LAKE COUNTY — Lake County’s high school varsity basketball teams are on the move now that the tournament season has arrived.
The transition from fall to winter sports officially ended on Wednesday night as the Middletown High School junior varsity and varsity boys teams began play in the Pierce Invitational in Arbuckle, a tournament that runs through Friday. Neither Middletown squad is anything close to full strength because of the Mustangs’ continuing participation in the North Coast Section Division V football playoffs.
“I have four varsity players … now three because one is hurt,” Middletown veteran coach G.J. Rockwell said. “I had to take some players from Jon’s team (Jon Hoogendoorn, the Middletown JV coach). All my other guys are still playing football.”
Complicating matters for Rockwell and company was Middletown’s first-round opponent, a veteran Colusa High School squad coming off a 24-6 record last season.
Six other Lake County varsity teams open tournament play Thursday. In boys action, Lower Lake plays McKinleyville in the opening round of the Tip-Off Classic in McKinleyville at 7:30 p.m., and Upper Lake hosts Willits in the first round of the Cougar Round Robin Tournament at Upper Lake at 8 p.m. In girls action, Clear Lake takes on Durham at 3 p.m. in the first round of the Colusa Tournament, Kelseyville plays Willows at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the Gridley Tournament, Lower Lake meets McKinleyville at 5:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Arcata Tournament, and Upper Lake hosts Point Arena at 6:30 p.m. in the first round of the Cougar Round Robin at Upper Lake.
All of the Thursday-starting tournaments run through Saturday.
Joining the tournament rotation on Friday is the inaugural Paul Larrea Memorial Tournament for junior varsity and varsity boys teams at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport. Clear Lake’s JVs play Vacaville Christian at 4:30 p.m. and the Clear Lake varsity takes on Vacaville Christian at 7:30 p.m. Clear Lake’s teams play twice more on Saturday as the tournament concludes.
Missing out on the first weekend of tournament action are the Kelseyville varsity boys and Middletown varsity girls. Kelseyville hits the road Dec. 6 to compete in the Redwood Empire Invitational in Healdsburg. Middletown has a road game Tuesday in Concord against Ygnacio Valley before opening action in the Antioch Rumble on Dec. 6.
