Clear Lake Falconhoops

North Shore brought their "A" game, Clear Lake did not.
Scouts from three other district schools were there. Clear Lake's strategy must have been to conceal any threat that district opponents could prepare for in upcoming district play??

Scoring by quarter:
07-12-13-13 US
22-22-12-12 THEM

Scoring for the Falcons:
Gordon Abner 22 (8 of 16 from the field, 6 rebounds), Mark Murphy 6 (3 of 3, 6 rebs),
Justin Kurtz 6 (2 of 11), Kendrell Thompson 5 (2 of 5),
Lee Mazurek 2 (1 of 8), Andy Leveque 2 (0 of 2),
Scott Oswald 1 (0 of 2), Armie Lewis 1 ( 0 of 6).

2's: 15 of 43 (35%)
3's: 1 of 13 (8%)
Free throws: 12 of 20 (60%)

11 steals (Jordan Villarreal had 3)
1 blocked shot.
23 turnovers

'Nuf said.

When you shoot 4 of 20 from two point land and only 50% of your free throws are successful, it is unlikely that you will win a 5A basketball game these days. Such was the case Tuesday, December 7, 2004,Pearl Harbor Day, when the Clear Lake Falcons felt the sting of defeat once again. Their season record is now 8-7. Historically, the Falcons usually do not play well the first game after the CCISD Tournament. Lake usually plays Deer Park in the first game after the tournament. This means Deer Park usually wins. This game was only a slight exception. At times Lake played a bit better teamwork than they usually do during their annual poor performance against Deer Park but not nearly as well as their norm. They played the Deer even in each of the first two quarters but had a poor showing in the third quarter which was hard to overcome in the fourth against a team coached by former Falcon and Clear Lake Hall of Fame member, Billy Carlisle. A team that out-shoots you, beats you back down the court, and out-rebounds you 33 to 20 in the game will usually whip you. In the first quarter Lake’s first three shots were from three point range. Deer Park was giving Lake the outside shot and Lake was taking it. It took the third shot before one fell (a trey by Armie Lewis). This was a preview of what was to come. In the first half, Lake shot 3 of 11 from two point range, 5 of 7 from three point land, and 1 of 5 of their free throws. The first half was a close ball game. Despite poor shooting in close and getting out-rebounded and out-hustled, they were even with Deer Park (tied at 22) at the half (this from a Lake team that averages 53 points per game). The Falcons need to play well in the third quarter to win games but tonight it was not to be. They were outscored 18 to 7 in the third. They shot 1 of 7 from two-point range, 1 of 2 of their 3’s, and 2 for 2 free throws in the quarter. The final minutes of the fourth quarter were an exciting ball game after three, some might consider, mundane quarters. Deer Park extended their lead to 17, the largest of the game, before Lake got it in gear in the last three minutes of the game. The Falcons knew they had to roll up their sleeves and go to work. Despite a valiant effort in the final three minutes of the quarter mounted by the Falcons and led by “Prince Valiant”, junior Justin Kurtz, the Falcons fell short. Kurtz played approximately four minutes in the first half?? In the last three minutes of the fourth quarter he put on a shooting exhibition that was fun to watch, hitting 5 of 6 three’s from downtown before he missed his final two desperation trys. Kurtz was 2 to 3 feet behind the three point arch on most of these shots. Gordon Abner also hit 2 treys and Kendrell Thompson hit one in the quarter. There were NO two point shots made in the quarter. Lake dramatically out-hustled Deer Park during this period but it was too little, too late. Deer Park scored 15 points on free throws in the game. Lake scored 6, a difference of 9 points. Lake lost by 4. Free throws really are important. Same song, second verse. The officiating was poor. One seasoned, senior official, past his prime, and two very junior officials trying hard but not ready yet for 5A basketball. One of the two junior officials is going to be a great ref someday. The other may be destined for mediocrity. The number of bad/missed calls on both sides was too high in a game where these boys are trying so hard. Sometimes, having three officials just makes them appear lazier, and does nothing to improve the quality of the officiating. All it does is give the junior officials more games sooner on a higher level to bring them along quicker at the expense of the players and the fans. I understand the shortage of officials but that does not change the facts. Poor officiating is the norm rather than the exception. A perspective note. We should not lose sight of the fact that this Clear Lake team is much better than what was displayed against Deer Park Tuesday night. I prefer to think of this game as an anomaly. This Falcon team is one of the best in the last decade. They will learn from their mistakes, work very hard to correct them, and do what the coach tells them to do. The frustration we feel is from seeing the difference between what we perceive as their potential and the level of their performance on an off-night. I predict the second half of the season will show us a much improved team that we can all be very proud of. There are still a few bumps in the road but the Falcons are going to surprise some folks before this season is over. Scoring by Quarter: Us 11-11- 7-27 Them 11-11-18-20 Scoring for the Falcons: Justin 18 (six 3's, all in the second half), Gordon 14 (6 rebounds, 4 steals), Armie 10 (4 assists, 3 steals), Kendrell 8, Mark 3, Andy 3 2’s: 4 of 20 (Oh my goodness!) 3’s: 14 of 22 Free throws: 6 of 12

