Off to a 2-0 start under new head coach Gary Collier, the boys’ basketball team plays its first game in the new arena tonight against Jesuit [1-1] at 7:30 p.m.

The Farmers have beaten the Rangers the past two seasons, but Collier noted the visiting team’s size advantage.

“They’re a very big and tall group with good shooters,” Collier said. “[We] have to be patient… can’t rush it.”

Jesuit will face the Farmers’ fast-paced offense and tight defense.

“[We’re going to] push the ball a lot, and play more up-tempo on offense,” Collier said. “For defense, we’re going to play man-to-man and zone at times. We have quick players, so man-to-man will be used much more often than zone.”

The Farmers opened the season last Tuesday with a road win over Duncanville, 63-52.

Seniors Ray Dorsey, Ryan Bowie, and Cameron King were the top scoring threats on the night, putting up 49 points between them. Dorsey, scoring 19, led the trio.

Although the team had double-digit scoring from multiple players, they made just 12 out of 23 of their free throws. That statistic did not sit well with Collier.

“We shot the ball very well all game,” Collier said. “Free throws weren’t going as well. Those will come back to haunt us later. We need to fix that soon.”

Bowie agreed with Collier.

“We shot well, and the majority of shots we made came from getting to the rack,” Bowie said. “But free throws are still very important. Our percentages will increase as the season goes on, but we need to get them to fall.”

The team followed Tuesday’s win with another road win over Irving on Friday, 49-41. Bowie led the team with 15 points.

Collier stressed the importance of starting the season strong.

“Winning the first one was very good for us,” Collier said. “We definitely want to build on [the momentum] from it for the rest of the season.”