Cloverdale awaiting Nor Cal State tourney berth
The Eagles’ quest for a coveted North Coast Section (NCS) Division 5 championship came to an end in the NCS semifinals on Feb. 22, as No. 1 seeded Cloverdale fell to the No. 4 seeded Urban Blues in a heartbreaker, 56-54.
The loss came on the heels of a 57-47 victory over visiting St. Vincent in the NCS quarterfinals four days earlier.
Although disappointing, the setback against Urban did not end the Eagles’ season, as they await a berth in the CIF Nor Cal State playoffs, which begin next Tuesday. Cloverdale (25-2) will learn its seeding in a CIF seeding meeting this Sunday.
Eagles’ playoff run falls short
Cloverdale played host to No. 8 St. Vincent of Petaluma in the NCS Division 5 quarterfinals on Feb. 18, battling the Mustangs throughout a tight first half to grab a 25-23 edge at the break. The Eagles stepped up their defensive pressure in the third quarter, limiting St. Vincent to just six points as they opened up a 40-29 cushion heading into the final period. The Mustangs mounted a fourth-quarter surge to briefly cut the deficit to six, but Cloverdale would hang on for a 57-47 victory. Senior Gabe Wlodarczyk led the attack with a game-high 20 points, while senior Dylan Muller and junior Casey Lemley added 16 and 10 points respectively.
The win set up a semifinal clash with visiting No. 4 Urban on Feb. 22, with the Eagles getting off to a sluggish start to trail 18-12 at the end of one. Cloverdale cranked up its offense in the second period, reeling off a 19-9 run to lead at the half, 31-27. The see-saw battle raged on in the third quarter as the Blues outscored Cloverdale, 23-9 in the period to surge into the lead at 50-40. But the Eagles showed the heart of a champion in the final stanza, as Muller led a furious comeback that would knot the contest at 54-all with time winding down. The dream ended when Urban’s Jake Rodriguez scored on a lay-up with six seconds remaining as the visitors escaped with a 56-54 victory. Muller led the way with 19 points, while Lemley chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Lady Eagles routed by Marin Catholic   Â
The No. 16 seeded Cloverdale varsity girls saw their season come to an end on Feb. 16 in the NCS Division 4 opener at No. 1 seeded juggernaut Marin Catholic, falling to the Wildcats in a 55-15 rout. The Eagles finished the winter campaign with an overall record of 9-16.
Sophomore Tylie Hatcher capped a breakout campaign with a team-high seven points. Also in the scoring column were freshman Amara Galvan (5 points) and sophomore Briana McNulty (3 points).Â
