Central opens Tiger Classic with dominant win over Foothills Christian
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Central Spartans tipped off their Tiger Classic run with a statement, rolling past Foothills Christian 65–38 in Imperial on Thursday night.
Foothills Christian made the trip from El Cajon for the Imperial Valley slate, but it was all Spartans early. Central wasted no time pushing the pace, with Joap Soto Ehovez threading a perfect pass in transition to forward Roy Mendez, who powered in a left-handed finish to spark an early 2–0 lead.
That bucket was only the beginning. Central opened the game on a 6–0 run before Knights guard John Stons finally cut into the momentum, drilling a deep three to slice the deficit in half. Stons kept Foothills Christian afloat for a stretch, jumping a passing lane and taking it coast-to-coast for an easy layup as the Knights tried to inch back in the first quarter.
But Central’s offense was simply too crisp to slow down.
The Spartans kept generating clean looks, including a textbook pick-and-roll that left Broden Bemal wide open for a smooth lay-in. On the other end, Central’s defense turned stops into scores—Nico Valdez jumped a steal and pushed the ball ahead to big man Everett Nevin for a simple finish that helped Central build complete control by the end of the first quarter.
Mendez added one of the highlight plays of the night in the second, slicing through the lane for an acrobatic up-and-under that had the gym buzzing.
By halftime, Central had fully established its rhythm and never let up. The Spartans continued to pour it on in the second half, pulling away comfortably to secure a 65–38 win and their first victory of this year’s Tiger Classic.
Central will be back in action Friday as tournament play continues, with the championship game set for Saturday. We’ll keep you updated on all the matchups throughout the weekend.
