News and Announcements
START OF 08-09 SEASON. GAMES ARE NOT IN EXACT ORDER PLAYED
CLEAR LAKE COACH LYNN MCDONALD RETIRES
After 32 years in the district, 29 years at Clear Lake High School, and 13 years at the Falcons' helm, Head Basketball Coach Lynn McDonald retired. To view the Martin Dehlinger article provided by The Bay Area Citizen newspaper, click on:
http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/03/24/bay_area_citizen/sports/mcdonald_3-26-09.txt
by Martin Dehlinger
The 2009 Clear Lake Falcons Basketball season was a special one for a lot of reasons; the main one being the people in it. The Banquet is held every year to look back on all 5 teams’ success and also a sending off point for the seniors. This year, there were plenty of both. The Banquet was held at the new Endeavor Marina in the Admiral’s Ballroom, which was different than previous years. Usually the banquet was held at The Gilruth Center on Space Center Blvd. Needless to say this year had a different feel to it, with it being in a different and in my opinion a nicer facility.
The night started off with the senior’s poster boards of pictures from their childhood to now. The five posters were quite a sight with things such as pictures with Calvin Murphy, pictures of Kyle dunking from a mountain and finished off with “J-Milla’s” Baby Pictures. As you finished checking out the posters you walked towards the beautiful lakeside view, which was set up with a table of all five teams accomplishments throughout the season.
As the players, friends and families began to settle into their tables, you noticed a huge screen playing a slideshow of the varsity team pictures throughout their career. The slide show was a great way to show what the team has gone through to get to the point they are at now. It was compiled by Brad Ashton, Kyle Ashton’s dad, who was not able to attend the banquet.
Coach McDonald stepped up to the podium and quieted everyone long enough to hear that Johnny Tamale’s was catering the event and was ready to be served. Shortly after everyone had their fajita plates overflowing, the crowd re-settled into their seats, and the Banquet began.
Coach Sanders commenced things by introducing his Freshman B team. His team won the district championship sporting a 17-10 season record, and an 8-6 district record. The B team also won the C.C.I.S.D. Tournament championship.
Coach Warner’s Group was next. This was the first year that Coach Warner led the Freshman A Team ( previously coaching the sophomores). The A team compiled a 23-7 overall record and a 14-0 district record. Coach Warner’s team brought home 2nd place in the Santa Fe Tournament.
Following his former team, the Freshman A, Coach Gernander discussed his current team the sophomore team. His sophomores went an impressive 28-3 overall and 12-0 in district. Coach Gernander finished 2nd in the Dobie and CCISD Tournament, They also finished 3rd in the Dobie Tournament.
Next up was the Junior Varsity team behind Coach Barker, his team finished with a 15-16 season record and an 8-6 district record. The JV brought home bronze in the Deer Park Tournament.
Lastly we had the Varsity team, a team that had its share of high and low points throughout the 2009 season. The Varsity team finished with a 22-13 overall record and a 9-5 district record. Clear Lake was defeated by Hightower in the bi-district round of the playoffs 46-49. If you had not seen a Clear Lake basketball game all season that would be the one to see. It had every aspect of the 2009 team jammed into 32 minutes of game time. There was senior leadership, undersized post men, deadly accurate shooting and at times poor shooting. This team was led by Coach Lynn McDonald, former Texas 5A Coach of the Year. This team did not accomplish all of what it set out to prior to this season, but they were a great team, that was just a shot here, or a rebound there, away from taking that next step.
After the Varsity team was recognized for their solid season, the Hall of Fame inductee was announced next. This man was the MVP of the 1989 Clear Lake State Championship team. He also still holds the Varsity record for three point field goals (9) in a single game and assists (14) in a single game. Tim Glover accepted the award from his former coach, Bill Kruger. Tim Glover is the 16th member of the Clear Lake Basketball Hall Of Fame.
Following the Hall of Fame was the team MVP award. This award not only shows statistical importance but also leadership. This year the award was shared between Kyle Ashton, who led the team in ppg and rebounding, and Nick Arrington. Nick is battling his on-going hip injury that has looked pretty bad at times. The award for Nick is an testament to how much the team needed Nick and realized his importance to the team. Kyle went out with a broken leg during the Lee College Classic, and the team never looked the same. Nick Arrington last year during his junior year was playing better than anyone, and it was sad to see his development stop due to injury. The award has only been shared 3 times before this year.
Last was the George Wang Hustle award, There was multiple candidates for this prestigious award. The winner was the unsung hero of the season, the floor general, the point guard. Matt McCollum accepted the award in his stylish (?) canary yellow suit jacket.
Overall the banquet was a great success; there was great food, a great facility and most of all a great reason to be there, Clear Lake Basketball
2009 District 24-5A All District selections from Clear Lake High School:
First team: Kyle Ashton and Jacob Horton
Second team: Matt McCollum
Honorable mention: Mark McCollum
Announced at the Banquet:
- TEAM co-MVP's: Kyle Ashton and Nick Arrington
- George Wang Hustle Award: Matt McCollum
- 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee: Tim Glover
Clear Lake finished the season with a 22-13 record and a district record of 9-5 (4th place in district).
