Escanaba junior Taylor Asgaard (40) drives to the basket for a layup during a game against Alpena on Nov. 25, 2024 at Escanaba High School. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — A new season always brings challenges.

For Escanaba boys’ basketball, the start of the 2024-25 season featured a new head coach in Tom Gereau and new guards in senior Nick Garcia and sophomore Hayven Sandoval-Nolde.

Monday’s season opener was set to be a bag of mysteries for the Eskymos and for Alpena, who also has a new coach entering this eason. But add in three Esky seniors, including starting center Cody Noel and starting power forward Javon Stevenson, out injured anything could’ve happened.

In the end the Eskymos had big nights from new faces in Sandoval-Nolde and junior Taylor Asgaard for a 57-49 win over the Wildcats.

“That’s how you set the tone with two of our best players out,” Asgaard said. “That’s the way to set the tone for the rest of the year. I feel it’s going to be a good year.”

First came Sandoval-Torress making his impact in his first varsity start. After a quiet first quarter, the sophomore guard connected for his first basket, a 3-pointer from the left wing to pull the orange and black to 17-12. He then delivered a pass to junior Lennox Peacock, who cashed in with a layup to cut the deficit down to three points. Sandoval-Nolde added Esky’s final first-half point with a layup to tie the game at 25 entering intermission.

His impact was felt early in the third quarter, knocking down a triple and turning a steal into a layup to take a 34-29 lead, forcing an Alpena timeout.

Esky never trailed again. Sandoval-Nolde finished with 15 points

“I felt nervous at first,” Sandoval-Nolde admitted. “But that all went away after I hit the first shot.”

The Wildcats didn’t fade away. In fact, with Noel and Stevenson, entering their third season on varsity, out of the game the Eskymos were thin with big bodies to penetrate Alpena’s pesky 2-3 zone, which featured multiple players over 6-foot 3. The Wildcats scratched and clawed their way to within one point at 46-45 with 4:32 remaining in the game.

Then Asgaard entered the chat. The junior came away with 10 of the Eskymos final 11 points to earn the win, including a steal turned into a layup with 10 seconds remaining to clinch the Eskymos third home opening and season opening wins in the last four seasons.

“That first quarter wasn’t looking good. (Alpena senior Connor Cameron) was hitting a lot of threes,” said Asgaard, who led Esky with 18 points. “But once we started slowing him down everything started coming our way. They started panicking and we calmed down.”

But before Asgaard and Sandoval-Nolde could play hero, the Eskymos had to climb themselves out of an early first quarter hole which saw the Wildcats drill five shots from beyond the arc.

“The gameplan was just to be patient with the ball, play the gaps and get a bunch of deflections,” Sandoval-Nolde said. “I think we did that well in the second half.”

Now the Eskymos turn their attention to Tuesday’s road game against Sault Ste. Marie. Freshman and junior varsity action begins at 5:30 p.m. with varsity action to follow.

Box Score

Alpena 17 8 13 11 — 49

Escanaba  9 16 17 15 — 57

Alpena — Cameron 18, Kaiser 4, Tulgetska 2, Coulon 4, Prue 13, Duthler 8. FT: 7-15; F: 21; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Cameron 6, Prue 1

Esky — Garcia 7, Peacock 14, Prey 1, Morgan 2, Asgaard 18, Sandoval-Nolde 15. FT: 18-26; F: 16; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Peacock 1, Sandoval-Nolde 2.