El Dorado seals perfect season

El Dorado High boys basketball programs have gone for 26 seasons without winning a league title. That all changed this year.

The Cougars took on all challengers and stormed through 11 games in the Sierra Valley Conference without a loss and clinched the SVC championship with two wins last week.

Wednesday El Dorado had one final mission — putting the final touch on a perfect league season against visiting River City. The Cougars had narrowly escaped with a road win over the Raiders in their first meeting.

On Senior Night in the L.A. Brown Gymnasium, Daniel Smith, Kenny Headd, David Cochran, Travis Riedell and Tanner Phelps took the floor for the last regular season game of their varsity careers.

The five contributed to a different outcome this time around. Over the first three quarters of the game, El Dorado used precision passing, drives to the basket and tenacious rebounding to bury the Raiders with a 42-point advantage, taking a 64-22 lead into the last period.

The officiating crew ordered the clock to continue running in the fourth quarter and the Cougars continued to roll, closing out the game and the SVC schedule with a dominating 84-38 triumph over River City.

There were 30 seconds left in the first period before River City found the hoop as El Dorado's defense completely stifled the visitors and took a 20-3 lead into the second eight minutes of the game.

“Tonight we played together as a team and did everything well. Our passing was great and we were able to get lots of good shots,” Smith said after the game.

The Cougars continued to build the lead in the second quarter as Joe Visman stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for an easy hoop. Headd followed  with one of his five rebounds in the game and made a shot off the glass for two of his 14 points. Smith and Ben Thomas also contributed to a 17-3 Cougar run that pushed their lead to 31.

In addition to his game-high 22 points, Visman had four assists, two steals and three rebounds. Smith finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals; Thomas accounted for 12 of the Cougars' points, dished off two assists and stole the ball three times.

El Dorado's outstanding first-half momentum carried through the second half. El Dorado didn't let up as Cochran (six rebounds) and Nick Jemmott (eight rebounds) cleaned up the boards. On the offensive end, Visman, Smith, Thomas and Headd continued to drive in for lay-ups, hit open jump shots and score with putbacks.

Jemmott chipped in five points to the total; Cochran scored four; justin Morrison and Phelps each had three; and Sean Dunn had two points. Six of Headd's points were the result of a perfect 6-for-6 night at the line; Visman was 4-for-4 and Thomas was 3-for-4. In all El Dorado went to the line 17 times and converted 15.

“Last time we played River City we barely escaped with a two-point victory," El Dorado coach Ken Macklin said. "Everyone tonight though really played well — the entire team played hard and contributed. This was really fun tonight and to be a part of going undefeated in league is a great feeling.

"Overall though, I liked the unselfish play by our team and I am just really proud of them and everything they have done this year. Now we need to watch some film, get prepared for the playoffs and see what happens.”

An excited Headd gave his prediction. "Now we are going to take sections — that's the team's goal."

For the first time the Cougars and the Lady Cougars, who are also undefeated, will both host playoff games starting next week.