Feb. 13, 2009

Weimar Hills 7th Grade Gets Past Forest Lake, 44-41

All season long the Weimar Hills 7th grade basketball team has been using defense as one of its catalysts to having a successful season.

Thursday afternoon with a Nevada County Athletic League championship in the balance, the Warriors turned to their old reliable to produce a league title pennant.

Hosting third place standing Forest Lake Christian in Meadow Vista and needing a win to secure the outright NCAL 7th grade flag, the Warriors dusted off an old playbook and used a second half zone defense that proved to be the difference in an exciting 44-41 win over the Falcons.

The win gives Weimar Hills a 10-1 NCAL mark and a two-game lead with only a regular season ending tilt set for Tuesday at Seven Hills.

Weimar Hills, now 19-7 overall, will take the NCAL’s No. 1 seed into the league tournament next week.

In a back and forth first half, Weimar and Forest Lake went tooth and nail at each other with the Falcons leading 14-12 after a quarter before Weimar took a slim 23-22 lead at the halftime break.

But in the second half, Weimar Hills’ zone defense slowed the tempo somewhat and the Warriors grabbed a lead they didn’t relinquish the rest of the way.

A pivotal play for the Warriors came in the fourth quarter with Weimar Hills nursing a 42-41 lead with 50 seconds to play.

That’s when Weimar Hills’ Michael Wilson came up with a steal and converted the ensuing break away lay-in which gave the Warriors the eventual 44-41 final margin.

Jordan Balser’s 18 points and 16 from Jack Baldoni paced the Warriors on offense. Chris Harshman and Cole Joyce both added three points apiece while Wilson and Jake Mederios each added two.

For Forest Lake, now 7-4 in NCAL play, Chase Augistino scored 15 points while Luke Jordon added 12 and Zac Tavenner 10.

NCAL 7th Grade
                     W   L

Weimar Hills    10 1
Union Hill          8 3
Forest Lake       7 4
Seven Hills        7 4
Magnolia           3 7
Pleasant Valley 2 7
Gilmore            0 11

8th Grade

Pleasant Valley 47 Magnolia 35 – The Vikings ventured to Lake of the Pines and received a 15-point, 18-rebound effort from Jared Cook to turn back the Rattlers.

PV, now 7-4 in NCAL play, led 28-21 at intermission before breaking the contest open in the second half.

Following Cook in the scoring department were Kyle Cota with 14 points and Travis Hansen with six. Hansen also rebounded well and had a good defensive game according to PV coach Gene Smith.

Derek Ross’ 12 points and 8 from Justin Beskeen led Magnolia.

Weimar Hills 42 Forest Lake 19 – Ten different players found the scoring column for Weimar Hills which led 22-9 at halftime and 39-11 after three quarters before coasting home to the win.

Weimar Hills, now 8-3 in NCAL play and 21-5 overall, was led by Austin Mulderrig with eight points, Clay Southerland with six and Taylor Dorsey and Sean Dougherty with five each.

NCAL 8th Grade
                      Won Lost
Seven Hills     10     1
Weimar Hills    8     3
P. Valley          7     4
Gilmore            7    4
Magnolia          4    7
Union Hill         3    8
Forest Lake     0    12