Freaks Unleashed, Leopards At Loss

Anything can happen in a rivalry game. This almost proved to be true in Highland’s 52-37 win over East High School.
The 2025 “Freak East” game proved to be somewhat of a challenge for a Highland team that dominated its first matchup against East earlier this season. Freak East is one of the most emotionally driven games that Highland competes in, if not the most. The stars were bright and the moments were big for the majority of the game, and that could’ve been the reason the Rams struggled so much in the earlier minutes of the game.
For the first half of play, it looked as though the Rams were knocked off balance by an East squad that came out punching. Highland only put up 10 points in the first quarter, which put them at a two-point deficit going into the second.
“The first little bit of that game is always crazy,” Highland coach Chris Jones said. “Everyone is a little mesmerized, sort of deer-in-the-headlights.”
The struggles continued until the five-minute mark in the second quarter when the Rams defense tightened up and forced a shot-clock violation, which turned the tide of the game. Up until that point, it had looked like East was in control and Highland was struggling to keep up, but a deep three-pointer by junior Isaiah Drisdom with 40 seconds left in the half gave the Rams the juice they needed to take control of the momentum. The halftime score was 22-20, but the dominance was about to begin.
After a quick halftime break, it looked as though Jones had again worked his magic when the Rams came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Highland junior Soren Ries got the Black Hole on its feet when he opened the half with an emphatic dunk on a fast break. Even after some careless passes and some rogue play, the damage was done and the momentum was won by the Rams for the remainder of the game.
“Once we settled in and started being who we are, we were great,” Jones said. “You just got to lose yourself in the game and forget about all the other stuff going on.”
Highland senior Charlie Hodge was not a starter, but he made the most of his opportunity to be on the court with lockdown defense, multiple rebounds and a midrange jumper that gave Highland its first double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
“I feel good. I could’ve done more but we won so it was enough,” Hodge said.
That’s when the Rams really started to pour on the heat. Back-to-back three point makes by Highland juniors Jordan Oberholtzer and Bodie Dodge brought the energy and put the nail in the coffin for the fading Leopard’s team.
“We won by 15; we played really good in the second half,” Jones said.
Even if it was closer than expected, beating a rival at home is a pretty good way to send off the seniors. Feb. 7 was Highland’s senior night and, in appreciation for their hard work, the team’s players in their last eligible year were celebrated before the game with kind words from Jones and cheers from the crowd. All the seniors saw play time at some point in the game.
“They’re wonderful kids and great students. Super happy that they got a win,” Jones said.
The Freak East game is always one to be remembered, and this year was no different. The area on the bleachers for the Black Hole was overflowing two and a half hours before tip-off as students fought over the best seats and the pizza that Jones brought for those in attendance. The Black Hole decided the win was a worthy cause to ignore the new rule that bans court storming as students filled the court after the game.
“I was so excited we won,” Jones said. “The atmosphere and environment were incredible; they always are.”
The players felt the same way.
“The environment was crazy. It was my first time playing in Freak East,” Hodge said. “It’s something different.”
Even though the journey looked rough for a little bit, the game ended with an outcome that all Ram fans are sure to be happy with.