Passing Grade? You Bet!

Passing Grade? You Bet!

Although school was not in session Tuesday night the Boulder Creek Jaguars passed an important test with a hard fought win over the Deer Valley Skyhawks in regional action, winning by a score of 57-50. Going into this away game the Jaguars were wary and as expected the Skyhawks came out in an aggressive man to man defense, challenging the Jags throughout the contest. That aggression would not stand however as Boulder Creek answered each challenge that they faced. The athletic Skyhawks proved to be a worthy adversary and knew a win would put them in a first place tie with the Jaguars in the Northwest 5AII region. Proving that they were up to the task the Jaguars fought hard keeping a fragile lead for most of the game. Although never totally secure the lead swelled to low double digits in the second half giving the Jaguars a bit of a cushion, which was sorely needed when Deer Valley made a couple of late runs. Coach Randy Walker and his assistant coaches deftly pulled the strings on the roster as they shuffled personnel in and out of the game, switching defenses from man to zone upon occasion to confuse the Skyhawks. That was important as the Jags were shorthanded without key reserves Cort Watson for the entire game and Josh Braun, who suffered what is believed to be a minor injury and sat out the second half.

The Jags ran when they could but it was never easy as Deer Valley was well prepared and worked hard to disrupt the Boulder Creek offense. Once again Boulder Creek exhibited a strong team effort and looked to the entire roster to step up and make contributions. Despite being hounded all night Ryan Crane led Boulder Creek in scoring with 18 points (including 4 hoops from beyond the arc), and also had 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Point guard Ryan Zettle coolly controlled the Jags offense, had 3 points and dished out 4 assists. Joe Simpson, playing perhaps his best game of the season, chipped in with 16 points, 2 assists and 10 rebounds. Alex Dykhuizen had an excellent all around game with 9 points, 4 assists, 4 blocks and 10 rebounds. Weston Newell again gave the Jags a defensive spark and also contributed 5 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Jake Hunt came off the bench in the first half hitting a big three before halftime and giving Boulder Creek quality minutes in a reserve role, along with Benji Rutan who is providing strong defensive play. As a team the Jags grabbed a game high 40 rebounds, dished out 17 assists and registered 10 steals as they applied some defensive pressure of their own.

Although many crucial games remain in the season, this win moves the Jags to 16-2 overall and preserves their unblemished region record at 6-0. The win also maintains their first place ranking in the Northwest region. Some in the media also have Boulder Creek ranked number one in class 5AII at this juncture of the season. That is a double edged sword as the Jags are certainly being recognized for their hard work and excellent performance but must realize that they now have a target on their backs and can expect all opponents to want to play a spoiler role. Boulder Creek returns home Friday evening in the much anticipated “Hoopcoming” game against regional rival O’Connor. This is rematch game with a regional opponent looking for revenge from a recent defeat at the hands of the Jags. The Jaguars need strong fan support to keep their momentum going. Get there early and provide the Jags with your vocal support as they continue their march through regional play!