LOWER LAKE >> Score was kept but it wasn’t really about that on Friday night as Lower Lake High School stars from the past returned to their alma mater to participate in two alumni basketball games at the new gym. It was about reliving memories of outstanding players who excelled not only as individuals during their heyday, but also within the framework of good team basketball.
And man oh man, were there ever some good teams at Lower Lake when some of these stars — Katie Wilder-Thomas, Veronica Wilder, Donald Miller, Joe Noel and Eric Freeman — were in their playing prime. Chris Richardson (1991), Joe Hughes (1994) and Ed Fuchs (1997) were the oldest of the alumni that played against the varsity boys while Cheryl Horner-Christensen (1997) and Lily Cuellar (1998) were the “old-timers” among the alumni that played against the varsity girls.
Three of the featured alumni — Freeman and the Wilder sisters — all scored more than 1,000 points during their playing careers. Freeman finished with 1,295, the third-best total in Lower Lake history and ninth all-time among Lake County leaders. Katie Wilder-Thomas ended up with 1,121 despite missing more than two-thirds of her senior season because of a knee injury. She said on Friday night she’s had surgery to repair ligament damage four times in all, not including a fifth clean-up procedure.
While many of the alumni last played competitive basketball in high school, a handful went on to play college ball. Some are still active in high-level recreational leagues. That was pretty apparent in the late game as the alumni men beat the varsity boys 62-55. Freeman, Joe Noel and Donald Miller, all members of the graduating class of 2004, still have considerable game and demonstrated that time and time again. Those three players were the same trio that led Lower Lake to a 26-3 record during the 2003-04 season when the Trojans went undefeated in league play. They also played on the 2002-03 team that may have been Lower Lake’s best ever at 12-0 in league and 25-6 overall. That club won two games in the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs and nearly a third before bowing 73-61 to Hercules in the semifinals. D’vonce Sloan also played on the 2002-03 club and he was in uniform Friday as well. Their old coach, Marty Udy, also was in the stands watching his former players as well as son Quin Udy, class of 2011.
A handful of other Lower Lake stars from the past heard about the game too late and couldn’t participate, including Rachelle Hukel (1995), who scored more than 1,000 points during high school career that was split between Laytonville and Lower Lake, but her best years were with the Trojans.
Ironically many of the former Lower Lake greats never got to experience all the creature comforts of the new gym facility that was built long after they had graduated. That was true of Wilder-Thomas, Freeman, Noel, Miller, Sloan and others who spent their playing days running up and down the court at the tiny Carl Delgado Gym, which is still in operation next door to the new gym.
“I really like it,” Wilder-Thomas said of the new facility, which came on line in time for the 2009-10 season.
Wilder-Thomas had a team-leading nine points, including the only alumni 3-pointer, in a 58-38 to the varsity girls, who were led by Aleia Milano’s 21 points. Individual stats for the alumni vs. varsity boys game were not available at press time.
While it’s certainly true the Trojans have experienced some lean times in both boys and girls basketball in the not too distant past, they’ve also had some great runs, and many of those magnificent memories came courtesy of the alumni who returned to the Lower Lake hardwood for one more visit on Friday.
