LAKE COUNTY — He missed the entire 2017-18 season with an injury, so you might say Clear Lake High School’s Jaron Mertle made up for lost time during a record-setting campaign for the Cardinals in 2018-19.
Mertle, only a junior, is the most valuable player on the 2019 edition of the All-North Central League I boys basketball team as recently selected by a vote of the league’s eight coaches. Back in full force after a broken foot sidelined him on the first day of practice during his sophomore season, Mertle started all 31 of the Cardinals games and averaged 12 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He was a major factor in Clear Lake advancing deeper into the postseason (NorCal quarterfinals) than any other Cardinals boys squad, and in the team setting school bests for wins in a single season (27) and winning percentage (.871).
Clear Lake, the undefeated NCL I champion (14-0), landed three players on the first team. Joining Mertle were junior guard Darius Ford, the Cardinals’ leading scorer at 14 points per game, and senior point guard Rodrigo Lupercio, who averaged 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 rebounds a game.
Middletown junior guard Andreas Cervantes, the leading scorer for the league runner-up Mustangs, also earned first-team honors as did Cloverdale sophomore Josh Lemley and St. Helena senior Nick Jeworowski.
Named to the All-League second team were a pair of Lake County players – Clear Lake senior guard Josh Damiata and Middletown junior forward/guard Jimmy Rockwell. Mario Lopez of Cloverdale, a senior, and juniors Jullian Clavelle of Fort Bragg and Jonathan Gamble of St. Helena also earned second-team honors.
Honorable mentions were accorded to five players, including Middletown junior guard Sammy Cervantes, Andreas’ brother, and Kelseyville senior guard Adrian Villalobos. D.J. Buzzard of Willits and Garrett James of Fort Bragg, both seniors, and junior Shayne Turner of Cloverdale also were honored.
Lower Lake, which changed head coaches midseason, was shut out of the All-League voting.
