The Brotherhood stays on top
Cougars stay on top, beat Lakeview
From our weekly issue dated January 12, 2011
The IVHS Cougar varsity team shows their strength on defense and offence Jan. 5, against Brookings Harbor. (Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley news)
The Illinois Valley’s varsity boys’ basketball team edged out the Lakeview Honkers 68-66 in a double-overtime victory Friday, Jan. 7.
According to boys’ basketball coach Jeff Winters, Illinois Valley teams drove some 200 miles for their first league games, with the boys’ varsity having to sit through three games in the bleachers before getting on the court.
Lakeview kept up with Illinois Valley the whole game, but in the end the “Brotherhood” overcame a ten-point fourth quarter deficit to win by two points in the second overtime.
“It came down to Jesse Bethke,” Winters said.
“He made a basket with about three seconds to go and put us ahead 68-66. [Lakeview] fired a shot at the buzzer but it didn’t go in. We escaped with our lives!”
The Cougars are now 9-2 overall as of Monday, Jan. 10 and first in the league. Although Lakeview is 6-9, Winters called them “the kind of team that plays up to the competition.”
Illinois Valley led by a comfortable margin in the first half, but fell flat in the third while Lakeview went on a scoring spree. “They took a six-point lead in the third quarter and in the fourth they built up a ten-point lead,” Winters said. “About three minutes to go we did a full-court press on them man-to-man, rattled them and came back.”
A three-point shot by Fred Hults sent the Cougars into overtime play. The two teams tied again, leading up to an exciting second overtime when the Cougars secured their victory and preserved their first-place league ranking.
“It was all about heart,” Winters said. “That’s what the Brotherhood does: they stick together, they believe they can do it and they do.” High scorers against Lakeview included Roger Hults with 21, Fred Hults with 20 and Jesse Bethke with 14 points. Andrew McLaughlin, Josh Free and Tyler Robbins also scored points.
“Teams I’ve had in the past, when they get down by five or ten points, they’re done,” Winters added. “These guys only play harder.” Winters credited the JV teams and especially the girls’ varsity team, whom he said cheered wildly for the boys’ varsity team to show their support.
“They’re our biggest fans,” Winters said of the girls’ team. “They sat there and cheered for us. It was a good thing“the place was packed and it was an unfriendly crowd! But we’ve been through that before.”
Winters also noted that several other community supporters made the 200-mile trip up to Lakeview High School.
The Cougars are next set to face Bonanza High School on Friday, Jan. 14, in another home game.
“They’re pretty good; they’re 8-6 and they beat Rogue River,” Winters said, referring to Bonanza’s game against the league opponent Jan. 7.
“You have to address them one game at a time. We don’t like to look too far ahead,” Winters said. “Our focus is on Lost River.”
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