LAKE COUNTY >> Just when you thought the winter sports season was complete in Lake County, three girls basketball teams have risen from the sectional postseason ashes to play again.
The Kelseyville Knights (26-4), Clear Lake Cardinals (20-10) and Upper Lake Cougars (16-12) are headed to the NorCal playoffs as at-large teams and all three schools hit the road Wednesday night for first-round games. Kelseyville, the No. 14 seed in the 16-team Divison IV field, visits No. 3 Foothill High School in Sacramento for a 7 p.m. tip-off while Clear Lake, the No. 10 seed in the 16-team Division V field, also visits the state capitol to play No. 7 Capital Christian at 7 p.m. In another Division V game, No. 13 seed Upper Lake travels to Jackson to play No. 4 Argonaut High School at 6 p.m.
While Clear Lake, a semifinalist in the North Coast Section Division V playoffs, was expected to move on to the NorCals, the selection of Kelseyville and Upper Lake came as a big surprise to both coaches because their teams lost in the quarterfinals of the sectional playoffs.
“It was a pretty nice surprise,” said Kelseyville head coach Jim Hale, who celebrated his 42nd birthday on Monday, a day after learning of his team’s selection. “The players were happy and we should have a good time with it.”
Upper Lake’s selection to the Division V field came about when Cloverdale, picked as the No. 13 seed in Division V, opted out of that spot. “What I heard is they never intended to go but the selection committee picked them,” Upper Lake head coach Mike Smith said. “I was at home grading some papers (on Sunday) and had my email open when I saw something from Gil Lemmon (the North Coast Section commissioner) pop up.”
Lemmon’s email was an invitation for Upper Lake to replace Cloverdale and the Cougars, having filled out the necessary paperwork in advance, promptly accepted it.
“They were excited to get another game,” Smith said of his players.
All three schools haven’t done much in the way of practice since their last sectional playoff game.
Clear Lake last played a game on Wednesday in a 61-51 loss to Urban in the NCS semifinals. Upper Lake and Kelseyville played their last games in the quarterfinal round of the NCS playoffs on Feb. 25.
“We practiced Thursday,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds but I gave them Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. It’s a good thing too because some of my players came down with some kind of crud and needed the rest.”
The Cardinals practiced Monday and will hold another practice today before heading to Capital Christian (21-9) to take on the runner-up of the Sac-Joaquin Section.
Kelseyville and Upper Lake didn’t know if they would be playing in the NorCals — more so Upper Lake than Kelseyville — and both teams had athletes already working out in spring sports.
“I haven’t had a full-function practice since the Friday before out last game (against St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda),” Hale said. “We’ll have rested legs but I hope not rusty legs.”
Hale did hold informal shootarounds with a handful of his players who are not participating in spring sports just in case the Knights did draw an at-large berth.
“I think we should be pretty loose for the game and we’ll go over and have some fun,” Hale said.
Foothill (26-5) is the No. 3 seed and Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up.
Upper Lake draws a 25-4 Argonaut squad that beat Capital Christian, Clear Lake’s first-round opponent, 70-60 in the Sac-Joaquin Section championship game.
Smith said the Cougars put away their equipment and headed their separate ways following a 48-41 loss to Clear Lake in the NCS Division V quarterfinals.
“We locked the balls up and everyone was transitioning into spring sports,” Smith said. “We’ll get everybody back together, sweep the floor and hold a couple of practices before we head over there.”
All three coaches said there teams shouldn’t be feeling any pressure since they are the underdogs going in Wednesday’s games, and in the case of Kelseyville and Upper Lake prohibitive underdogs.
“We’re the underdog and have got nothing to lose,” Reynolds said. “I just want them to put their best effort out there and have fun.”
Clear Lake is the highest seed (at No. 10) among the county’s three NorCal playoff-bound teams and Reynolds said the Cardinals have a chance to advance into Saturday’s quarterfinals if they play well.
“I think we match up with them pretty well,” Reynolds said. “That we’ve made it this far and are still playing is a pretty nice tribute to our kids and how well they’ve played this season.”
Hale said another game gives his half-dozen seniors one last chance to shine in the bright spotlight.
“It’s a curtain call for them, an encore,” he said.
For Upper Lake it’s an opportunity to pull off another huge playoff upset. The Cougars, seeded 16th in the sectional playoffs, stunned No. 1 seed Convent of the Sacred Heart in the opening round.
“We know what it takes to do it,” Smith said.
Playing in the NorCals also affords two county seniors — Upper Lake’s Natalie Karlsson and Kelseyville’s Alma Perez — the opportunity to add their solid career scoring totals. Karlsson has 1,820 points and is second on the list of the county’s all-time scoring leaders, 77 points behind leader Laura Wilder (1,897), also of Upper Lake. Perez currently resides 20th on that list with 1,181 points but could move up one or even two more spots with a solid game against Foothill.
Should any of Lake County’s three teams prevail, they’ll play Saturday in the quarterfinals, most likely on the road again. The semifinals are March 15 and the championship round March 18. The NorCal winner advances to the CIF State Championships.
