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Clear Lake 73 - Baytown Sterling 47

Posted by Donald Wilkerson at Dec 20, 2018 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

December 14, 2018: Clear Lake 73 - Baytown Sterling 47. Lake's record is 14-2

John Argue 24, Jake Mather 12,  JaJa Sanni 11, Casey Davis 9

John's stats after 15 games played: 18.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, and 2.3 blocks per game. 

Under the topic of "see what lots of hard work and good coaching can do" - Some might "argue" about this but according to my recollection, John Argue is the most vastly improved player on a Lake varsity team in almost 20 years. Beyond that, one must go all the way back to the early '80's before finding another Falcon with such a degree of improved basketball skills. What makes John's improvement so noticeable is not just the degree of change over a three year period but the degree of change over the last one year period.

The Clear Lake coaching staff certainly deserves credit for John's improved performance but it should not be limited to that. People should be asking "Who is this kid's AAU coach?" More on that later. 

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Tribute to Leo Sarabia

Posted by Donald Wilkerson at Dec 9, 2018 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

 (photo coming soon)

 

Back in the late '80's, the '90's and early 2000's, before the days of AAU basketball and individual trainers for young basketball players, Leo Sarabia had a significant impact on Clear Lake Boys basketball.

For over 10 years Leo worked with incoming freshmen every summer during Open Gym. Four nights each week in June he worked to help make them better players.

Back then Clear Lake was a predominantly affluent, white community. One night each week,  Leo took the boys into the Houston inner city to Emancipation Park to the Rec Center to compete against inner city youth. Many of those kids had never even seen a new basketball. He did this partly to help the mostly affluent Lake kids to realize what life was like out in the real world out of the "Clear Lake City Cocoon" (my words, not his).

Leo was a dear, sweet man and a very loving, caring coach and the boys could feel it. He impacted the lives of many young Lake players during a span of almost 15 years. During the last 5 years Leo worked with the kids he would invite me to go along on the weekly trips to Emancipation Park. I believe that in that dusty old gym some young Lake players probably learned some valuable life lessons.

Leo was responsible for my initial involvement with the younger Lake kids. When the parents asked me to take the varsity to Bobby Knight's Camp at Texas Tech in 2004, I said I would only if Leo would go. We went and it changed my life. Leo accompanied me to the varsity camps for several years after that. Today, after 50 mostly out of town, weekend camps for Lake JV and Varsity players, Leo is remembered fondly by me at every camp.

Coach Bill Krueger never trusted anyone with his young boys except Leo. A Texas state representative once said to Leo, "If Bill Krueger trusts you with his boys, you must be special". How true that was.

In 1993 Leo also helped start the Clear Lake Boys Basketball Hall of Fame.  It was his idea. He served as one of three founding members for the HOF until just a few years ago, when his health no longer would permit his involvement.

Leo and I sat together at the Clear Lake Boys Varsity games for over 20 years. We traveled together to out of town tournaments in Midland, Texas and Paintsville Kentucky. We were practically joined at the hip due to our shared love of Lake boys basketball. He was a dear sweet soul whom we will never forget and he will be remembered by the numerous men whose lives he touched at an early age.

Clear Lake won the tournament for the second year in a row by defeating Needville, San Antonio Lanier, Friendswood, and San Antonio Schertz Clemens.

 

more to come 

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Clear Lake 70 - LaPorte 55

Posted by Donald Wilkerson at Dec 3, 2018 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
It was not difficult for the Falcons to dominate the La Porte Bulldogs Tuesday night, December 4, 2018.
 December 1, 2018. Carlisle Krueger Classic Tournament Day 3 (Games 4 & 5)

 Game 4: Manvel 64 - Clear Lake 54

In the semifinal round Manvel defeated Clear Lake 64-54 to advance to the Championship game at 6pm. Manvel's #20, 6'3" sophomore Mason McBride had 34 points against Lake. Manvel later won the championship by defeating a very good Summer Creek team 77-72.  

          John Argue 25pts., JaJa Sanni 12. 

Game 5: Clear Lake over Clear Creek  54-46 

For 3rd Place, Clear Lake faced archrival Clear Creek High School but it was somewhat subdued for a Lake-Creek clash. This was the 6th game in 6 days for the Falcons so Lake starters John Argue and Casey Davis sat the game out to rest. JaJa Sanni played very little also. Freshman Alex Lee had a great game hitting 5 of 7 three point attempts and leading his team with 21 points. Jeremiah Maldonado returned to the court at the start of this tournament and is getting back his form.

 

November 30, 2018. Carlisle Krueger Classic Tournament Day 2 

Game 3: Clear Lake 70 - Humble 64.

Humble led all the way until about 1/3 of the 4th quarter had lapsed when Lake pulled ahead slightly. Then the lead bounced back and forth until about about 3 minutes remained.

Lake had 5 players in double figures. Jake Mather and John Argue each had 19, JaJa Sanni had 12, Casey Davis and Caleb Wright each had 10. 

 Lake (7-1) faces Manvel in the semifinals Saturday at 10:30 am.

 

November 29, 2018. Carlisle Krueger Classic Tournament Day 1

Game 2: Clear Lake 68 - Montgomery Lake Creek 44 

John Argue 18, JaJa Sanni 13, Casey Davis 11, Caleb Wright 10 

Game 1: Clear Lake 52 - South Houston 41

JaJa Sanni 21,  Casey Davis 11