This could be one of the most important weeks of the boys basketball season for the Eureka Loggers.

After dropping their Big 5 opener at McKinleyville early last week, the Eureka boys had a bye in conference action later in the week and played a pair of non-conference games at the weekend, falling 67-58 to Shasta at College of the Redwoods on Friday and following that with a 54-51 loss at Piner on Saturday.

With the three losses last week, the Loggers dropped to 9-8 on the season.

However, the players came out with a lot more energy and intensity at Piner, and that could auger well for the team in what will be a crucial few days as the Loggers look to keep their Big 5 championship ambitions on track with pivotal matchups against Del Norte at Jay Willard Gymnasium on Tuesday night and at Fortuna on Thursday. 

“My guys came out with plenty of energy to start the game, something we’ve been looking for,” Eureka head coach Jimmy Rodgers said after Saturday night’s game. “I was very impressed with our tempo and execution in the first half. They came to play.”

Eureka led by 13 after the opening quarter, but the Prospectors would claw their way back into contention and would outscore the visitors 21-11 in the third quarter.

The game was back-and-forth in the fourth quarter, with Piner taking a three-point lead in the dying seconds.

The Loggers had an opportunity to tie things up and force overtime but missed on a shot as time expired.

“Another tough loss for us,” Rodgers said. “But I tell you what, our coaching staff have total confidence in our team and I’m confident that we have the juice.”

Xavier De La Rosa scored a team-high 15 points in the loss, while teammate Eddie Gonzalez added nine points, and Brayden Bermers had eight.

Ryder Mitchell made his presence felt in the paint and finished with nine rebounds, while Jackson Giacone chipped in six points, as did Nathaniel Kahoalli off the bench.

With the win, Piner ended a three-game skid and improved to 6-12.

The Loggers will now turn their attention towards Del Norte and Fortuna and will likely need to win both games to keep their title hopes on track in what is expected to be a tight race for the championship.

“The guys all know where we stand as a team at this point in the season,” said Rodgers, who added that his players “are really juiced” for Tuesday’s big showdown.