Top Ten Countdown #5: CL Hawks 63 Boerne 56
Coming in at #5 for the Top Ten Countdown will be Canyon Lake’s win over Boerne in Boy’s Basketball.
The Boy’s Basketball program has struggled for many years and made the playoffs for the first time last year but with a losing record.
This time around the Hawks had a solid Senior Class and that group of players will be known for having the first CL winning record along with an, ‘IT’ game, played against the Boerne Greyhounds during the first round of district contests.
That was the game, The ReSporter, will expound upon as this battle will be known as the best win in the short history of Hawk Basketball.
The ReSporter talked about a game much like this earlier in a Hawk’s Lady Soccer game win over Fredericksburg.
For this game, Canyon Lake had their deepest group of players that Coach Chapman could go to for in game adjustments.
During the season, The ReSporter, singled out 5 players that would need to be on top of their game offensively for getting wins.
Rory Preiss, Heath McDonough, Jacob Ramirez, Gerrit Wilkins, and Joseph Boyd were the players chosen for this test tube case for wins this past season.
Every game CL scored 41 or more points with these five players, a win would be the result for the Hawks.
In this Boerne game, these 5 players combined for 47 points which would be the most for the year.
Heath McDonough would have his season high with 17 points in this affair followed by Rory Preiss who scored 14, matching his season average.
Jacob Ramirez was off by one point in reaching double figures and Wilkins and Boyd finished with a combined 7 points.
Canyon Lake would have more assists than turnovers in the win, showing how valuable, taking care of the ball, would be for realizing good results and victories.
Preiss and Ramirez both led the team with 6 assists and Heath McDonough would be the only Hawk with a double/double finishing the game with 10 rebounds.
Canyon Lake’s, Coach Chapman finished this article with the following rendition.
That game was really unbelievable. After watching the film of it the day after and several weeks later, we played really, really well. We did everything we needed to do, and followed our game plan perfectly. As a coach, there is nothing better than devising a plan and then having our guys perfectly execute it.
As I told the radio guys afterwards I don’t know if I have ever prepared more for a game or watched more film for a game up to that point. Boerne was picked to win the district, so we made it a point to gun for them and be ready for their zone. Their 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones are really tough, and things that have given us problems in the past, so everything we worked on against a zone defense was preparing us for them. The players didn’t know it, but we were preparing for Boerne back when the season started. I remember watching last year’s film against them one day in probably December and calling Heath and Rory over to go over a few things. Personally I was really obsessed with winning that game.
From a player performance standpoint we had some guys really step up and play their best games of the year. Ryner got hot early and hit some huge shots to keep the momentum going. Obviously it helps to hit some outside shorts against a zone. Gerrit did a great job of running the offense, taking care of the ball and making smart plays to get guys good looks. He played really poised and under control. Rory did what he usually does, and made some big offensive and defensive plays for us. The biggest game probably came from Heath. I believe it was his high-point game for the season. He just played out of his mind to a point where he picked up a technical because he was so hyped. I told him later I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud as when he picked up that technical. It was just pure emotion and excitement with a little attitude, and I loved it! Tyler was in foul trouble for most of the game, but really gave us some good, tough minutes inside. Joseph also came in and hit some big shots down the stretch.
It really was a team effort. Defensive we were really locked in, and took away their strengths and made them work for points. I was probably most proud of our defensive effort, and how locked in we were on that side of the floor.
My fondest memory was at the end of the game. There were a few seconds left, we just rebounded the ball and they fouled us to send us to the line. It was really the first moment where I could breathe and realized that the game was over. I was just overcome with emotion and excitement. Our student section and the crowd was unbelievable all night long, and they were getting rowdy and beginning to really celebrate. With all my emotion and excitement I turned to the crowd and just went crazy, yelling, screaming, pounding my chest. I really don’t know what I did, but I just went nuts and the students loved it. There is a picture of that moment. It is just really cool to see all of the emotions on the faces of the students and players. It was so exciting and the biggest win in our school’s history, and I think that everyone felt it in that moment, so it was really cool.
All in all, it was a great night and one that I will never forget, and I’m sure the players will not either. It was so much fun, and it is the epitome of what athletics and competition is all about. Our coaches were excited, our players were excited and our students and community were excited. What a great, great night.
1 2 3 4 Final Boerne 17 11 13 15 56 CL Hawks 21 13 8 21 63 3pt tot rebounds fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta pts or-dr tot a s b to Jacob Ramirez 3-6 2-4 1-2 9 0-5 5 6 2 2 3 Bennie Brownlee 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 Gerrit Wilkins 0-1 0-0 2-2 2 0-1 1 3 0 0 0 Ryner Martin 3-7 3-6 0-0 9 0-1 1 1 0 1 0 Rory Preiss 4-11 1-3 5-10 14 0-7 7 6 2 1 5 Heath McDonough 8-13 0-1 1-6 17 4-6 10 1 0 1 2 Caimen McDonough 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1-1 2 0 1 1 0 Charlie McIntosh 0-0 0-0 1-2 1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 Parker Mott 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Joseph Boyd 1-4 0-0 3-4 5 2-1 3 0 1 1 0 Tyler Williams 1-1 0-0 2-2 4 1-5 6 0 0 1 1 totals 21-46 6-14 15-29 63 8-27 35 17 6 8 13 percentages 46% 43% 52%