By Brandon HENSLEY

Upsets happen all the time. Just last week in the NFL, the Tennessee Titans, who were 9-7 in the regular season, defeated the 14-2 Baltimore Ravens, who had the presumptive MVP, quarterback Lamar Jackson. Now the Ravens are out, while the Titans will try another near impossible task this weekend against the Chiefs.

Upsets can also happen at the high school level, especially on a nondescript Tuesday night when the gymnasium isn’t even half full, and the loudest voices are from the opposing team’s cheer squad. The Hoover High School Tornadoes’ basketball team took advantage of the opportunity against the Crescenta Valley Falcons, nearly pulling off a shocking win, but coming up short 60-51.

The Falcons have been hot almost all season and now boast a 17-3 record, which includes a 6-1 tally in the Pacific League. It was then a surprise to see Hoover (3-16, 0-7) not only competing with CV all game but also tying the score in the second half on several occasions.

The Falcons held a 31-21 lead at halftime but came out flat in the third quarter as Hoover chipped away when they had the ball, and benefitted from some less-than-crisp passes and poor free throw shooting from the Falcons (CV missed their first five attempts to start the half).

The Tornadoes faltered down the stretch, and CV’s Tyler Carlson once again rallied his guys as he made some nifty under the basket moves to score points.

The Falcons have proven over the last two seasons that they can play with almost anyone, so this might just be a speed bump on their way to another playoff appearance and a second-place league finish. (Pasadena is undefeated, so CV must win-out to hold at least a share of the title).

The Falcons are at Burroughs on Friday at 7 p.m. They previously beat the Indians 72-62 on Dec. 13. The big test is on Tuesday, a home against Pasadena. The atmosphere for that weekday game is sure to be a bit more intense.

  Brandon Hensley