Eagles uncentered at Butte
By Reggie Stiteler
Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:05 PM CST
Mt. Shasta News
Suddenly, it's a new team for the Eagles.
Hours before boarding the bus to Oroville to face Butte, where they lost 83-71 Wednesday of last week, 6-foot, 7-inch Siskiyous center Demario Ballard walked into Billy Offill's office to inform his coach that he had played his final basketball game for the Eagles.
Offill said that Ballard, who signed a full scholarship offer last week to play football for Western Oregon University, will be focusing on his football career.
The loss is a huge one for the COS men's basketball squad, as Ballard was at or near the top of the Eagles' scoring, rebounding and shot blocking leaders.
Siskiyous entered the Butte game - and the second half of its GVC schedule - a single game out of first place in the loss column.
The Eagles are familiar with playing without their big man, who missed the entire month of December on personal leave over the holidays.
“We're going to play it out tough,” coach Offill said of the rest of the season. “You've got to love the game of basketball to play here. The guys that are left are those who truly love it.”
Offill admitted his squad was a bit shocked by their teammate's decision, but their performance at Butte was “all business,” in particular the efforts of Alden Gibbs and Roland Johnson.
Siskiyous fell behind early at Butte, 20-11, but Johnson scored nine straight, unanswered points to get the Eagles back into it.
It was a one-point game with three minutes remaining in the first half when Gibbs ended up on the floor attempting to finish a fast break.
Offill believes Gibbs was intentionally fouled.
The closest referee, trailing seven feet behind the play, according to Offill, ruled the ball bounced off Gibbs and awarded possession to Butte.
Anyone attending a Siskiyous men's hoops game this season knows how passionate and involved coach Offill can be on the sidelines, especially when it comes to protecting his players.
“I can't believe I got tossed... and it was the other (non-ruling) official that tossed me,” Offill said. “(In the past) I have been way more aggressive than Wednesday night.”
Even after Butte converted the resulting foul shots, Siskiyous went into the locker room at intermission down by a point, 36-35.
The Eagles fell behind in the second half 47-36 before rallying to get within four at 65-61. But Butte (14-8, 2-4 GVC) controlled the paint - something they failed to do in Weed three weeks earlier - and that proved to be the difference.
Gibbs led Siskiyous with 27 points. Johnson added 15, while Berry and Drew Herrera tallied seven.
“Even without Ballard we have a good and competitive team,” Offill said. “We have the potential and talent to win out.”
“We'll see what sophomores Berry and Johnson can do in their last games.”
Siskiyous (9-16, 3-3) had the past week off and will host Feather River tonight in Weed. Saturday is Sophomore Night at COS, when the Eagles face Redwoods in their final home game of the season.
