Rallying to reach the postseason, the Vista Ridge boys basketball team already had more success than any other team in their program’s history.
When the Rangers won their bi-district playoff game, exhilaration washed over the squad and its fans.
And when Vista Ridge fell just short in the area round, a 56-50 loss Friday to Spring, the disappointment stung, but the 2010 Rangers knew they had left a legacy to build upon.
Vista Ridge will graduate seniors Lewis Wright, Isaiah Reeves, Grant Fisher, Michael Stamer, Tyler Stuckey, TyMarcus Thompson and Ian Madden.
“We were right there and had great opportunities to win it,” assistant coach Chris Simmons said. “They are getting over the loss and reflecting back on what a good season it was. This is going to be huge for the program and I don’t think they will fully realize that until next year and the year after when they see what they’ve passed on to the younger kids.”
The Rangers held a two-point halftime lead over Spring as Wright played tough while battling the flu. After the break at halftime, Wright couldn’t regain the same adrenaline and his teammates stepped in to pick up the slack.
Down one point heading to the fourth quarter, the Rangers kept it close throughout the final frame and had little trouble putting up points. However,  Spring just continued to hit free throws in the fourth quarter and all game long, going 14-for-16 in the fourth quarter to hang on for the win.
Faglie scored 17 to lead the way, Wright had 10, and Cedric Hudson and Fisher both scored six, with Stamer adding four points while drawing a lot of defensive attention in the paint after his strong play down the stretch.
For the Rangers, if momentum carries along like it did last year, it could mean even more success at Vista Ridge. Last season the team fell one game short of the playoffs in a play-in situation, and that lingered to this season, Simmons said.
“It really does go back to last year. They got us very close, and everybody last year felt like we had some unfinished business out there that carried over to this year,” he said. “The kids that were a part of it, they had that feeling of once you have it it makes you hungry to work harder, be more focused. It is hard to put it in words the legacy those kids have left behind.”