They say that all good things must eventually come to an end. That was the sentiment on Feb. 4 when the Eagles saw their remarkable 20-game win streak snapped by visiting Middletown in a 55-53 heartbreaker.
The game was a battle from the start, as the Mustangs hung around to keep it close the first three quarters before finally wrestling away the win in the final seconds. Seniors Dylan Muller and Gabe Wlodarczyk paced the offense with 19 and 14 points respectively, while freshman Tatum Kurpinsky chipped in eight points for the Eagles.
Cloverdale shook off the setback three nights later against visiting Roseland University Prep, swamping the visitors, 49-18 in a dominant first half. The Eagles emptied their bench after intermission in cruising to a 66-37 rout. Top scorers were Muller (23 points), Wlodarczyk (17 points) and Casey Lemley (10 points).
The Eagles made it two in a row the following night against an overmatched Kelseyville squad, overwhelming the Knights in every phase in an eventual, 66-31 romp. Pacing the attack were Muller (21 points), Kurpinsky (12 points) and Caden Axell (9 points).
Scheduling notes
Cloverdale (22-1, 12-1) can lock up the NCL1 title with wins in their final two games, beginning at home this Thursday, Feb. 10 against Clear Lake (7:30 p.m. Senior Night), followed by the league finale at Willits on Saturday, Feb. 12 (3:30 p.m.). The Eagle also figure to be highly regarded when the North Coast Section seeding committee meets this weekend to fill out the NCS Division 5 bracket. The tournament starts next week.
