Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball fights through illness at holiday tourney

CAPTION: Faith Academy senior power forward Brock Davis is one reason why the Flames have a shot at doing more than making history, according to hed coach Zakk Revelle. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball team posted a 3-1 record at the Irion County tournament Dec. 28-30 though the Flames might have had a better showing had illness not set in. The tournament guaranteed five games with a possible sixth.

Faith (9-7) beat Ballinger 54-28 and Hamilton 48-47 Dec. 28 and Highland, which is south of Lubbock, 60-46 Dec. 29

But on the second day, a player complained of stomach issues and before head coach Zakk Revelle knew it, his bench was depleted.

“Six of the eight guys had a 24-hour stomach bug they all got at one time,” he said. “We did what we could. The stomach bug hit at 11 a.m.”

Faith lost to host Irion County 49-40, which ended their tournament.

“We were down 15 or 16 in the first quarter,” Revelle said. “We outscored them the rest of the game. But those first five minutes of the game, we dug ourselves in a hole.”

Still, to have those results after enjoying eight days off says plenty about the Flames, the coach said.

“We have incredible presence with our inside post play,” he said. “If you can get good shots near the basket, you should be in business. Ballinger and Hamilton presented different problems. Ballinger ran a 2-3 zone and Hamilton also ran a 2-3 zone. But they had bigger, beefier guys. They forced us to be more patient.”

He noted five losses have been to teams ranked in various Texas Association of Basketball Coaches polls in either the University Interscholastic League or the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

And it won’t get easier as the Flames begin District 3-3A play by hosting Round Rock Christian at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Lady Flames play Rock Rock Christian at 6 p.m. The Flames are ranked No. 7 in the Class 3A TAPPS poll. Other ranked district members include Waco Live Oak at No. 6 and Bryan Brazos at No. 8.

Revelle believes the Flames have the characteristics that can lead to extraordinary results.

“They could be really special,” he said. “That’s up to them. They have the intangibles and the stuff you want. When we’re patient, we’re hard to beat. We alter a lot of shots, we have tremendous length. Can we put it together for 32 minutes? When we do, we’re pretty good. Can we be consistent? We have all the intangibles to do it. We want to be great, but it’s up to (the players). We’ve led the horse to water — they have to drink it.”

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