After compiling a 7-5 record in the always-tough Trans-Valley League, Escalon’s varsity basketball boys had to go on the road for the postseason.
“For the fifth straight season our program qualified for the playoffs. We were given the 11-seed and had a long road trip to face off against six-seeded Colfax,” head coach Nate Bartelink explained of the Division IV CIF Sac-Joaquin Section bracket. “If it weren’t for a CIF rule where you can’t play a league opponent in the first round of the playoffs, we probably would’ve been the nine-seed, but the CIF had to move a couple teams around to avoid the league match-ups.”
Escalon ended its season with the road trip, falling by a 57-45 final in the Wednesday, Feb. 19 contest. The night started out on a positive note, as the Cougars took the early lead, going up 15-12 in the first quarter.
“We had a strong start, playing with a lot of energy and effort. Unfortunately, we struggled offensively in the second quarter, which seemed to be the difference in the game,” Bartelink added. “Some of the issues we experienced during the season hit us at the wrong time; offensive inefficiency, excessive turnovers, and one bad quarter.”
Outscored 18-6 in the second, Escalon was down by a 30-21 score at the half. They matched the host Colfax team 15-15 in the third to get to within 45-36 but the Falcons were a few points better, 12-9, in the final frame for the 12-point margin of victory.
“Colfax was a strong team. They had the best player we faced all season, and also a strong post player. I thought our defensive game plan worked pretty well; the players executed it for the most part,” the coach explained. “Giving up 50-something points should’ve been enough to win on the road, though Colfax made a handful of free throws late in the game to increase their scoring output. Scoring 45 points in the playoffs won’t cut it.”
Leading Escalon was junior Logan Huebner, who had 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
“He contributed in a lot of areas, as always,” Bartelink said. “Danny Gonzalez (senior) had 13 points, six rebounds, and four steals; he ended his career with a really good game.”
Senior Ryan Lewis was also in double figures with 10 points, and pulled down five rebounds; junior Ben Ferreira had eight points on the night.
Bartelink said the Colfax defense was challenging to play against.
“They were long, athletic and pretty strong. We didn’t necessarily generate great shots throughout the game, and we missed too many of the decent looks we got,” the coach noted. “I was proud of the effort we gave for four quarters, but obviously disappointed in the result.”
This year’s varsity Cougar boys had a final record of 17 wins, 12 losses for the campaign.
“Overall, it was a pretty strong season. We obviously missed not having Ben Ferreira in our preseason, and Sam Jimenez for the entire season. There’s no doubt in my mind we’d still be playing right now if Sam was healthy,” Bartelink said. “We’ll kind of remember this season as the “what-if” season, but things don’t always turn out like you hope or expect. That’s sports, and life. It’s a good lesson for the younger student-athletes to not take things for granted. Next season is not always guaranteed. I am proud of the 14 players and coaching staff on how we persevered and still found a way to have success and get in the playoffs.”
The coach said it’s tough to see any season come to an end, but there were some satisfying wins and definitely a solid base to work with next year.
“I’d like to thank our entire coaching staff for all of their time and effort they devote to the program, not only during the season, but throughout the entire year. I’d also like to thank their families for allowing them to coach,” summarized Bartelink. “The sudden finality of a season is always hard and weird. It’s difficult to say goodbye to our six amazing seniors. They will definitely be missed. We have a lot of talented returners coming back next season, along with several good pieces from the JV team, which were the TVL co-champions. As a program, we’ll continue to work hard in the off-season and strive to reach our program goals next season.”
