Jaguar 4th Quarter Eruption Extends Win Streak!

In the world of seismic geology it is not unheard of for a long dormant volcano to erupt, sometimes with catastrophic consequences. Such an event is Mother Nature’s not so subtle way of reminding us who’s in charge. A vastly different yet similar scenario was on display in the Goldwater High School gymnasium on Tuesday night. After three quarters of nip and tuck basketball, the Boulder Creek Jaguars exploded for 28 fourth quarter points, limiting host Goldwater to just a single point in the period. This was Boulder Creek’s equally unsubtle reminder of why they sit atop the Northwest Region and carry a #2 state class 5A ranking.

Remembering the lopsided Jaguar victory in mid-January, the Bulldogs elected to play a deliberate, slow tempo game hoping to slow the Jaguar fast break attack and severely limit the potent Jags scoring opportunities when they ran their offensive sets. The strategy worked for 3 quarters as the Jags were well off their accustomed scoring pace, holding a slim one point lead (37-36) going into the final period.

Cracks in the Bulldog defense slowly started to appear though and the pressure was building to keep the lid on the Jaguar offensive juggernaut. Slowly but surely Boulder Creek was able to gradually increase their 4th quarter lead necessitating a change in Goldwater tactics that eventually led to the Jaguar explosion. A couple of untimely technical fouls also contributed to the Bulldogs demise.

Once they were forced into a more up tempo game their fate was sealed, order was restored in Jaguar nation and a convincing final score of 65-37 was illuminated on the scoreboard. The win moves the Jaguars to 20-2 for the year and their win streak now stands at 12 consecutive victories (winning a jaw dropping 18 of their last 19 games).

Coach Randy Walker and his staff again acted as conductors in this Jaguar symphony season, keeping the team poised through the contest and pulling all the right strings at the right times. The Jags were paced by senior co-captains Alex Dykhuizen (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Ryan Crane (15 points, 5 rebounds) but had plenty of help from juniors Ryan Zettle (6 assists, 3 steals), Joe Simpson (11 points, 5 rebounds) and sophomore Weston Newell (13 points, 2 rebounds).

In what is arguably the most anticipated game of the year, Boulder Creek travels to region rival Mountain Ridge on Friday night. This will be a crucial test for the Jags as Mountain Ridge is only one game back in the Northwest Region standings and the opponent that can most affect their designs on a regional championship. A packed gymnasium is expected and the team needs Jags fans to get there early, proud and loud in support of the team. The Jags have only 2 home games remaining in their regular season , against Deer Valley on Feb 9th and Willow Canyon on Feb 12th, before ending their regular season at Valley Vista on Feb 16th. By any measure this season has been a tremendous success so far but the Jaguars are looking forward rather than resting on their laurels.

They remain focused and eager to sprint to the finish in their remaining games, hopefully finding themselves well positioned for a strong playoff run. Come out and support your Jaguars and see just how much fun another scoring eruption can be!