By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

Thursday was a super big day for Napa Valley College's Chris Farrington.

It was the first time that he got to play in a game for the Storm men's basketball team since joining the program in 2021.

It was the first time he got to play in an organized game since 2020, when he was in high school. He was introduced with the other starters on the NVC team.

He got to play with his family looking on in the NVC gymnasium.

"Honestly, I'm just thankful for the opportunity, just happy to be here," said Farrington, a freshman point guard, who is from Milwaukee. "It felt great to be out there, to go to war with my guys. Just excited for the season."

Farrington scored the first points of the 2023-24 season for the Storm, hitting a shot after an offensive rebound and completing the three-point play with the ensuing free throw, in a nonconference game against Folsom Lake College on the first night of the Storm Classic.

Farrington scored 17 points and was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line for Napa Valley in a 97-77 loss to Folsom Lake, which is from the Big 8 Conference.

"Even though we didn't get the outcome we wanted, I'm still thankful because we can always go back and build off this loss," said Farrington. "We have a game (Friday), that we have to get ready for. So, we have got to flush this one and get ready for (Friday)."

The Storm Classic is a two-day, four-team event that also has Sacramento City College and College of the Redwoods-Eureka.

In Thursday's second game, it was Sacramento City beating Redwoods, 92-72.

Farrington said it was an emotional day, given his journey to come back from surgery in November of 2022 in Wisconsin and his family on hand for the season opener. Farrington had been unable to play for the Storm due to suffering stress fractures twice to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.

"I'm thankful for my support system. Just playing basketball – I've been doing this my whole life. So, just being able to be out on the floor, it felt amazing," he said. "I'm thankful and happy. And this feels great to be out here.

"I wish I could have done more. But I did what I could, fought to the end. And (Friday), I hope for a better performance and hopefully we can come out with the win."

It was the first time that Farrington has played in a game since high school, at Shorewood (Wis.).

"He's such a great human being and to watch him be able to finally do the thing that he loves, it was great and it brought a smile to my face," said NVC coach Steve Ball. "Very happy for him to be out on the court, because he's endured so much to get here.

"He can play. He showed that in the limited amount of time before he started cramping up. He's the character-type of kid that we like. I'm really happy for him."

Farrington leads the Storm's offense.

"He does a great job of getting us into our stuff and facilitating our offense as a point guard and then when he gets his second touch, now I'm going to have to create. Now I'm going to make a play because that means the ball has been swung a time or two," said Ball. "When he gets the ball back, you know he's going to make a play."

Napa Valley was ahead early, 15-9. But Folsom Lake, with seven 3-pointers, led 45-36 at halftime.

Farrington had 13 points in the first half.

Napa Valley climbed back into the game, cutting Folsom Lake's lead to three points, 45-42, early in the second half.

A 12-0 run gave Folsom Lake a 57-42 lead.

"I thought Folsom shot the ball really well in the first half and I thought we withstood that and came back and cut it to nine at the half," said Ball.

"I thought that we were chopping wood in the right direction. And then we just turned the ball over too much and we gave up too many offensive rebounds. And that's what we need to tighten up."

Folsom Lake had four players score in double figures and hit 12 3-pointers.

"Our defensive rotations with certain groups was very poor. When we lose vision and we give up deep penetration, we can't contain the basketball," said Ball.

Ten players scored for Napa Valley.

Jaleel Turner led the Storm with 19 points.

"He's a tough kid," Ball said of Turner. "He can absorb a hit. He's very strong. He's only going to get better."

Raekwon Bell and Ethan Williams each had seven points.

Jerard Jackson, Jalen Moore and Jamari Taylor each had six points.

Folsom Lake was led by Jordan Hess with 20 points, Alan Davis, Jr., with 16 points, Te'And Indalecio with 15 points and Tyson Hazel with 11 points.

Nine players scored for Folsom Lake.

Antoine Thaxton will not play this year for NVC, Ball said. Thaxton played in 28 games last year, with 15 starts. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game last year.

Thaxton is using the year to focus on his academics.

"He's not ineligible by any means. He just knows that, in order for him to keep as many doors open as possible, he needs to get more classes passed at a higher GPA. He knows that if he sits out this year and trains his body and his brain for that time, he'll be ready in a year to move on," said Ball.

The Storm faces Sacramento City College on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

Also today, it's Folsom Lake-Redwoods at 5 p.m.

* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.