For Farria, it’s all about hustle

DALE CITY — Evangel coach Jim Fisher uses terms like “hustle” and “court savvy” to describe junior forward Brian Farria.

Farria agrees.

“Yes, because I’m not that good,” he said.

Maybe Farria doesn’t have the skills of more prominent players. But the intangibles help make up that difference. As a junior, he was elected one of the team’s captains.

Fisher, for the first time, allowed his team to select captains. Farria was one of three juniors selected, as most of Evangel’s top players aren’t yet seniors. Fisher expects the Eagles to start three juniors and two sophomores this season.

“I think we’ll be a lot better as a team,” Farria said. “We worked really hard over the summer to get the ball in the basket. The scoring will be a lot more balanced, and I think we’ll win a lot more this year.”

After losing two top scorers to graduation — Bryan Williams and Dan Rowenhorst — offensive balance should be more prevalent this season. Williams led the area in scoring at 26.8 points per game, 10 points better than North Stafford’s Vance McDonald, who was second. Rowenhorst was often the team’s second option during Evangel’s 17-10 season.

“I think there will be more of a team effort, instead of relying on those two,” Fisher said. “There’s a lot more team effort.”

Farria figures to get his share of points in the offensive balance.

“To be a leader, his points will come,” said Fisher.

And to get those points, Farria will likely rely on what he considers strengths.

“I shoot a little, I rebound a little bit,” Farria said.

It may sound like Farria serves as Evangel’s stand-up comic, a role he said he tries to fill. And as for his 27-point outing in Evangel’s opener?

“You’ll have to talk to Antoine [Bennett] and Ryan [Keefe],” Farria said. “They’ll lead the rest of the games in scoring.”