LAKEPORT — Winning the championship game in the inaugural Paul Larrea Memorial Tournament was reason enough for the Clear Lake High School varsity boys basketball team to celebrate on Saturday night, but it was the way the Cardinals won it, and more importantly the team they beat, that really created a festive atmosphere at the Clear Lake High gym in Lakeport.
Holding off a late surge by the Bentley Phoenix of Lafayette, Clear Lake claimed the championship trophy with a 64-62 victory over the team that had ended each of its last two seasons in the North Coast Section Division V playoffs.
“It was one of the best high school basketball games I’ve even been involved with,” Clear Lake head coach Scott De Leon said. “Bentley has knocked us out of the playoffs two year in a row. It was a hard-fought win for the championship and I’m hoping this gives us momentum for the rest of the season.”
Rodrigo Lupercio was named the tournament’s top player and was presented with the Ryan Mayer MVP Award named after a former Clear Lake great who recently died. Ryan’s sister, Liz, and dad, Bob, were on hand for the presentation. Bob Mayer served as Clear Lake’s longtime vice principal before recently retiring. Another Clear Lake player, Josh Damiata, received the Paul Larrea Inspirational Award.
Bentley trailed 35-25 at halftime but rallied to take a two-point lead in the fourth quarter.
“It was a possession-by-possession game down the stretch,” De Leon said. “We made it closer than it should have been. We missed two putbacks after offensive rebounds and a handful of free throws … we were 4-for-10 from the line in the fourth quarter.”
One of three 3-pointers on the night by Jaron Mertle (11 points) put Clear Lake ahead to stay. All-Tourney selection Darius Ford led the Cardinals with 23 points, Tj Marcks added 14 and Damiata had 13. Ford also sank four 3-pointers.
Earlier Saturday Clear Lake rallied from a 16-4 deficit to beat Bay School of San Francisco 57-49 in a second-round game. A 23-11 second quarter fueled the Cardinals’ comeback. Lupercio scored 10 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half.
“We hit our stride in that second quarter,” De Leon said.
Preston Jones (10 points) buried two 3-pointers in the second quarter while Ford and Damiata (11 points) each had one.
“That got us right back in the game,” De Leon said.
Clear Lake also cranked up the defensive pressure in the second half.
“We kind of wore them down,” De Leon added.
Clear Lake had 19 steals for the game.
The Cardinals played a non-league game on Monday against Rincon Valley Christian. They return to action Thursday against Placer at 3:30 p.m. in the Buck Bailey Invitational in Woodland.
In other boys tournament action Saturday:
Ferndale 55, Upper Lake 54
At Upper Lake, senior Kenny Hodges scored his 1,000th career point for Upper Lake, but the Cougars were edged out by the Ferndale Wildcats in the championship game of the Cougar Round Robin.
Upper Lake (5-1) suffered its first loss of the season despite a 20-point, 17-rebound effort by Hodges. Dylan Armstrong added 15 points.
Early foul trouble plagued the Cougars and their inability to hit free throws – they went just 13-for-27 from line – didn’t help.
“Hodges and (Hank) Nevarez picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and missed most of the first half,” Upper Lake coach Justin Dutcher said.
Upper Lake trailed by as many as 14 points early in the fourth quarter before rallying to take as much as a four-point lead, but then went cold from the field and line.
“They put so much effort into the comeback that they ran out of steam,” Dutcher said of his players.
Benat Love had seven points for the Cougars. Point guard Ray Moran pulled down seven rebounds and had five assists to go along with three points.
Hodges was named to the All-Tournament team.
Upper Lake played a non-league game on Monday in Esparto. The Cougars return to action Thursday in the Potter Valley Tournament.
Lower Lake 57, Kipp King 52
At McKinleyville, in a game tied 34-all after three quarters, the Lower Lake Trojans beat Kipp King of San Lorenzo in the seventh-place game of the McKinleyville Tournament.
Darian James led a balanced Lower Lake attack with 11 points, Semaj Clark added 10, Van Wilkins had nine, Mike Taliaferro eight and Donald Vaughn seven.
It was the first win of the season for coach Tim Biasotti’s Trojans (1-2), who play Colfax on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Live Oak Tournament. The tourney runs through Friday.
JV boys
Clear Lake 81, Bentley 19
Clear Lake 83, Fort Bragg 34
Clear Lake 64, V. Christian 40
At Lakeport, Clear Lake High School’s junior varsity boys squad routed Bentley of Lafayette in the championship game of the inaugural Paul Larrea Memorial Tournament. Both teams entered the third-round of the round-robin tourney with 2-0 records.
Treppa Macks’ 16 points powered the Cardinals (3-0). Joining him in double figures were teammates Donovan Valadez (14 ponts), Evan Coakley (13 points) and Zane Robinson (10 points).
In a second-round win over Fort Bragg, Valadez led all scorers with 16 points. Coakley’s 22 points paced the Cardinals in their opening-round win over Vacaville Christian on Friday.
Coakley was named the tournament’s MVP and Valadez earned All-Tourney honors.
