Jaguars Stay on the Prowl

With no let up in sight the Boulder Creek Jaguars lived up to the high expectations they have set all season and defeated Deer Valley High School by a final score of 77-54 on Tuesday at Jaguar gymnasium. The win, the third in as many tries against the Skyhawks this year, catapults Boulder Creek to a 22-2 record overall and 12-0 in the Northwest Region. Additionally, the victory garnered a second consecutive Northwest Region championship for Coach Randy Walker and the Jags, an achievement that was recognized by the presentation of a championship plaque in a brief post game ceremony. But, to paraphrase a sports icon, champions are not made in a gym- they are made from something they have deep inside them, a desire, a dream, a vision. The 2009-2010 edition of the Boulder Creek Jaguars certainly have all of that. The hours, weeks and months spent preparing to get where they are today are what made the victories possible, winning the Northwest Region is an honor and accomplishment that is attributable to their collective effort, desire and commitment. One team, one vision, one goal is more than just a team catch phrase, the Jags believe it and personify it every day.

Upon analysis, this game was a microcosm of the Jags season this year. Stifling team defense, combined with an efficient and consistently productive offense, resulting in a lopsided margin of victory. Deer Valley played hard and they have some fine young players but the Jaguars were not tested to any great extent throughout the contest. As a result Coach Walker and his staff were again able to rely on a 10 man rotation, resting his starters for significant minutes and providing his reserves with additional valuable experience. That experience may prove to be a discriminating advantage in the looming playoffs and beyond.

As usual the Jags came out in an aggressive man to man defense to start the game, steadily building a lead and limiting the Skyhawks to only 15 first half points. Although some adjustments propelled Deer Valley to a much better showing in the second half, Boulder Creek had no trouble maintaining a comfortable scoring cushion. The Jags also had no trouble scoring and again spread the wealth around, shooting a blistering 58% as a team. Leading the way for the Jags were Josh Braun (25 points, 8-9 from the field, 4 rebounds) and co-captain Ryan Crane ( 23 points, 9-13 from the field, 4 rebounds). Typical of this team there were also significant contributions from co-captain Alex Dykhuizen (10 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds), Weston Newell (9 points, 4-5 from the field, 5 rebounds) and Ryan Zettle (4 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds). Solid contributions were also received from Joe Simpson, Jake Hunt, Cort Watson, Ryan Benn and Benji Rutan who all made their presence known when on the court. Remarkably the Jags had only 5 team turnovers in the fast paced contest.

Boulder Creek has only two regular season games remaining, home against Willow Canyon on this coming Friday and away against Valley Vista on Feb 16th. The Jaguars will be recognizing senior members of this years’ squad at Friday’s final home game and Jags fans are encouraged to get there early and cheer on the team. Boulder Creek enters the final games ranked #1 in Class 5A2 and unless a surprise is in store they expect to host at least one playoff game later this month. Boulder Creek can expect to face strong competition in the playoffs and their impressive record will not matter to the teams they face. The first playoff game is scheduled on Thursday, Feb 25th and a second on Saturday, Feb 27th . The four teams that emerge victorious from these games will meet at Arizona State University during the first week of March to decide the Class 5A2 championship. This Jaguar team is looking forward to the post season opportunity and remain confident of their chances but regardless of the outcome it has been a season to remember. There is a genuine buzz in the community and at the games that confirm this team, and their coaching staff, has a special chemistry that has been a pleasure to witness. We salute these achievers, who not only have accepted all challenges, but have worked so hard to meet them head on. Their record and infectious camaraderie is all the proof needed to affirm a remarkable season so far. It’s not over though, come see for yourself.