Fort Stockton nearly snapped their six-game losing streak on the road against Pecos on Jan. 21, but a slow start hindered the Panthers once again during Friday’s district matchup.

The Eagles defeated Fort Stockton 60-54 after numerous rallies that came up short in the second half by the Panthers.

“We struggled in the first quarter and found ourselves fighting from behind for the rest of the game,” assistant coach Hunter Grice said. “Multiple times we cut the deficit down to one or two possessions, but eventually fell short in the end.”

Three Panthers finished the game with double-digit point totals, led by senior Caleb Garcia, who had 13 points. Dominic Aguilar and Cruz Rojas contributed 11 points apiece.

Sophomore Aryan Hernandez provided a spark off the bench in just his third varsity game, scoring eight points.

Monahans sneaks by Fort Stockton

Fort Stockton arguably put forth one of their best efforts of the season on Jan. 25 in a homestand against Monahans.

The Panthers led 10-8 after the first quarter but could not maintain their advantage due to numerous turnovers and fouls towards the end of the first half.

Monahans took a five-point lead into the break and maintained that till the end of the contest, winning 52-47.

Caleb Garcia netted three 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 20 points for the Panthers. Sophomore Marco Garcia added eight points in the loss.

Fort Stockton falls to 0-4 in district play and 5-19 overall with the loss. They’ll head to Seminole on Friday, Jan. 28 to conclude their first round of district play.

The Panthers are currently in sixth place in the 4A District 2 standings.