FORT BRAGG — It was a tough way to end the season, but the Kelseyville Knights certainly made progress in the final month of what started out to be a disastrous 2006-07 season for first-year coach Scott Conrad.
A 73-31 pounding by the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in the title game of the North Central League I North varsity boys” basketball game on Friday night in Fort Bragg officially ended Kelseyville”s and Conrad”s rookie season as head coach, but Conrad, the one-time Kelseyville High School star (he started at the varsity level four straight years) said he doesn”t regret his initial campaign at his alma mater.
“I still don”t think it was a negative way to end the season,” Conrad said of the one-sided loss to the Timberwolves, who rolled through the North regular season at 8-0 before beating up on Middletown and Kelseyville to win the postseason tournament. “The game we played last night (an upset win over Willits on Thursday) made the shaunnessy (postseason tournament) worth it for us.”
Kelseyville (7-20) lost its first 10 and 15 of its first 16 games this season before things began to click. In winning six of their final 11, the Knights finished a respectable third in the North standings at 3-5 before surprising runner-up Willits in the opening round of the postseason tournament on Thursday. The Knights even played Fort Bragg close, losing 59-49, during one of their two regular-season meetings.
But the Timberwolves rolled past Kelseyville 72-34 earlier this month in a league game at Fort Bragg and it was more of the same Friday in the North title game.
“They just play such good defense,” Conrad said. “And they”re so much quicker than we are at every position.”
Fort Bragg led 20-9 after one quarter and 43-18 by halftime.
Isaac McQueen”s nine points led the Knights.
Conrad let his seniors finish out the game. It was a reward for hanging in there all season.
“They deserve it for helping us get this thing turned around,” Conrad said. “I”m looking forward to next season.”
