LAKE COUNTY — Senior guards Luke Watkins and Manny Acosta weren’t always hot at the same time, something that proved to be a blessing at times for the Kelseyville Knights during a solid 17-7 campaign during the 2022-23 high school boys basketball season.
“When one wasn’t hot, the other one usually was knocking down his shots,” Kelseyville head coach Oscar Lopez said. “They took turns picking us up during the season.”
Watkins and Acosta, the Knights’ top scorers and chief 3-point threats during the season, are the co-most valuable players on the 2023 edition of the All-Lake County basketball team as selected by the Record-Bee.
The senior duo helped the Knights finish tied with St. Helena for second place in the final North Central League I standings at 12-4, with only undefeated Cloverdale (16-0) posting a better record. They also played a big hand in No. 11 seed Kelseyville’s 69-68 upset of No. 6 McKinleyville in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 4 playoffs, which is usually the end of the road for county teams down through the years. Watkins led the way with 25 points, including three 3-pointers, while Acosta finished with 19 points and five 3-pointers. Both players reached double digits again in a 94-54 loss to Ygnacio Valley that ended the Knights’ season in the Division 4 quarterfinals, with Acosta leading the team with 17 points, including five more 3-pointers, and Watkins adding 11 points and three 3-pointers.
“They did a great job for me,” Lopez said of the two seniors.
First team
All-County first-team honors go to Clear Lake juniors Jake Soderquist and Cody Hayes, Middletown seniors Nadav Dicovski and Wyatt Moore, and Kelseyville sophomore Kyle Watkins, Luke’s younger brother.
Soderquist, a guard, and Hayes, a forward, formed the one-two punch for Clear Lake during the Cardinals’ 17-11 campaign and fourth-place finish (11-5) in the NCL I race, which qualified them for the Division 5 playoffs as an at-large team. As long as those two remained on the court, Clear Lake was competitive. When they weren’t, the Cardinals struggled.
Dicovski, the league MVP in soccer for the Mustangs during the fall sports season, continued his solid play on the hardwood, leading Middletown in scoring. Moore’s ballhandling and senior leadership also helped the Mustangs, who finished 9-7 in league (fifth) and 13-13 overall under first-year coach Jake Diehl. They qualified for the Division 4 playoffs as an at-large team, losing to Arcata in a first-round game.
Kyle Watkins’ presence on the floor greatly aided the Knights, who missed him at times during the season because of injuries. A tough defender and rebounder, Watkins’ production on offense increased in league play and the Knights just missed knocking off Cloverdale in a late-season meeting at Kelseyville, falling 71-67 in overtime. It was the closest the NCL I champs came to losing a league game all year.
Second team
All-County second-team selections are Lower Lake seniors Jett Guralas and Dylan Sherman, Middletown senior Adrian Backus, Upper Lake junior Robert Rosin and Clear Lake freshman Jesse Hayes.
While the Trojans had to overcome a bit of turmoil during the 2022-23 season, including a coaching change and the loss of three players for disciplinary reasons, Guralas and Sherman played strong basketball down the stretch as Lower Lake finished 11-14 overall and 5-11 in league, including three victories in its final five games, a big improvement from past seasons. The Trojans just missed upsetting Clear Lake in a late-season thriller, falling 67-66 when Cody Hayes hit a shot at the buzzer.
When Lower Lake lost three players after a home win against Willits late in the league season, Guralas and Sherman helped pick up the slack the rest of the way, and the Trojans actually were a better team the final month of the season.
Backus was a rebounding machine for Middletown and posted a number of double-doubles throughout the season.
Rosin was among the few bright spots for head coach Miles Hayes during a 9-16 rebuilding campaign. He was Upper Lake’s most dependable scorer game in and game out.
Not many freshmen play varsity basketball let alone start, but Jesse Hayes was an integral component of Clear Lake’s starting lineup, averaging a respectable 6.5 points a game. After a big year as a starting running back/wide receiver for the school’s state playoff football team, Hayes — along with older brother Cody — continued to impress on the hardwood.
Coach of the Year
All-County Coach of the Year Lopez and the Knights didn’t disappoint in 2022-23, making a run at the title in a tough NCL I. And the future could be even brighter for Lopez and company. With Kyle Watkins returning next season and an influx of talent from a championship junior varsity program, you probably haven’t heard the last of the Knights.
