MORRO BAY — Forrest Gump’s mom loved the metaphor that life “is like a box of chocolates … you never know what you’re going to get.”

After seeing a glimpse of what the Davis High boys have in store on the basketball court this year, Mrs. Gump would have purchased Blue Devil season tickets.

DHS coach Dan Gonzalez, in his 13th season at the helm, watched his mercurial charges alternate losses and wins in a roller-coaster visit to the Morro Bay Tournament.

After a Saturday morning 74-73 last-second loss to Independence, the Devils thrashed Santa Maria, 100-65, to finish their journey down south with a 2-2 record. The 100-point performance marked the most points scored by a Gonzalez-coached team.

In the win, Hayden Russell tallied 14 for the locals with Ilanko Nataraajan and Kevin Sorensen each adding 12. Arnell Rasanganwa had 11 points, while Nataraajan added nine rebounds.

Davis forced 40 turnovers for the second time in two nights (Templeton had 41 muscues in Friday’s 80-25 mismatch against the Devils).

“We were able to keep the pressure on, and with those turnovers come a lot of offensive opportunities,” Gonzalez said. “Overall, this was a good weekend for us.

“I thought the kids played a real good game,” Gonzalez said, adding these early-season contests remain a learning process for his team, which is getting acquainted with a new style of play.

Called The System around Devilville, DHS’ attack defense is designed to put constant pressure on the ball and, when the locals take a shot, to send four players hard to the boards.

Davis (2-2) is averaging more than 90 attempts a game, but have shot more than 40 percent only against Santa Maria (1-3).

“That will improve,” promises the longtime coach.

In the squeaked-out win by Independence, the game was tied with 34 seconds remaining, when the Devils’ foes managed a late bucket. With seven seconds remaining, DHS was unable to get an answering shot off as the buzzer sounded.

Grant Dickerson led Davis with 13 points, Conor Brehm and Elvis Bikoba each added 10, Sorensen and Nataraajan had nine each and Russell canned eight in the balanced Blue Devil ledger.

Post Jack Yoder had seven rebounds (five on the offensive end) and added four points, drawing Gonzalez’s praise for a “good overall game.”

On Thursday, it was Davis that ran into a buzzsaw — losing 104-67 to Liberty (Bakersfield).

Like Forrest’s mom told her son: “You never know what you’re going to get.” Especially early in this Devil season.

So, is The System working out as Gonzalez and his staff had hoped?

“Yes … especially the last three games. We’ve learned a lot.”

DHS has more than week to tweak the new scheme as it next plays at Pioneer on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

“We’ll put in a couple more defensive wrinkles before (the Les Curry Invitational, which begins with Davis vs. Vintage on Dec. 15),” Gonzalez explained. “Plus, we’ll clean some things up.”

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.

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DHS’ Hayden Russell, left, goes up for a shot during a game earlier this season. Russell had 14 points in a win over Santa Maria on Saturday as the Blue Devils finished the Morro Bay Tournament with a 2-2 record. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise file photo

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