KELSEYVILLE — A member of two winning Hoop Classic varsity teams in 1996 and 1997, former Clear Lake High School star Jeremy Hopkins now has a Hoop Classic coaching championship to add to his resum?.
Hopkins, coach of the Clear Lake junior varsity squad, directed his team to a 66-52 victory over Middletown in the championship game on Saturday evening at Kelseyville High School. It”s the second time this season the Clear Lake JVs have beaten Middletown in a tournament championship game, the first time coming earlier this month at the Clear Lake Tournament in Lakeport.
Bombs away
Middletown”s Anthony Guzman scored 25 points in his team”s 66-52 loss to Clear Lake in the JV championship game, including six 3-pointers, which was one shy of tying single-game JV record of seven set by Matt Giovannoni of Middletown in 1999.
All 12 of Guzman”s points in the second quarter came on 3-pointers. He added another 11 points in the fourth quarter, including his final two treys.
Ka-ching
While the final total isn”t in yet, this year”s Hoop Classic was among the best ever in terms of gate receipts. While the tournament was shortened from five days to three, the Kelseyville gym packed in the fans, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
By the numbers
Middletown”s championship in the varsity division gives the Mustangs four Hoop Classic titles overall, all in the last seven years. So the school that is recognized as Lake County”s best in football year in and year out is rapidly becoming a basketball power as well.
In the JV division, Clear Lake won its fifth Hoop Classic title, pulling into a tie with Lower Lake for the most championships. Kelseyville and Middletown are four-time winners.
Middletown was trying for a fourth straight tournament title, which would have been a record in the JV division.
2012 Hoop Classic
Depending on the input of the county”s varsity coaches over the next few weeks, next year”s tourney, which is scheduled to take place at Lower Lake High School, will either remain at the current four county teams or increase to five, which means adding one out-of-county school to the rotation.
