Cougars win consolation championship
The Weston Ranch boys varsity basketball team impressed all in attendance as they walked away with the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic consolation championship with a convincing victory over Colony High of Ontario, California.
The Cougars opened the contest on a 22-9 run behind the dominating post play of senior Walter Jackson, who came out of the gate scoring and grabbing rebounds at will.
“I was trying to hurry and get that double-double,” Jackson said of his first-half dominance.
“We were able to get some good looks inside, and make the tough layups.”
Jackson, who finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds, received an abundance of help in the profitable paint area from teammates Jerrell Walker and James Nunnally .
“Jerrell and Walter work so well together. They are good at feeding off each other,” Weston Ranch head coach Bill Slikker said. “The speed we have down-low nullifies other teams’ height.
“Plus those two just want it so bad, it helps.”
Nunnally had another huge performance scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds, 13 coming down the stretch as Colony cut the lead to single-digits.
“I knew if we kept playing hard, playing our game, we’d be able to put them away,” Nunnally said. “And that’s exactly what we did.”
The Cougars used a 14-2 run to open the final period to cancel any hopes Colony had of making a trip to Southern California with a trophy.
“Winning the consolation championship is nice, especially after going 1-3 in (The Maldonado Classic in Reno, NV),” Slikker said. “But what I’m most pleased with is the effort we have had over the past two weeks.”
Weston Ranch got solid performances from Walker (13 points), Brandon Silva (11 points), and Jackson’s 20 point night.
The Cougars will look to continue their effort as the Valley Oak League season tips off with a trip to Ceres on Wednesday.
“With our pre-season schedule we have seen almost everything there is to see,” Slikker said. “We’ve had huge leads, blown huge leads, last-second shots, all that is only going to help us in league.
“We’re peeking at the right time. We sure will be ready for a battle Wednesday night.”
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2006/12/31/sports/sports1.txt
WESTON RANCH 70, ONTARIO 50 — When Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker entered his team in the prestigious tournament, he knew it was going to be the Cougars' biggest challenge of the early season.
"Going in, we felt if we went 2-2 against some great competition, that would be a good tournament for us," Slikker said.
Following a first-round loss to tournament finalist San Leandro, though, the Cougars did more than that.
They rolled through the consolation bracket and beat Colony of Ontario 70-54 for the consolation championship, building a head of steam going into Wednesday's Valley Oak League opener at Ceres.
Bookend forwards James Nunnally and Walter Jackson each scored 20 points and senior center Jerrell Walker 15 in the victory over the Titans. Nunnally and Jackson each had resounding breakaway dunks in the fourth quarter, putting an exclamation point on the win.
"Being a new school, we feel we have to prove ourselves," Jackson said. "We showed we can play with these guys."
http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/13155982p-13800889c.html
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