In a highly anticipated rematch that pitted Calabasas freshman Grayson Coleman against his father Ryan Coleman, the older Coleman was victorious yet again as Shalehevet squeaked out a win in a double overtime thriller. Since beating the Firehawks in 2021, the Coyotes’ are now mired in a three game losing streak against Shalhevet that they will be hungry to avenge next year.
Less than two months ago, Calabasas hosted the Firehawks at home with a fully healthy squad, and were stifled by lockdown defense. Senior Tidiane Sy was firmly held in check and Grayson Coleman was also limited to only 10 points. That was far from the case last Wednesday night.
“I feel sick,” stated member of the Coleman family Gail Coleman, as she reacted to the shock of her son and grandson being matched up in the biggest game of the year.
Shalhevet coach Ryan Coleman made light of the situation, also posting on X, “I’m starting a trend today. Bring your opponent’s star player their favorite breakfast.”
The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but an issue with the Department of Water and Power pushed the game to Thursday night. The Coyotes were at a major disadvantage before the night even started, with impactful seniors Tidiane Sy and Colby Kurzban sidelined with injuries. Sy erupted in his senior year with multiple explosive scoring performances, but he sustained an ankle injury against Oaks Christian and was absent in the Coyotes regular season finale at Agoura. Kurzban’s been out for a significant amount of time with a back injury, and he’ll look to get healthy for the lacrosse season.
The marathon began with a hard fought first quarter. Shalhevet point guard Aiden Bitran scored 7 of the first 9 points for the Firehawks, and the Coyotes were down four at the end of one.
The second quarter continued at the same pace, with Shalhevet only allowing eight points. The Firehawks were able to push the gap up to 6 points, leading 24-18 at halftime. Fortunately, the shorthanded Coyotes were also playing stellar defense, as they allowed 13 less points at half than the last time the teams played.
The Coyotes began the third quarter on an 11-3 run before Shalhevet quickly responded with a 5-0 run of their own to take a 32-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The low scoring game quickly flipped as Bryce Dameworth and Grayson Coleman helped cut the lead to one with 4 minutes left. Then, with Calabasas down 50-48, Coleman used a double screen to hit a mid range jumper with a minute left and send the game to overtime tied at 50.
The Coyotes’ headed to their second CIF playoff overtime game in three years, with the previous being a 57-54 loss to La Mirada. In the first overtime period, Grayson Coleman displayed tremendous maturity as he scored 9 of the Coyotes 11 points to establish a 60-55 lead with only 54 seconds left. However, the heroics of Firehawks’ guard Aidan Bitran were overpowering as he hit a game tying three pointer with 20 seconds to go. Coleman then looked to break the tie with a floater, but came up short and pushed the game to a second overtime.
The high scoring rhythm of the 4th quarter and overtime wore off quickly, as the only points in the first four and a half minutes of double overtime came from Shalhevet. Grayson Coleman cut the lead to 65-63 with ten seconds left, and Shalhevet went to the foul line looking to seal the game. However, junior phenom Aiden Bitran only hit one of two free throws to give Calabasas an opportunity to miraculously tie the game with 5 seconds left. Coleman quickly took the inbound and appeared to be fouled as he sent a wobbly pass to Dylan Mccord. Unfortunately, the referees deemed there to be an insufficient amount of contact to make a foul call and the game ended in disappointing fashion.
Despite the loss, the Coyotes’ displayed tremendous growth over the season and capped it off with an inspiring effort down two key players. Grayson Coleman flamed his fathers team with 27 points and countless clutch buckets, while Aiden Bitran dropped an astounding 41 points to lead the seasoned Firehawks’ to victory.
“Last night was surreal, a total emotional rollercoaster,” a sentimental Ryan Coleman posted on X. “My son [Grayson] is absolutely special. The amount of joy and pride that I have as a father is immeasurable.”
With the first round loss, the Coyotes’ season has officially come to a close. Coach Jon Palarz and his staff were successful in rebuilding the team following the departure of superstar Gavin Murphy, but they’ll have just as much work this offseason as 10 seniors will be exiting the program. Despite the exodus of skillful players like Tidiane Sy, Bryce Dameworth, and Cyrus Talei, the prospect of a talented core surrounding Grayson Coleman provides a glimmer of reassurance that Calabasas basketball isn’t fading anytime soon.
