‘It was a Special Season’ for Men’s Basketball Team

The Eagles were down 30 points in the first half of their first-round Regional playoff game at Los Medanos last week, 50-20. They trailed by 26 at half time but came back to get within 6 points with 2 minutes left in the game and the ball in their hands.

Things did not go well in those final 2 minutes, and the Eagles lost to Los Medanos for the third time in three tries this season, 90-80.

"They were the better team," said Siskiyous coach Kyle Heath, who praised his players for doing what they did all season: "never giving up, battling back, and staying together."

The Eagles finished the season with a 16-13 record, placed third in the Golden Valley Conference with a 5-5 record, and had four team members earn All-Conference recognition: Sophomore Zane Lueth and freshman Dylan Neufeld were first team All-GVC, sophomore Cade Ealy was Honorable Mention, and freshman Cole Bernius was All-Defense.

"We were very consistent all year," Heath said. "We never lost two in a row in the preseason. We did lose two in a row twice in league, but never lost three in a row. Coming into the season I didn't think we'd be a playoff team. But they came every day to practice, worked hard, and went to class. It was a special season. I'm sad it's over. It was one of the special years of my life."

Heath said this group of players over-achieved in many ways on the court. They were also mostly high achievers in the classroom and willing to help in the community with basketball camps and going to schools. Heath calls it the 3 C's: community, classroom, and court.

Among the highlights, along with being the first Siskiyous men's basketball team to make the playoffs since 2014, they swept both GVC games against rival Shasta. "That's good for recruiting," said Heath. They made it to the championship game at the Mendocino Tournament and had some great come-from-behind wins.

And they had the same starting lineup every game except Sophomore Night, featuring sophomores Lueth, Ealy, and Braeden Watts and freshmen Neufeld and Bernius.

Heath said luck has something to do with the Eagles going the last two years without any major injuries, but he also attributes it to the players' work in the weightroom and the training staff.

He said the individual awards are a reflection of the team's success.

All-Conference -- Zane Lueth, a 6-foot-3 guard from Australia, was one of the Eagles' third-year players. He started every game the past two seasons, usually guarding the other team's best player. He's also known for giving the Eagles a lift with his play above the rim, including some crowd-rousing slam dunks. Heath describes him as "a freak athlete" who jumps so high he can "put his head on the rim." Zane is also good at boxing out and blocking shots. "He puts in a lot of work in the weightroom and leads by example," Heath said. He averaged 9.8 points per game, 5 rebounds, and shot just under 50 percent from the field. He finished fourth among GVC players in field goal percentage and sixth in free throw percentage (76.6%). His All-Conference award followed All-Defense recognition last year.

All-Conference – Dylan Neufeld, a 6-foot point guard from Grants Pass, was the Eagles' leading scorer with 15 points per game, the fourth best scoring average among GVC players. He finished with 29 points in the Eagles' last conference game at Feather River, a game they had to win to get into the playoffs. Dylan scored 13 of the Eagles' first 20 points in the playoff game and finished with a team-high 27 points. Heath said Neufeld has the ability to create and was good this season at "getting by a defender and finishing at the basket." He was second among GVC players in free throw percentage (83%), led the team with 54 three-point baskets, and was second on the team to Cade in assists per game.

Honorable Mention -- Cade Ealy, a 6-3 forward from Grants Pass, was dominant all season in the paint and made some amazing passes to his teammates. He finished third among Golden Valley Conference rebounders (9.5 per game) and fourth in assists (3.9). Cade almost averaged a double double for the season, only being shy 1.5 points and 0.5 rebounds. Another one of the third-year Eagle players, he was a vocal team leader. An all-conference pick last year as the Eagles' sixth man, Heath said Cade has a big heart and competitive spirit. "He's a guy you can challenge, and he can take the challenge and get better every day."

All-Defense -- Cole Bernius, a 6-5 forward from the Portland area, was a menace on the defensive end each night. He finished fourth in the conference in blocks averaging 0.6 per game and 3.3 rebounds per game. Cole brought the energy the Eagles needed to give them a boost in close games. Heath praised him for his toughness in protecting the rim and taking charges after converting to play post in college.

Heath said sophomore Braeden Watts could also have been honorable mention or all-defense. He started most of the Eagles' games last year and every game this year despite dealing with some injuries. He guarded tough perimeter players on other teams and "does things the right way."

Will Dobson was another sophomore and third-year player who contributed a lot this season and had a 41.2 three-point shooting percentage that was second-best among GVC players.

Dobson was 2 for 4 on three-point shots and finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds in the Eagles' playoff loss at Los Medanos.

Neufeld scored his 27 points on 11 for 16 field goal shooting, including 2 for 5 beyond the arc. He was 3 for 4 on free throws and had 5 rebounds. Lueth was 5 for 7 from the field and scored 11 with one trey. Freshman Landon Ellis made 3 of his 5 shots and 3 free throws to score 9. Bernius was 4 for 4 on free throws and finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds. Watts was 2 for 4 on threes for his 6 points and led the team with 6 rebounds. Ealy scored 4 points and had a team-high 3 assists. Nick Dore scored 4 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, and Josh Allen scored a point.

Heath said the Eagles hope to improve in some areas next season, including breaking presses. They struggled against pressing teams in the preseason but didn't have to deal with that much in league. They did have to deal with it in the playoff game at Los Medanos and did not handle it well in the first half, which led to some easy baskets and wide-open threes.

But the Eagles, the No. 23 seed playing at No. 10, got it together in the second half to outscore Los Medanos 50-34. After giving up 10 threes in the first half, Los Medanos made just two in the second half as the Eagles rallied from 26 down to just 6 down with two minutes remaining.

"They're a very good team," Heath said of Los Medanos, which had seven players who shot 40 percent or better from long distance. That's the same percentage the Eagles posted on threes in the playoff game, making 8 of 20.

Los Medanos' stay in the NorCal Regionals was short-lived. They lost their next game at No. 7 Chabot, 89-82.

GVC champion Redwoods, the No. 6 seed, advanced to the final eight with a 76-66 win over No. 11 Cosumnes River. Butte, seeded No. 17 after finishing second in the GVC, won its first-round game over No. 16 Ohlone before losing to No. 1 San Francisco, 25-3.

The biggest surprise on the way to the men's final eight was No. 13 Las Positas, which won by 5 points in both its first two games, 84-79 over No. 20 Diablo Valley and 79-74 over No. 4 Yuba, which earned its high seed with a 26-2 regular season record.   

Some of the Eagle sophomores could go on and play at a higher level, and Heath said he sees it as part of his job to "do whatever I can to help."

The coach said he is already recruiting for next year's team and would love to have freshmen Neufeld, Cole, Allen, Ellis, and Dore return for another season. "They were all successful and a big part of what we did this year," Heath said.

By Steve Gerace