3 observations: Arlington defeats Whitehaven

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arlington defended its home court with a statement win Friday evening, defeating Whitehaven, 56-53, in its second game of the 2025 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are 3 observations from the Tigers' statement win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Major piece</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2413439' first='Jayden' last='Jordan-James'] was a major piece for Arlington in its win against a revamped Whitehaven team. Let's rephrase that. Jordan-James is going to be a major piece for the Tigers over the course of the 2025 season. He's entering the season playing with a chip on his shoulder. Maybe that has to do with his last stop where he didn't have the opportunity that's in front of him now. Jordan-James had a solid offensive stretch in the fourth quarter that Arlington needed as it was in a back-and-forth affair with the pesky Tigers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For a short moment, a 3 by <strong>Eric Winston</strong> plus a free throw from [player_tooltip player_id='2886051' first='Isaiah' last='Grant'] gave Whitehaven a 50-48 lead. After that, Jordan-James converted on two 3-point plays to put his team up 54-50. He split free throws in the waning seconds of the game after the road Tigers' senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560097' first='Kayin' last='Mitchell'] made 2 to get his team within one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jordan-James finished with 19 points, but it was his energy and presence that stood out the most. On the offensive end, he's always looking to attack. He's putting forth the effort on the defensive end. Jordan-James has the makeup to have an All-District caliber season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's also good news for his new home.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>He's Arlington's guy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2624485' first='RJ' last='Tate'] got a lot of great looks from each angle on the court against Whitehaven. Like Jordan-James, Tate had a scoring surge of his own in the second quarter. He scored 8 straight points that gave his team a 29-19 lead. It started with a 3-point play then in the middle of the run, Tate made a 3 that he stepped into with confidence. He led all scorers with 20 points and has inserted himself as a guard to watch in Class 4A during the 2025 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>It's going to take time</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whitehaven has a brand new roster. Its head coach, Willie Kemp, had to replace 7 key players from last season's team that made it to the semifinals round of the Class 4A Boys' State Tournament. Winston, a sophomore, was with the Tigers last season, but didn't see the floor at all. He will play a lot more this season. Mitchell, who spent his last 2 seasons at Ridgeway, will have to be one of the team's best guards as the season moves along. Senior <strong>Gavin Fitzpatrick</strong> adds depth to the front court. Bigs <strong>Bosah Onwuta</strong> and <strong>Aliyu Idris</strong> are going to alter shots at the rim and rebound well. Idris, who had 15 points, has a nice touch around the rim. His presence in the paint will be felt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant will provide spacing thanks to his ability to score. He's a lengthy wing that can be a matchup nightmare. [player_tooltip player_id='2139247' first='Ja'Michael' last='Mitchell'] will provide solid minutes at the guard spot. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whitehaven had its chances to come away with a win on the road. This team is physical, tough, and relentless. The Tigers are going to play hard-nosed defense. Whitehaven isn't going to quit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's too early in the season to count out the Tigers. Their main goal should be tightening up the chemistry with all of the new faces before January rolls around.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->