CLOVERDALE >> Playing at a fever pitch were the Lower Lake and Cloverdale varsity boys’ basketball teams on Thursday night in Cloverdale.
Up for grabs was a piece of the North Central League I title and you can bet the Cloverdale Eagles aren’t really in the sharing mood after hammering the Trojans 79-43. If Cloverdale (11-2) wins on Tuesday in its league finale at home against Fort Bragg, it will own the undisputed title and secure an automatic berth in the upcoming North Coast Section playoffs.
Lower Lake (10-3) needs to beat Clear Lake on Tuesday in Lakeport and hope that Fort Bragg can defeat Cloverdale. If that happens, the Trojans and Eagles will finish as co-champions.
The fever pitch was partially due to the game’s high stakes and certainly due to the simple fact that a handful of Lower Lake players were not feeling well at all … as in running significant fevers at game time.
Given that Lower Lake was gunning for its first league title in 12 years, Lower Lake coach Shannon Tubbs said his players weren’t about to miss this one.
“I had four starters sick,” Tubbs said. “Hoke (Hokulani Wickard) almost didn’t come to school. He was running a fever of 102.” Cloverdale moved out in front early and led 22-6 after one quarter. It really didn’t get much better for the Trojans, who trailed 37-17 at halftime and 61-27 through three quarters.
“We just didn’t play good and they played good,” Tubbs said. “My hat is off to Cloverdale.”
It’s probably a good thing Tubbs wasn’t wearing a hat during the game because he might have thrown it at the game officials. Lower Lake’s coach said he didn’t think the Trojans caught a fair shake.
“They were manhandling us all night and nothing was called,” Tubbs said. “We couldn’t touch them.”
Wickard, who was averaging 28 points a game in the Trojans’ three previous outings, finished with 11 against a Cloverdale team gunning for a second straight league championship. Marlon Jones led Lower Lake with 13.
Cloverdale also won the junior varsity game 43-28.
