LAKEPORT — Nick Schell went 360. Michael Cox went off the backboard. George Novak went for big air and Ryan Richardson threw it down with two hands. Brandon Lindsay, Mike Novak, Jerod Domenichelli and Peter Wotherspoon dropped in NBA 3-pointers.
All over Clear Lake High School”s gymnasium on Saturday night, players were taking highlight-reel worthy shots — and this was before the inaugural Senior Showcase featuring senior players from the North Central League I North and South tipped off. The slam dunk contest held before the game came down to a final dunk, which Upper Lake”s Schell made and Clear Lake”s Richardson didn”t.
Thirteen seniors in all made a final appearance in their high school uniforms — a final chance to dress in Cloverdale blue and gold, Lower Lake and St. Vincent blue and white, Willits green and gold, Clear Lake cardinal and black, Upper Lake red and white, and Kelseyville orange and black.
Saturday night they made the most of every last minute in those familiar jerseys, right to the final second of the fourth quarter as the South prevailed 118-95.
While some thought it would be a blowout in the South”s favor based on what transpired during the regular season, the game instead turned into a barnburner. The two teams were tied 13-13 after one quarter and 38-38 at halftime. The South took a 76-70 lead into the high-scoring fourth quarter.
The game opened with both teams playing tough defense as well as showing rust on the offensive end. Kelseyville”s Wotherspoon confidently drove to the hoop early in the first quarter but ended up landing hard on the gym floor, and from that point the game was on.
The game began to pick up steam in the second quarter when the Novak brothers of Lower Lake — George and Mike — buried four 3-pointers between them and Kelseyville”s Lindsay added two more. The South kept pace with Clear Lake”s Jason Edwards hitting three straight baskets and Cloverdale”s Domenichelli scoring eight of his first-half-leading 13 points.
During the halftime contests, Domenichelli nipped Edwards in the free-throw shooting contest by one. In the 3-point contest, Edwards took the early lead with 16 and remained in front until the night”s final shooter, Domenichelli, stepped to the line. Domenichelli started slow but then began hitting shot after shot and ended up the winner with 17.
In the second half, the focus was clearly on offense rather than defense and South players Richardson, Clear Lake teammate Ryan Grady and Upper Lake”s Brandon Bills combined for six 3-pointers.
Meanwhile Woth-erspoon was carrying the North team on his back, scoring 15 of his team-leading 29 points in the third quarter. Lindsay chipped in with three 3-pointers. The South scoring in the period was pretty evenly divided with Edwards leading the way with eight points.
In the fourth quarter, Wotherspoon continued his hot hand with 10 more points and Lindsay hit two more of his game-high seven 3-pointers, but the firepower from the South in the form of 12 points from Schell, 10 from Domenichelli and nine each from Richardson and St. Vincent”s Joe Doolittle was just too much for the North as the South pulled away in the final minutes.
By game”s end, both coaches were impressed with what they saw on the floor.
“Nick Schell played the best game I”ve ever seen him play,” South coach Glenn Wienke of Clear Lake said. “The kid was all over the place,” North coach Scott Conrad added.
“This was a great event, I only feel bad for the kids who didn”t make it … believe me they will hear about it on Monday,” Conrad said of a handful of player no-shows (Upper Lake”s Cox, a South player, actually played for the North because only six North players suited up).
During the post-game awards ceremony, Wotherspoon was honored as MVP and Richardson (20 points), Domenichelli (30 points) and George Novak (17 points) were voted onto the first team.