CCISD Tournament December 4, 2004 Day 3, Game 3 Nacogdoches (Pictures are on FALCONS ON THE COURT PAGE) Facing a team ranked sixth in the state in 4A can be a formidable challenge especially a team with one of the top junior big men in the state who plays all over the court and one of the best senior power forwards in the state as well. The Clear Lake Falcons knew they had their work cut out for them when they came up against the heralded Nacogdoches team. But the Lake boys were there to play. Nacogdoches did not dominate as some expected. They squeaked by. In the first quarter the score was tied at 11 when Gordon Abner hit two 3’s. He vigorously attacked the basket every time he got the ball. After Gordon missed both free throws after being fouled while driving, Mark Murphy stole the rebound and made the layup to put the Falcons up 13-11 with 55 seconds remaining in the quarter. Murphy made another basket to finish the quarter Lake 15, Doches 17. Both teams played tough defense at times. Lake scored one basket in the first 4 minutes and 20 seconds of the second quarter to bring the score to 17-21. With 1:10 remaining the score was 18-26 in favor of Doches. Nacogdoches increased the lead to 10, 18-28 with just under a minute left in the first half. A steal by Jordan Villarreal with 25 seconds left enabled Justin Kurtz to launch a trey which missed to close out the half 20-30, Lake down by 10. At 6:13 remaining in the third, Nacogdoches big man, #51, Jinsky Grigsby, got his third foul and had to sit out. Outstanding teamwork by Lake during this part of the game impressed the crowd. Kendrell drove to the hoop for two and then at 3:20 in the third Gordon made one of his signature moves in the paint to make the score 27-34 Doches. Gordon then blocked a shot under their basket and ran the length of the floor where a long pass from Armie Lewis found him. Gordon scored and was fouled (29-34) with 2:54 remaining in the third. Gordon hit the free throw to make the score 30-34. What a good ball game! A bit later Lewis hit two free throws to make the score 32-36. A very grueling third quarter closed out with the score 34-39 Nacogdoches. Both teams worked their butts off in this quarter. It was fun to watch. Early in the fourth quarter Nacogdoches #53, Jamarcus Skillern, was ejected after a flagrant foul on Lee Mazurek during a dead ball (at the start of the fourth quarter the foul count was Doches 7, Lake 1). At 5:47 remaining the score was 37-43, still with Doches up. Just before the five minute mark after a Doches score, the Dragons #55 Damion James (ranked #6 in the state among the juniors), coming down from a rebound and a putback in front of the basket delivered to Justin Kurtz a forceful, swift, intentional left elbow, which was not called by the refs, across Justin's face. Kurtz, wearing a face mask to prevent further injury to his nose which had been broken four times already, did not take kindly to the cheap shot, classless act. In an instant, reflex action, after he quit staggering from the elbow, Kurtz spun and delivered a very hard right punch to James’ abdomen which sent James to the floor in a crumpled heap. The officials did not see the elbow from James but they saw the punch from Kurtz. Concerned about the pain and further facial injury, Kurtz quickly removed his face protection and voluntarily started leaving the floor while raising his hand as he passed the scorer’s table almost before the refs could blow their whistle. After the game, Kurtz apologized to James but James did not acknowledge Kurtz and he did not apologize for the elbow he threw. Hopefully the popping noise heard when James’ elbow hit Justin was the mask and not Justin’s nose. After the game James refused to line up and respectfully acknowledge his competitors as we try to teach these boys. When the Nacogdoches coach, despite having already won the tournament’s "greatest complainer" trophy (awarded by me), showed some class and insisted James go acknowledge his rivals. James approached the Lake bench, but rather than speak to Kurtz, he acknowledged only Gordon Abner and then walked away. Back to the game. At 4:20 remaining 40-46. At 3:33, Gordon made two free throws to make it 43-48 before Doches sunk two quick baskets. At 2:23 remaining 43-52 Doches still in front. Another of Abner’s soon-to-be-famous moves across the paint from the right side of the basket to the center of the lane where he put up his signature shot and scored to make it 45-52 with two minutes remaining. Later, two successful free throws by G made it 47-52 with 1:20 left. With 33 seconds left, Mark Murphy hit a jumper from the free throw line to make it 49-56. Armie Lewis drove to the basket for a layup and was fouled but missed the free throw. Final score Lake 53- Nacogdoches 59. Gordon Abner finished with a game high 23 points. Nacogdoches had not played well in their two previous games in the tournament and had to come from behind in both games to win. They played much better in this game. Lake tends to bring out the best in some teams. This was a close ball game. It was a well “fought” contest but the Falcons could not quite overcome the advantage enjoyed by the ‘Doches bunch. In a game with this caliber of competition where a close contest is expected, free throws become very, very important. Lake could not hit key free throws when it mattered. The Falcons missed 10 free throws and lost by 6 points. This was a hard fought contest with excellent basketball played by both teams, reduced only by a few classless acts performed by more than one player on each team. How many times have we seen sneaky, intentional acts by players go unnoticed by the officials? Violence should never be encouraged or condoned, especially during a sporting event on the high school level, where young minds and young bodies are in a crucial, developmental stage. On the other hand, a frustrated player such as Damion James, may remember how it feels lying on the floor in agony gasping for breath due to the consequences of his malevolent actions. Perhaps a positive result of this incident will be that James, and hopefully some other players so inclined, will think twice before they consider throwing an intentional, possibly devastating elbow at someone's face. The Falcons next face Clear Brook to determine third place on the championship side of the bracket. Scoring for the Falcons: Abner 23 (7 of 11 FT’s), Murphy 12, Lewis 7, Mazurek 4, Leveque 3, Kurtz 2, Thompson 2 2’s: 15 of 39 (38%) 3’s: 3 of 8 (38%) Free throws: 14 of 24 (58%)ouch!!

