STOCKTON - Bill Slikker began building the Weston Ranch boys basketball program in November 2003, and it's been a roller-coaster ride of success and inexperience.After winning at Buhach Colony last year for their lone win in a 1-24 season, Slikker has a team that's on the brink of clinching a share of the Valley Oak League. They are currently tied with Sonora at 9-2 in Valley Oak League play.
"The boys never quit last year - I'll give them all of the praise in the world," Slikker said. "We had tape on our chins, and we were fighting to the very finish. We knew we were building towards this year, and now, it's finally paying off."The Cougars enter tonight's 7:15 p.m. regular season finale against Sierra as the seventh-ranked team in the Sac-Joaquin Division III power ratings. Five seniors - Daniel Brown, Davon Jones, Sam Wilson, Darren Williams and George Robertson - will play their final regular season home game for Weston Ranch (18-5 and ranked third in The Record poll)Jones leads a balanced scoring attack with 10.5 points, seven rebounds and four assists.Slikker knew that this group of varsity players were capable of enjoying success, but now he realizes that they're the cornerstone of the program, guiding the program to its first-ever playoff appearence."These (seniors) have been the example to all of our lower levels," Slikker said. "You always set your goals high.
At the beginning of the season, our goal was to host a home playoff game. Now, we've had to set new goals."As sophomores, the class of 2006 went 21-5 and won the VOL junior varsity with a 15-1 mark. The current junior class, led by Walter Jackson, who averages nine points and nine rebounds per game, won the league title last year.But Slikker said the jump to varsity was a big one."It's a different game," Slikker said. "It's a lot faster, and we weren't sure how we were going to respond. It's been a growing experience.
Winning the championship as a sophomore is one thing, but boys mature and get bigger and stronger. We've had to learn to adapt to that."The 2005-06 season didn't get off to an ideal start. The Cougars dropped their first two league games to Sonora and then archrival East Union, but they've since responded."They rose to the challenge and rolled off nine straight," Slikker said.
"It could have easily continued down that hill, and we could have said, 'here we go again'."Jackson said the team used the offseason to make sure it didn't endure anything close to another 1-24 campaign."We were kind of upset about (going) 1-24 last year, and we wanted to come out and make a difference and show everybody how we really play," Jackson said. "Every day during the summer and during football season we had weight training."As the Cougars prepare for next week's playoffs, Slikker knows that even more challenges await his team. The top teams in D-III are St. Mary's, Sacramento High and Union Mine.
But the second-year varsity head coach plans on focusing on his team's strengths, not worrying about talented opponents."What we've been talking about it is playing our game," Slikker said. "We're not going to try and change what we do. We're going to play our game and see how it stacks up against those teams. We're excited to host a game."
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