But given the pattern, all it meant was the Falcons were due to bounce back. And they promptly did so in defeating Louisville Collegiate (KY) 205-180 in a match that saw Obstgarten ice it with a critical 10 on T20 before the clock ran out after T21. The pattern recycled one more time, ending with a loss to East Chapel Hill (NC) in the final game of the day, 395-140. In order for the Falcons to make the playoffs, they would have to go 3-0.
SUNDAY PRELIMS
With every game now essentially an elimination game, Coral's playoffs basically began right away. They drew Okemos D (MI), the second team they had faced from Okemos High School. Okemos jumped out early and led for most of the first half. However, Obstgarten and Chong kept the Falcons within 1 cycle during that time and nabbed a tossup right before halftime to take a 70-65 lead. In the second half, it was Coral's turn to hold a 1-cycle lead most of the way. Obstgarten and Chong combined to take 4 of the first 6 tossups and preserve the slim margin. After T17, Coral called timeout, leading 155-145. Based on the clock, they figured there would only be 1 or 2 more tossups left (with proper clock stalling). On T18, Okemos D took a neg. Given the chance to end the game, Coral missed the rebound. On T19, Josiah Chong made up for it with a 10 followed by 30 on the bonus to ice the game. The 195-140 victory put the Falcons at 4-4.
Needing the last 2 on their schedule to qualify, Coral were given the extremely unfortunate draw of Thomas Jefferson B (VA). Their upset bid began with great spirit, leading to only a 20-point deficit at halftime (110-90). In a half that saw TJ B take 2 negs, it was clear that the Falcons had their opponent slightly off-kilter. If they received a few more gifts, they could definitely keep the playoff bid alive.
In the second half, the start couldn't have gone better. TJ B negged on T11 and Obstgarten rebounded with 10 and a 20 bonus to go up 25. Even though TJ B took the next 3 cycles, the Falcons only trailed by 45 after T14. Another TJ B neg came on T15, but Coral couldn't convert the rebound. No matter, though. Obstgarten took T16 and T17 (another TJ B neg) to put the Falcons back in front, 170-155. Unfortunately for Coral, the next 2 cycles derailed the upset. Negs on T18 and T19 allowed TJ B to take a 185-160 lead after 19. On T20, yet another TJ B neg went unanswered by the Falcons. After a Falcon timeout and enough time for about 3 cycles, T21 went dead. T22 went to Obstgarten and was then followed up with a tough bagel on the bonus. On the final cycle, Obstgarten did what any coach would want--decide the game on your own terms instead of waiting for the opponent. This time, though, it ended in a neg. The 200-165 loss eliminated Coral from contention. After that, the final game mattered only for final placement, a 145-135 loss to Winston Churchill B (MD). As so many of their games went, it also came down to the final cycle.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The news is definitely not all bad, though. 4-6 record is the second-best HSNCT debut ever by a Nevada school, tying them with nearby Coronado High School. With all of their scoring returning next year, the Falcons will not have to undergo a rebuild of any kind. They can simply pick up where they left off at the end of this season. That should make them a team to watch locally and nationally next year, too.
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