CCISD Tournament December 4, 2004 Day 3, Game 2 Clear Brook Game 14 of the season (8-6 record) Lake 48, Brook 42 On Saturday evening, December 4, 2004, in the final games of the Tournament, Clear Lake had a better basketball team than Clear Brook. Why? Talent and depth are two possible reasons. Brook has Drew Washington, Louisiana Tech signee and their star who scored 20 points and was often unstoppable. Beyond that, they do not match up too well against Lake who has a more balanced team despite the impression the Brook coaches might have. Lake is sometimes perceived by some opponents as having Gordon Abner and little else. This is a mistake that Lake wants their opponents to make. Clear Lake is a team missing a starting guard due to football but they are not a one man team. Clear Brook’s strategy to win was to shut down Gordon Abner, which they mostly did. Gordon went 1 of 7 from the field. But Brook still lost. Perhaps they thought that is most of what it would take. Good. If you shut down Drew Washington, you have beaten Brook. That will usually be true (based on who has been their high scorer to date). If you shut down Gordon Abner, you have beaten Lake. That is usually not true (if Lake plays any where near their potential). Shutting down Gordon is a viable strategy but it is insufficient when the Falcons’ determination coincides with their teamwork. (Gordon has been the leading scorer in eight of the fourteen games played this season). In the contest to determine third place in the 72nd Annual Clear Creek ISD Classic, Lake prevailed over Clear Brook although it certainly wasn’t due to Lake’s shooting from the field. The Falcons were 1 of 11 from the field in first quarter. For the game, Lake shot 43% of their 2’s and a dismal 15% of their three point attempts (2 of 13). So how did they do it? Defense, teamwork, hustle, determination, will to win, and competent free throw shooting. (Let’s don’t tell anyone about the excellent support off the bench by Jordan Villarreal and Andy Leveque making a significant difference as well). The Falcons were playing without their ace three point shooter, Brandon Wynn, who is in an ankle cast and on crutches after injuring his ankle in an earlier game. In a very close match, Clear Lake trailed most of the first half until sophomore Kendrell Thompson hit a trey at the top of the circle to tie it at 19 with 30 seconds remaining in the half. They went to the locker room with Brook leading with a score of 21-19. In the third quarter teamwork and very good defense was the key. Only 30 seconds into the third quarter, a nice arching shot from five feet by Gordon on a well executed play tied it at 21. In the second half of the third period, Lake took control. It was tied again at 25 with four minutes remaining in the quarter when Kendrell pulled up from a 3 on 2 attack and sunk the basket. With 2:50 left in the third, a bucket by Justin Kurtz put Lake ahead 27-25 for the first Lake lead in the game. A steal by Kendrell on an in-bounds by Brook, followed by Kendrell driving to the hole and scoring made it 29-25 Lake. A basket and a free throw by Armie Lewis brought it to 32-25. A chip shot by Justin Kurtz in the paint at 10’ made it 34-25 at the end of the third. Brook was denied for over four minutes of the quarter and only scored 4 points in the period. In the fourth quarter good defense and the combination of sophomore Armie Lewis penetrating or timely passes to the inside to Mark Murphy helped make the difference. Murphy was “in a zone”. When he wasn’t causing a Brook turnover he was slipping unnoticed under the basket for an easy 2 points or getting a key offensive rebound. Mark scored 10 points in the final period and led his team with 12. Final score was 48-42. The Falcons hit 16 of 21 from the charity stripe during this outing, the best of the season. Good hustle, good play selection combined with good teamwork and good free throw shooting make happy Clear Lake parents and fans. Scoring for the Falcons: Murphy 12, Thompson 11, Kurtz 9, Abner 7, Lewis 5, Leveque 4 2’s: 13 of 30 (43%) 3’s: 2 of 13 (15%) Free throws: 16 of 21 (76%) FINALLY!!! Scoring by quarter: Clear Lake: 7-12-15-14 Clear Brook: 8-13-4-17

