Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — It may have ended in disappointment, as most playoff runs ultimately do, but this was a postseason the Loggers won’t easily forget.

On Thursday night, they welcomed Weed to Jay Willard Gymnasium for a NorCal quarterfinal, with the visitors prevailing 59-52 in an exciting game that was played in front of a packed house and a fantastic atmosphere.

The loss ends a memorable and historic playoff run for the Eureka boys, who came into the game riding a five-game postseason winning streak, a run that included the program’s first-ever North Coast Section championship.

And while the Eureka players and fans will feel the sting of disappointment in the aftermath of Thursday’s game, when the dust settles and they look back on the past few weeks they will have every reason to feel proud of what they accomplished.

“They worked for everything they achieved every day of practice,” Eureka assistant coach Andrew DeHart said. “This was a group that showed up. They were dedicated to getting better. Every single day that was their focus. They wanted to be the best basketball team they could be. The kids deserve all the credit.”

Thursday’s game was a back-and-forth affair.

Both teams appeared up for the occasion and the visitors held a slender three-point lead after the opening quarter (20-17).

They would stretch the advantage to 10 by halftime, thanks to some stellar shooting from beyond the arc that resulted in seven 3-pointers over the first two quarters.

But the Loggers would respond in style and enjoyed the better exchanges in the third quarter, outscoring the Cougars 20-7 for the period to take a three-point lead.

They remained in front for much of the fourth quarter, but the visitors would finish strong, going on a decisive 10-0 run in the final two minutes of the game to secure the come-from-behind victory.

“I think that Weed deserves a lot of credit,” DeHart said.

So too do the Eureka players for the manner in which they responded after the break.

But that won’t surprise anyone who has watched this team this season.

“We went into halftime down by 10,” DeHart said. “It was kind of the story of our season. The players had every reason to give up, but they battled back. They never gave up, all the way to the final buzzer. They played hard.

“As coaches we were so immensely proud with this group of players, with who they are and how they played.

“When it really came time to make a run, they did what they had to do.”

Xavier De La Rosa epitomized his team’s fighting spirit, much as he has done all season long.

The junior standout finished with a team-high 14 points, while teammate Ryder Mitchell also battled all game long and added 13 points.

But Mitchell’s contributions, as usual, went well beyond the points tally.

“Ryder Mitchel was a monster on the boards,” DeHart said of the junior. “We ask him to do so many things and he really stepped up.”

Sophomore Kyle Giacone closed out a very impressive season with nine points and showcased his composure under pressure by going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Owen Hiscox and Eddie Gonzalez added six points each for Eureka.

Another sophomore, Brayden Bermers, also impressed for the home team and played beyond his years while seeing plenty of game time.

“Brayden Bermers was asked to come in in the biggest moment of the season and he was under control, played some great defense and made some exceptional passes,” DeHart said. 

The Loggers closed out the season 19-13, including the five straight playoff wins.

But it’s not just the success of the team that DeHart and head coach Jimmy Rodgers will remember from this remarkable season.

“This group of players, they did a lot of things on the court that were phenomenal,” DeHart added. “But off the court, the way they conducted themselves, it really made us proud to coach a group of kids like that.”

A large and enthusiastic home crowd also played a role, much as it has throughout the entire postseason run.

“I do want to give a shoutout to the community,” the coach said. “The way they showed up for the kids during this run was phenomenal.”