On Friday, December 5th, 2025, the Lakota West Firebirds tipped off their highly anticipated regular season against Middletown.

Domination

The Firebirds finished the game with a 69-45 win, fueled by the star duo Bryce Curry and Josh Tyson, who combined to score 34 points. The start for West was slow as Middletown led 6-1 at the first timeout. A quick three from sophomore Elijah Dunn and a dunk from Curry tied the game at 6-6, setting an anticipatory tone for the rest of the game. The Firebirds would finish the first quarter with 19-12, and would outscore the Middies every quarter for the rest of the game. The only resistance Middletown had was their star guard-center combo of Keith Daniels and Cale Curtis, who, combined, scored a total of 31 points. 

New Faces

An interesting storyline heading into the contest was the Firebirds’ new offseason additions, and they did not disappoint. 6’6 junior Roman Combs, who transferred from Cooper High School in the offseason, had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Combs’ size and physicality will be a force to be reckoned with this season, and he adds a much-needed big man to the Firebirds roster. 6 ‘3 junior Tizirai “TZ” Mamutse, transfer from Hamilton High School, came into the game for 10 minutes and shot 100%, knocking down a corner three to amp up the crowd. 5’9 sophomore guard Andre Richardson provided a huge spark off the bench for West, dropping 7 points in 13 minutes. The future looks to be in good shape for West, even after Josh Tyson and Bryce Curry graduate.

Looking Ahead

West travels to Fairfield on Tuesday and then goes on the road again on Friday against Hamilton. The Firebirds look to continue their undefeated season in hopes of a GMC Championship.