CCISD Tournament Day 2 La Marque game There was never really any doubt about the outcome of the game once Clear Lake stepped onto the court. It was one of the easiest victories Clear Lake will earn this season. None may be easy but this will be among the easiest. At 3:35 left in the first quarter, Justin Kurtz hit a trey to make it Lake 12, La Marque 3. That was how the game would proceed. After the first quarter it was 17 to 7 in favor of Lake. At the half, it was 26 to 12. At the end of three, it was 40 to 16 and the final score was 53 to 31. Notice the opponent’s score by quarter. 7-5-4-15. Clear Lake now advances to the Championship semifinal round on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. where they will face Nacogdoches. The Dragons are ranked as high as #6 in the state in some preseason polls due largely to their two big men, #51, Jinsky Grigsby (ranked in the top 30 in the state among seniors), and #55, junior Damion James(ranked #3 in the state among juniors). These twin towers can rock although, as a team, the Dragons have not played well so far in the tournament. They have had to come from behind to win their last two games. As you might expect, they do show a lot of poise and confidence when trailing at the end of the 3rd quarter. In other action in the tournament, Clear Creek upset preseason #1 ranked De Soto 50-47 to advance to the semifinal round of the championship side of the bracket. De Soto was playing without their highest scorer and only senior on the squad, Roderick Flemings (Flemings, ranked 6th in the state among seniors, signed an LOI with Oklahoma State). In the final game of the day Friday, Clear Brook defeated The Woodlands 54-47 to advance. They face Clear Creek at 1:30 in the Girls Gym. (Because of the Creek-Brook face-off, the Clear Lake - Nacogdoches game may be moved to the Girls Gym.) Unofficial (inaccurate by 3 points) scoring for the Falcons: Gordon Abner was high with 18, Justin Kurtz 12, Andy Leveque 9, Kendrell Thompson 7, Mark Murphy 5, Lee Mazurek 3, Armie Lewis had 2. 2’s: 15 of 37 (40.5%) not good enough 3’s: 4 of 13 ( 31%) not good enough Free throws: 14 of 21 (67%) approaching respectability.