Basketball season is finally here, and the Anderson Trojans will kick it off with a new, exciting tradition. Just like football starts every season with a huge rivalry game against McCallum, Anderson basketball will now open every season with a game against the Knights in the Taco Shack Shields Collide Game. The game will be a massive tone-setter for the upcoming season as the winning team will validate their hard work over the offseason, while the losing side will have questions to be answered to get their season back on track. This year, the game will be played on November 10th at the Delco Activity Center with an 8:00 P.M. tip.
With the Trojans’ recent move to the 6A division, Anderson and McCallum have not played since the 2021-2022 season, where Anderson won both games decisively, 87-44 and 67-42. This does not mean the Trojans should take McCallum lightly, as both teams have completely different rosters. McCallum is coming off a successful season, finishing 2nd in their district, earning them a playoff berth in which they fell to East View 34-62. Some players that Anderson will have to watch out for include Jack Scaglione, Felix Kahlor, and George Mccoy. Scaglione can knock down the three-point shot, and the Trojans will need to deny him open looks from beyond the arc. At only 5’8, Kahlor can still finish around the rim and is dangerous in fastbreak situations. McCoy is the ultimate disrupter on defense and has a knack for getting steals and blocks, which turn into fast break points on the other end of the court. Also, watch out for sophomore Ethan Plummer, who could have a big year.
There are a lot of critical factors that will be important in deciding how this game will play out, but three specific keys stand out to me. The first and most important is that Anderson must rely on its experienced seniors Campbell Duncan and Jaxon Gill to set the tone until the rest of the team can find their footing and get comfortable. Campbell and Jaxon were starters on last year’s squad and are the only returning varsity members who got significant minutes. If they can use their experience to help this Trojan team lock-in, it will help offset some potential problems from the inexperience that this team has. The second key to this game for Anderson is that they will need to play a focused and disciplined defensive game. Last year, Anderson was not built to consistently score 70 points a night, and they relied on good defense to win games where their offense was not firing on all cylinders, such as in the Lake Travis win, where they held the Cavaliers to 37 points. If the Trojan team can play a focused defensive game against McCallum, it will compensate for any early season dysfunction on offense. Lastly, the Trojans need to limit their turnovers. Last year, McCallum thrived on getting steals, blocks, and quickly moving the ball down the court to convert on easy fastbreak layups. If Anderson can be smart with the ball, they can take away a key component in the Knights scoring attack.
The First Anual Taco Shack Shields Collide Game will be significant, as only one team can claim to have won the inaugural matchup. If the Trojans can pull out the win, it will give first-year head coach Eric Swanson’s team a big confidence boost and help them start the season on the right foot. Make sure to come out and support our Trojans at 8:00 P.M., November 10th, at the Delco Activity Center.
