Carlsbad shocks Faith Family Academy in Holiday Classic National Division finale

Lancers take full advantage of rare top-game billing, jump on Texas two-time defending 4A champs early, hold off big surges to win second National title, first since 2001

SAN DIEGO — This was more than just a tournament championship for Carlsbad's boys basketball team.

Saturday's night's 78-69 win over a highly favored Faith Family Academy of Dallas, the two-time defending state 4A champion, was a dream.

Fittingly, the Lancers gave a pretty dreamy performance to win the National (top) Division of the Holiday Classic. It was only the second time in the 33-year history of the event the Lancers won the big-boy class, joining the 2021 team.

Carlsbad hit the Eagles from the get-go, racing to an 11-0 lead, withstood a couple Texas-sized runs, but closed things out with a 15-9 run to win going away.

It was a gritty, tenacious, skilled, well-planned and executed win for the boys from the beach region.

Jael Martin (3) goes in for a tough left-hand layup / Photo: Justin Fine

Tournament MVP Jake Hall had 27 points, all-tournament choice Tony Duckett added 19, Jael Martin provided 11 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks and Euan Davis had 10 points.

"A lot of these players have been coming to the Holiday Classic since they were kids, not just hoping to play in it, but to play here at Torrey Pines, in the top division against the best of the best," Carlsbad coach Clark Fuller said. "Truly for them this was a dream come true."

Hall, the high-scoring 6-foot-4 wing, backed that sentiments and played like it. He and the Lancers played with passion, but also loads of poise against a team that had FFA coach Brandon Thomas thought had "found its footing," after a pair of impressive tournament wins — 60-42 over California's No. 3-ranked team JSerra Catholic and 75-55 over a red-hot St. Augustine team.

"Yeah, we knew we could get it done," Hall said. "We just bought into the coaches game plan and it came out the way we wanted it to."

Sharpshooter Jake Hall went for 27 points, which is right around his season average.  / Photo: Justin Fine

Martin, a 6-9 senior who had to battle the length and skill of 6-10 Colorado-bound Doryan Onwuchekwa and 6-8 Davion Adkins at once, gave the Lancers much more than just his productive numbers.

He provided instant energy from the get-go, blocking and changing several shots and throwing down a couple of dunks. That set the tone and let the Eagles know the paint was going to be big challenge.

Look: Carlsbad duo Jael Martin, Jake Hall interviews after Holiday Classic championship win

They missed several chippies throughout the game, including three to start the fourth quarter.

"We knew they were going to come out and underestimate us," Martin said. "It was a testament to all the hard work we put in so we had to make sure we hit first. It ended up doing us justice.

"I always come out and try to compete, but I knew today was gonna be especially important for me to come and there and show what I could do against top talent."

Doryan Onwuchekwa, FFA's 6-10 post headed to Colorado, had 20 points and 12 rebounds.  / Photo: Justin Fine

Hall the key was "buying into the game plan — boxing out, rebounding, pushing the ball, shooting the ball. All of the above."

It helped that two of FFA's top players fouled out, especially Isaac Williams, who led the Eagles with 21 points. He fouled out with 1:45 remaining on a 50-50 charging call. The game was still in the balance.

Without Williams and Tasheim Garry, a 6-1 guard, who had six points, the Eagles had to rely largly on Onwuchekwa, who finished with 20 points. Lamont Hartfield and Jazz Henderson added 11 points apiece.

"We had a point to prove after losing in this gym (to Montgomery (on Holiday Classic Tip-Off night)," Martin said. "We've been trying to prove ourselves and reclaim that spot as the No. 1 team in San Diego.

"This helps to put Carlsbad on the map, and telling those teams up North that we can compete with them."

Carlsbad poses after winning first National Division title since 2001.  / Photo: Justin Fine

Game-time notes

* Hall with two free throws, followed by 3-pointer from Onwuchekwa, makes it 75-69.

* Williams fouls out on tough charging call, 1:45 left. That's big blow for FFA.

* Jael Martin drills a 3-pointer and Carlsbad looking good. Great game, end-to-end.

* Faith Family Academy misses three straight uncontested layups to start the fourth quarter and Hall goes to bucket for another deuce. Could this be Carlsbad's night?

Look: Carlsbad defeats Faith Family Academy to win the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic top division

* This game turning into instant Classic classic. A 3-pointer by FFA's Doryan Onwuchekwa and ensuing stare-down reaction cuts Carlsbad's lead to one after three, 55-54.

* Hall heating up with three late buckets in third. He has 19 points entering the fourth.

* Carlsbad's lethal scoring wing Jake Hall promised the Lancers wouldn't change "what we do," and they didn't during a highly competitive half they controlled most of.

* Hall drilled three of his team's seven 3-pointers and had 11 points as did highly athletic guard Tony Duckett. It was the interior defense of 6-9 Jael Martin that really gave Carlsbad energy while it vaulted to leads of 11-0 and 31-21.

* The two-time defending Texas UIL 4A champion battled back behind 11 points each from Isaac Williams and Jazz Henderson.

• Box score

• Play-by-play

Tristan Guzman (4), Carlsbad Clark Allard and Torrey Pines coach/Holiday Classic Tournament Director John Olive poses after championship.  / Photo: Justin Fine