CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio -- In the locker room following his first win as a head coach, Scott Ivery told his players "different starts today."

What appropriate words for a day of firsts for the West High School program. First day of the year. First game of the Harvest Prep New Year's Bash. First win as a head coach. First time all season that the Cowboys finished the job.

And finish they did. After leading by as many as 10 points on Saturday, the Cowboys (1-5) had to battle from a fourth quarter deficit to overcome Cristo Rey Columbus (1-3), 55-51.

West jumped out to an early lead, moving the ball and knocking down perimeter shots. Freshman guard Kahdon Johnson was an impressive playmaker all game long, but especially in the first quarter. The Cowboys led by as much as 10 at 30-20, however, Cristo Rey never stopped fighting.

Senior forwards Dominick Avila and Zion Bass were difficult to stop all game, as the Cougars trimmed the deficit to 33-27 at the halftime horn.

In the third quarter, both teams battled hard back and forth. Cristo Rey began to impose its will with their size on the interior, as trap defense forced West into a handful of mistakes. The Cougars tied things at 41 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, it was all Cristo Rey early on. Avila scored back to back buckets to give the Cougars a 47-43 lead with six minutes to play.

West showed great resilience once they went down, responding with a crucial 8-0 run to take a 51-47 lead with 3:58 remaining.

Cristo Rey struggled to execute in the final minutes, missing open layups, crucial free throws and being charged with a technical with 1.5 seconds remaining when they called a timeout while not having one and only trailing by three.

Johnson hit the ensuing technical free throw, putting the nail in the coffin and giving West its first win of the season. 

The Cowboys had three players in double figures, led by senior Andre Smith who scored a game-high 21 points and was named game MVP. Smith made a handful of winning plays, finishing strong around the rim and knocking down clutch free throws in the fourth quarter.

Johnson added 14 points, as the freshman is a dynamic ball handler that gave West a huge boost on the perimeter with his ability to control the floor. Junior guard Eury Rodriguez joined Smith and Johnson in double figures with 10 points, knocking down two first quarter threes. 

Sophomore big man Tiyshaun Carreker and junior guard Sir Benjamin Carreker rounded out the scoring, adding six and four points, respectively. 

For Cristo Rey, Avila and Bass led the way with 17 points each. The duo of 6-foot-5 senior forwards were difficult to contain, as they made plays on both ends of the floor all game long.

West will look to extend its winning streak with a pair of home games this week. The Cowboys will host Independence on Tuesday and Walnut Ridge on Friday. For the first time this year, West closed out a game in the fourth quarter, as the Cowboys dropped single digit games to Briggs and Marion-Franklin last month.

Cristo Rey will look to bounce back when they take on Millersport on Tuesday. 

Kahdon Johnson (5'6 PG / West / 2025): Johnson has an infectious energy, passion and confidence that is hard to ignore. The freshman gives West a boost in the backcourt that they haven't had in awhile, as you feel confident when the ball is in his hands. Johnson is a very dynamic ball handler with a lot of natural ability. His speed and cat-like quickness in the open floor is evident, as he can push the tempo and make plays for himself and others. Only a freshman, he is already able to finish with either hand at the rim and does a great job of navigating through traffic. Johnson is the type of player that West can build on, as he will be there for the next three years of a turnaround process that aims to bring the Cowboys back to the glory days of the late 1990s. It will take neighborhood kids who have a passion for the Hilltop and Johnson is one of those kids. He is a kid you want to go into war with, as he will not back down against anyone and will give everything he has. 

Dominick Avila (6'5 hybrid big / Cristo Rey Columbus / 2022): We got to know Avila very well following our 270 Hoops Exposure Series event back in August. It was nice to get to see the 6-foot-5 senior with his high school team on Saturday. Avila was the most dominant interior player in the game, as he was able to bully his way to the rim and convert on second chance opportunities. Avila is able to put the ball on the deck and score it off the bounce, while having quality footwork on the block where he is most effective. We really love Avila's upside, as he has good handling coordination, quality shot mechanics and a desire to get better that will help him continue to improve. Local small colleges should give Avila a look, as Cristo Rey Columbus is a high quality academic institution that will have him prepared for college. 

Andre Smith (6'2 SF / West / 2022): Smith was as solid as anyone on Saturday, as he had a very efficient 21 points and made every hustle play that West needed to bring home the victory. The senior is a well-built athlete that showed great improvement from our last viewing of him in November. Smith finished strong around the rim and was very effective at the free throw line, showing off a smooth and consistent stroke. The senior is an unselfish winner that loves his teammates and will do anything for them. On a team with not many seniors, Smith will be a pillar of this program going forward, as he has the type of unselfish attitude that it takes to build a winning program. His leadership for his young teammates will go a long way in the development of this team for the second half of the season. 

Zion Bass (6'5 hybrid big / Cristo Rey Columbus / 2022): Saturday was our first evaluation of Bass, as we came away impressed with the lengthy 6-foot-5 senior. Bass was the most impressive looking athlete in the game, as he was able to finish through contact and even knocked down a turnaround jumper on the baseline. While he has a lot of raw tools, Bass would be worth a shot from local small college programs, as he has length, athleticism and physicality that is not common. If you can develop talent, Bass would be a great kid to take a look at.