Varsity Basketball Finals

"And So It Went..."
Eagle Jesse Hallock blocks a shot by a Griffin player.
Photo by Jonatan Muñoz

Eagles Dispatch Griffins 56-26

Eagle Andre Larsen leaps
past his Griffin opponents
to score.
Photo by Jonatan Muñoz

     The SCCLC Varsity boys Eagles dominated the court on Friday in the season's final game against the International Griffins. This victory marked the third consecutive undefeated season for the Eagles. The scoring started off slow with the first basket being scored after 3:30 of play. The Griffins took the ball down the court and tied the game up at 2-2 on the next possession, showing that they were going to put up a fight.
 The first quarter included many turnovers, and the score ended at 11-6.
     The second quarter was kicked off with an acrobatic layup by Eagle Caleb Ropp. An Eagle scoring spree left the Griffins in the dust, as the free throws and layups added up to give th Eagles a 20-6 lead. However, the Griffins were able to tally 6 more points before the end of the half, which ended at 24-12 with the Eagles on top.
     The Eagles came out strong in the third quarter, dominating the rebounds and going on another scoring streak. The gap between the two teams widened, and when the dust had cleared the Eagles were up 36-12. The Eagles continued to dominate, mostly thanks to seniors Caleb Ropp and Jesse Hallock. The Griffins scored a few more points, but they could not keep up with the energetic Eagles. The third quarter ended with a score of 41-16.

A Griffin player gets the ball past the Eagle
defenders to score.
Photo by Jonatan Muñoz

     An enthusiastic crowd kept the game interesting heading into the fourth and final quarter. The Eagles continued to dominate on the court, and soon they had a 48-18 lead. The crowd continued to cheer and chant, and they even influenced the Eagle coach to play a few of the players who had been on the bench for the entire time. The Griffins were not absent from the game as they were able to score 5 baskets in the fourth quarter to bring their score up to 26. With 2 seconds left on the clock, the Eagles were awarded 2 free throws, and the eager SCCLC students rushed to the sides of the court, cheering the Eagles on. The crowd erupted in cheers as the final free throw was made, and the students rushed onto the court as the buzzer sounded, with the Eagles winning 56-26. After the trophies and medals were given out and the water cooler was dumped on Eagle coach Keith Wilcke, the Eagles gathered together and chanted their famous "Ooga    
 chaka" chant one more time. 

    Caleb Ropp was the leading scorer with 22 points for the Eagles, and Jesse Hallock followed with 14 points. Cesar Flores and Andre Larsen also made big contributions for their team. The Griffins leading scorer scored 10 out of their 26 points. The conclusion of this season means that 4 of the 5 Eagle starters will be graduating, and this should definitely lead to an exciting basketball season next year as the competition is evened out between the schools.

"OOGA CHAKA!"
The SCCLC Eagles perform their famous chant.
Photo by Jonatan Muñoz

Varsity Girls Jaguars Overcome Eagles in Close Game, 24-19

  By Jesse Mann, SCCLC        

Eagle Abby Phillips attempts to shoot the ball over
the outstretched arms of a Jaguar opponent.
Photo by Jonatan Muñoz

     The Cooperative High School girl basketball team won another trophy today, adding another victory to a fantastic winning streak spanning over two years. The Eagles, however, did not let the Jaguars claim their prize without fierce resistance. From the very beginning the game was a fast paced, intense battle that contained a large number of fouls, free throws, and turnovers. Neither team could establish a noteworthy lead in the first half, which ended with 10 – 10 tie score. The Eagles managed to get ahead for a short time at the start of the third quarter before the Cooperative girls rallied to gain the lead again. For the remainder of the game the Jaguars managed to hold a slim lead over the Eagles, before a few well placed baskets in the final minutes put the nails in the coffin for the SCCLC. The final score was 24 – 19, representing a well played match that both teams could be proud of.

The victorious Jaguars pose for a picture with their 1st place trophy.
Photo by Jonatan Muñoz