JV final record: 16-15, 9-5
Sophomores: 28-3, 14-0 (District Champs, undefeated in District play for 2 years)
Freshman A Team record: District Champs, 22-7, 14-0 in district.
Freshman B team - 17-10, 8-6 district.
Observations on the Hightower game
Item 2 - Our district’s second place Clear Springs lost by 14 to District 23 third place Travis 62-48. Travis led the entire game.
Item 3 - Our district’s third place team, Clear Brook, took a shellacing from District 23 second place Fort Bend Bush. Brook was down 40-20 at the half and lost by 26.Item 4 - And then there was the Clear Lake - Hightower game. Fourth place Clear Lake faced first place Hightower. Based on the games mentioned above and Lake’s unranked fourth place finish in district play, Clear Lake should have been annihilated by a team ranked in the top 15 in the state of Texas. Instead Clear Lake was ahead at the end of the first, second and third quarters and lost by 3, 49-46
The common expectation going into this game by most onlookers was probably that Clear Lake had little chance against the #2 regionally ranked Hightower Hurricanes. With Hightower’s size, quickness, and speed, certainly Lake was a noticeable underdog. But there were Lake games during the season that tended to make some grandstand stalwarts think that it might not be the blowout many predicted – the Galveston Ball game being the most recent example (Lake upset a Ball team who came into Krueger Field House undefeated in district play, 10-0).
Throughout the season quicker teams who hurriedly moved the ball down the court and applied constant pressure on defense caused the slower, more deliberate Falcons considerable grief. Hightower is certainly one of those types of teams. All season the Falcons were easy to score on, easy to spot their weaknesses, and somewhat easy to defend against due in part to their almost total lack of strong inside play, no midrange game and glaring absence of real quickness on the floor. So it was only natural that a very quick, talent laden team like the Hurricanes would be the odds on favorite in the matchup. But there are attributes about this Clear Lake team that could come into play to make it a close game and it happened.
Why was this the best game Clear Lake played all season?
1. The team’s preparedness for the contest was superb and it was evident immediately after the opening tipoff. Coach McDonald had his team so ready and it is doubtful that Lake, as a team, could have been much more ready for this game based on how well they defended against the taller, quicker, more athletic Hightower bunch and the adjustments and tweaks Clear Lake made to their offensive strategy. Clear Lake controlled the tempo of the game which is still astounding sportswriters. More on that later.
2. In the first half Hightower had no answer for senior Kyle Ashton as he almost single-handedly kept Clear Lake close or ahead with a first half performance of 16 points and 8 rebounds – his best half-game showing of his high school career. Not bad for a 6’1” player up against 6’8’ and 6’6”. The last time Clear Lake had a player with the size and rebounding ability comparable to Kyle’s was over 15 years ago in the early nineties.
3. Another aspect of the game that Hightower should have really dominated was their guard play. But thanks to the intelligence, grit, and determination of senior Matt McCollum on both ends of the court Hightower only slightly dominated late in the game. Matt is not the most athletically gifted guard around and his imbalanced shot is all wrong but Matt has heart as wide as the Sam Houston Tollway and he is so smart. There are very few guards as heady as Matt McCollum and it showed throughout the season and in this game. Without a single turnover, the gritty McCollum nailed some crucial threes to keep the contest close and ignored and outmaneuvered the defensive pressure brought by the quicker Hurricane defenders. It also helped that Lake’s strategy throughout almost the entire the season was changed so Matt did not have to wear himself out bringing the ball down the court and was more liberated to position himself for long range shooting
4. Lake’s wings and post man, anchored by Mark McCollum, cranked it up a couple of notches and did exactly what they were told to do. For those of you who might wonder, high school players don’t always do what they are instructed to do on the court. But this night was exceptional. They did mostly do as told and it paid off throughout most of the game. Combined with Kyle’s athleticism Mark has been the rock that the squad has relied on throughout the season. With only a few exceptions Mark’s absence when he was not in the game was noticeable. His influence on the court, especially with the interconnection that he shares with his twin brother Matt, created many opportunities for his teammates.
After a rock solid performance his junior year Mark has struggled with his shot this entire season. He has averaged just under 10 points per game and he probably knows he should have been averaging at least 17. Who knows why? What we do know is Mark’s versatility consistently made him one of the most valuable members of the team.5. Clear Lake controlled the tempo of the game until there was six minutes remaining. If he had it to do over Hightower coach David Green might go with the run-and-gun strategy which has allowed them to dominate their opponents. Perhaps Clear Lake denied their opponents that option.
