SABINE PASS — At Sabine Pass, youth is not a weakness.

The Sharks have relied on a big crop of sophomores and juniors to stay in the hunt for a Class 2A playoff berth, and they’ve already surpassed last season’s win total with eight more games to play.

“We play hard,” 10th-year head coach Trey Harvey said. “Even against Evadale and every other game we’ve played, there’s not a moment we don’t play as hard as we can.”

At 8-6 and 2-2 in District 24-2A, Sabine Pass has at least doubled its win total from last season, which Harvey estimated was three or four. His three leading scorers, Jamal Dorsey, Jamyus Jones and Daniel Sam, are all sophomores. Seniors Alex Espinosa and Alex Rouly are solid on the defensive end with classmate Brandon Miller showing his effectiveness as a scrappy player.

“We have some guys that are young,” Harvey said. “We have a good group of sophomores playing up with the varsity. They make sophomore mistakes, but they’re learning every game. What I told them at the beginning is we have to grow every game. If we extend the season and make the playoffs, who knows what can happen? Lot of things can happen.”

Sabine Pass is third in district standings, just two games behind No. 1-ranked Big Sandy of Dallardsville and Evadale. In fact, it would have been a tie for second place had Sabine Pass pulled it out Friday night in a 79-71 home loss to Evadale.

“They’ve been winning for a long time, but a couple of mistakes here and there … we’ve been leading for about the last half-minute of the game,” Harvey said. “There was a technical foul called, and it completely swayed the momentum of the game.

“I thought both teams really laid it out there on the floor. Everybody played hard. The coaches, both of us, were trying to do everything we could to get our kids in position to win.”

The Sharks had won two straight before the loss, but can make it three of four when they host cross-Port Arthur rival Bob Hope at 6 tonight.

The two teams have met already, with Sabine Pass taking a 52-24 win in the championship game of the Sabine Pass Classic last month. It’s the first time the Sharks won that tournament under Harvey.

Bob Hope (1-13, 0-3) actually started the season 5-2 but had to forfeit those wins due to an ineligible player. A week after their only victory against Harmony Science, the Eagles are looking for a turnaround to climb back into the district race.

“They’re hungry,” Harvey said. “They’re going to come after us. They’re going to give us everything they have.”