Cate Boys Basketball Holds Off Savanna in Thriller, Advances to Quarterfinals

February 17, 2025

The Rams overcame an early deficit and a late surge from Savanna to secure a hard-fought 67-63 victory, fueled by clutch performances and an electric home crowd.

The Cate Boys Varsity basketball team delivered a fantastic all-around performance against a talented and athletic Savanna team from Anaheim, securing a well-deserved victory and advancing to the CIF-SS quarterfinals on Tuesday night.

The game started with Savanna quickly jumping to an early 7-0 lead, thanks to their sharp outside shooting and aggressive drives to the basket. However, the Rams didn’t back down. Senior Marcus Scudder sparked the offense with a key steal in the backcourt, leading to the Rams’ first bucket of the night. The energy from the home crowd lifted Cate, and we responded with a 23-13 run, getting contributions from six different players during the stretch.

In the second quarter, it was junior Josh Butler’s hot hand from beyond the arc that set the tone. Butler knocked down three three-pointers in the period alone, finishing with a team-high 23 points. The Rams also locked down defensively, limiting the Rebels to just 10 points in the quarter and taking control of the game.

With momentum building, Cate came out firing in the third quarter. Huge outside shots from Butler, senior Jacob Gabbay, and sophomore Braylin Glomah kept the Rebels at bay, while Scudder’s court vision and passing helped the Rams build a 14-point lead.

But Savanna wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Their top scorers led a 10-0 run to pull within two points in the fourth quarter. But the Rams, battle-tested from a season of close games, showed poise in handling the pressure. When we needed a key bucket, we got it. Glomah delivered a monster dunk off an assist from senior Peter Lehman, Scudder drained a crucial three-pointer, and Lehman finished strong at the rim twice to preserve the lead in the game’s final seconds.

The energy in the gym was electric, and the support of the phenomenal home crowd gave the Rams a clear advantage, fueling our energy and success.

Now, the Rams are on to the quarterfinals, where we will face the winner of Pacifica (Garden Grove) vs. Tarbut V’Torah on Tuesday. Thank you to all the fans who showed up and made this victory possible!