Seven of the nine losses suffered by Hightower were when all five of their starters were out at the beginning of the season (four were suspended, one still in football). This means they were practically unbeatable with their starting five. In this game they were without the services of 6’8” Johnny Richardson (13.4 ppg), their fourth leading scorer but that probably adds little to explain why they had to come from behind to defeat a determined Clear Lake team.
Since a team either loses their last game in the playoffs or wins all the marbles, a final loss is in the cards for almost every team. But there are losses and there are losses. Ask Clear Brook coach Jason Pillow. Yes, Clear Lake lost by 3 points to a team ranked in the top 15 in the state in most rankings. But it was the best game the Lake squad played all year and it was the best loss it could have been. With only a couple of exceptions the boys played as well as they could have played and showed why they were picked to win the District at the start of the year. It is difficult to not have a lot of pride in a team that went out exemplifying what Clear Lake team basketball is really all about.
--Don Wilkerson
Bi-District Playoff Hightower 49 - Clear Lake 46
Hightower 49 - Clear Lake 46
Tuesday night Clear Lake faced one of their biggest challenges of the season, #14 (state ranked) Hightower. That is not to say that Clear Lake has had an easy schedule, but never this season have they played a team quite on Hightower’s level. It is widely known that their second leading scorer is NBA journeyman and 2007 NBA Dunk contest winner Gerald Green’s brother, Garlon Green. This is the second year in a row that the Falcons played the Hightower Hurricanes in the Bi-District round of the playoffs. Things would get interesting this year.
Clear Lake started the game feeding their leading scorer, senior Kyle Ashton who scored 12 of his team’s 17 first quarter points. The Falcons tied the game up at 15 near the end of the quarter on a three by Ashton. Kyle wasn’t finished yet, he took the ball to the basket as time was winding down in the quarter and dropped in a lay-up for the Falcons first lead of the game. Clear Lake was beating #2 (Greater Houston ranked) Hightower 17-15 after the first period.
The second period took on a much slower pace. With defense apparently high on the coaches’ agenda for this quarter, points were tough to come by. Ashton started off the quarter scoring four more points to give him 16 at the half. Matt McCollum drilled a three pointer with a minute before halftime to put Lake in the lead 24-21 going into the locker room.
Clear Lake came out of the half with fire and emotion. Jacob Horton, who was being swarmed the entire game and not allowed even the thought of an open look, finally got loose late in the third quarter. Horton hit two straight three point shots to fire up the Clear Lake stands. Horton’s pair of shots put Lake up by four points with 1:32 left in the third quarter. After the pair of deep buckets by Jacob, Hightower went on a 9-0 run at the end of the quarter and into the fourth.
Clear Lake needed a few stops and some buckets to get the lead back. Kyle Ashton and Jacob Horton answered the bell just like they had done all season. A three by Horton and a lay-up by Ashton tied the game at 40 apiece with 3:12 remaining in the game. Daryell Taylor, Hightower’s leading scorer, answered the Falcons’ comeback with a deep three and a free throw jumper. The pair of baskets was the final blow to Clear Lake’s bid for one of the greatest upsets in Clear Lake High School Basketball History. Hightower edged out Clear Lake 46-49.
You never want to end the season with the loss but the Falcons have to remember that only one team in the entire state gets that privilege. Clear Lake showed why you play the game. Many fans and onlookers felt this game was supposed to be an easy win for Hightower. The Hurricanes were very nearly sent home early. Clear Lake did not get the victory tonight but they sure didn’t miss it by much.
This year has been an amazing season with tons of low points but just as many high points. The Falcons were a fun team to watch all season just knowing they had the potential to break out in a three point barrage at any time. Being one of the smallest teams Clear Lake has ever had and still playing as well as they did. Clear Lake seemed to have to overcome more than usual to become the basketball team they are. I enjoyed every single game this season. I don’t think I am alone when I say I will miss Clear Lake Basketball.
Martin Dehlinger
Action photos of this game will be posted by Wednesday at 6 p.m. To view photos of any game this season, go to Current Season Photos . Use the Browser's "BACK" or "BACK Arrow" to return to this website.
Mark McCollum 6
Kyle Ashton 20 (10 rebounds, 1 CD)
Matt McCollum 9 (5 assists)
Jacob Horton 9
Jared Miller 2 (5 rebounds, 1 CD)
|
FALCON STATS |
FG made |
FG attempts |
% |
|
2's |
8 |
19 |
42.1% |
|
3's |
8 |
18 |
44.4% |
|
free throws |
6 |
7 |
85.7% |
|
Hightower free throws |
8 |
14 |
57.1% |
|
SCORE BY QUARTER |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
Clear Lake |
17 |
24 |
35 |
46 |
|
|
Hightower |
15 |
21 |
34 |
49 |
|
|
LINESCORE |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
Clear Lake |
17 |
7 |
11 |
11 |
46 |
|
Hightower |
15 |
6 |
13 |
15 |
49 |
|
REBOUNDS |
Clear Lake |
Hightower |
|
Offensive |
4 |
6 |
|
Defensive |
16 |
11 |
