T’wolves are in tough battles at the top of their leagues

FortBraggHighSchool’s varsity basketball team spent the past week battling with top competition for a possible league championship, defeating Middletown High School Jan. 14 before losing a 6357 away game to first-place Clear Lake on Jan 17.

Coach Adam Kubo reported: “Fort Bragg won our away game vs. Middletown on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to improve to 13- 3 overall, 4- 0 league. Senior guard Alex Whiteheadwas high scorer with 19 points. We also had contributions from freshman guard Trevon Mehtlan, 14 points, and senior forward Liam Maizner, 11 points.”

Fort Bragg played Cloverdale at home on Tuesday and plays at Willits Jan. 23. Their next home game is Jan. 29 against Kelseyville.

The varsity Wolves are currently 13- 4 overall and 4-1 in league, in third place behind undefeated (in league) Clear Lake and Cloverdale.

JVs

Coach Chuck Allegrini reported on the JV Timberwolves’ latest:

“The Fort Bragg JV hoop squad fell short twice in Lake County last week … goingupagainst the two top teams in the league. Each time, it was one bad quarter that doomed the Wolves.

“Fort Bragg controlled the game vs Middletown in the first half on the strength of six three-point shots. Rhett Benett had four of those for 12 firsthalf points, while Travis Paoli added six points and Brady Pyorre had five, leading theWolves to a 2622 halftime lead.

“The third quarter proved to be the game … as Fort Bragg missed multiple shots from close in, and Middletown hit a pair of threes and a couple of inside shots in a threeminute stretch … eventually outscoring Fort Bragg 18- 4 in the quarter.

“The fourth quarter was fairly even, but the damage was done. Angel Barajas hadmultiple steals and chipped in seven points, but it wasn’t enough to recover from the third quarter lull.

“Fort Bragg traveled to Clear Lake to face a team with only one loss to a Division 2 team, boasting double- digit wins in every NCL1 game. Unfortunately, the bad quarter turned out to be the very first. The Wolves went scoreless in the entire quarter, despite turning it over only twice. Missed shots mounted, but Fort Bragg played stellar defense to hold Clear Lake to only nine points.

“TheWolves then found the basket early in the second quarter, and showed Clear Lake that they were in for a game, outscoring the Cardinals 15-8 in the quarter.

“The third quarter was an even match-up as both teams held the other to single- digit scoring. Clear Lake tried to make a run in the fourth quarter to get separation, but Fort Bragg came back to cut the lead to three. Two assists by Gabe Ahumada to Gary