Junior guard Zaire Rasshan of Damien knows football. His father, Osaar, was the backup quarterback at UCLA from 2005-09. Rasshan played point guard his first season at Damien until he decided basketball was his #1 sport.
So when Rasshan looked at the scoreboard in the first quarter Thursday night at Etiwanda and saw the Spartans score their first 24 points, he must have been thinking about football.
“That was crazy,” he said. “That’s three touchdowns and a field goal.
Damien (17-4, 2-0) was able to hold off Etiwanda 56-43 for a key league victory. Winning at Etiwanda has been a rarity for many teams over the years. But Damien’s fast start couldn’t have been better. The Spartans didn’t miss a shot as they played well on defense for their 24-0 run. Etiwanda’s first basket didn’t come until 1:38 into the first quarter.
“When we play together, we can beat anybody,” Rasshan said.
Rasshan had a big part in the victory, contributing 23 points. Eli Garner had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Etiwanda entered the league 18-1 and 1-0. The Eagles missed 13 free throws, preventing any comeback. The closest they got was 11 points in the second half.
Damien’s win puts it right in contention for a spot in the Southern Section open division playoffs. The Spartans lost in the final seconds to Redondo Union in the Classic in Damien, showing they can compete with the big boys in coach Mike LeDuc’s 52nd season of coaching.
Rasshan is averaging nearly 20 points per game. He made three triples. And he hasn’t forgotten how to make a long pass, whether it’s football or basketball.
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