LOWER LAKE — Twenty-one is a pretty good number, especially if you”re sitting at the blackjack table. Making 21 3-point field goals in 60 seconds isn”t bad either.
When each of the shooters entered in the varsity 3-point contest take to the court tonight at Lower Lake High School as part of the 16th annual Record-Bee Hoop Classic, they”ll be trying to equal or pass the record established by Kelseyville”s Johnny Rosas in 2004 at Kelseyville High School and equaled last year by Upper Lake”s Dillon Gonzales at the old Carl Delgado gym on the Lower Lake campus. If you guessed 21 3-pointers, you”re correct.
Each of the county”s five varsity teams will have a shooter competing tonight ? Gonzales has since graduated. Both the free-throw and 3-point contests follow the first varsity game between Upper Lake and Clear Lake. The junior varsity shooting contests follow the first JV game between the same schools.
The JV record for most 3-pointers belongs to former Kelseyville star Jeff Larson (18) in 2000. A complete list of contest winners is listed in the official tournament program, which is on sale in the lobby.
n 0-for-15
Through the first 15 Hoop Classics, no player named junior varsity MVP has even gone on to win the tournament”s varsity MVP award. No, it”s not like the Sports Illustrated jinx. In fact, several past MVPs at the JV level have gone on to have sensational varsity careers.
Bo Sheffer of Middle-town won last year”s MVP award for the champion Mustangs JV team and he”s off to a solid start for the Middletown varsity squad at this year”s Hoop Classic — 39 points in two games.
Someone will eventually break that streak if the tournament sticks around long enough.
Speaking of MVP awards, the only back-to-back winner of the varsity award is Lower Lake”s Justin Downard (1994-95).
Program error
Nick Schaefer of Kelseyville won last year”s varsity free-throw contest, not Lower Lake”s David Clark, who is listed in the tourrnament program.
