Middletown beats Upper Lake, closes in on league championship
By Brian Sumpter
Lake County Sports on Facebook
MIDDLETOWN >> Another milestone for senior Mia Hoogendoorn, another win for the Middletown Mustangs on Tuesday night as they beat the Upper Lake Cougars 47-21 in North Central League I varsity girls basketball action in Middletown.
Hoogendoorn, a four-year varsity veteran, needed 15 points entering play to reach 1,500 and her layup with 6:46 left in the game put her at exactly that number. Hoogendoorn, only the sixth player in Lake County history to reach that milestone, started the 2024-25 season with 963 points.
“It’s a pretty special moment and I’m excited for her,” said Middletown head coach Roxi Holt of her daughter’s climb to sixth place on the county’s list of career scoring leaders. “I’m beyond proud of her.”
It has certainly been a season of highlights for Hoogendoorn, and the Cougars have been witnesses to two of the biggest. After reaching 1,000 points in the second game of the season against Lower Lake back in late November, she became the school’s all-time scoring leader last month, hitting a corner 3-pointer in a league game at Upper Lake where she topped the old Middletown record of 1,314 points held by Ashlyn Welton.
While Middletown’s drive for a third league title in four years has been the central focus of the team, both according to Holt, Hoogendoorn’s pursuit of 1,000, 1,314 and 1,500 have certainly been entertaining sidelights to the Mustangs’ season, which is now one Middletown win or one Kelseyville loss shy of that league title.
Middletown (11-2 league, 18-6 overall) can clinch no worse than a share of the title with a win Friday night at home against Clear Lake in the league and regular-season finale for both teams. However, the Mustangs might be a league champion before then as Kelseyville (11-2) hits the road Thursday to play Fort Bragg (9-4), a winner of six straight, the league finale for both of those teams. If Kelseyville wins on Thursday, the Knights are guaranteed no worse than a title share. If Kelseyville loses, Middletown clinches a tie and can claim the undisputed crown with a win at home Friday against Clear Lake.
Holt has had a front-row seat for Hoogendoorn’s incredible career going back to the second-grade.
“She was in second grade playing on a club team for fourth-graders,” Holt said. “She hit the rim shooting a free throw and was so excited. Little did I know she would go on to reach all of these accomplishments.”
Hoogendoorn said she’s happy that the pursuit of 1,000, 1,314 and 1,500 points is now behind her.
“My goal at the beginning of the season was 1,000,” Hoogendoorn said. “Then it was the school record (1,314), but it seemed so far away I didn’t know if I could get there. When I did, then it was 1,500 points.”
All the time the Mustangs were battling for a league championship, so the added pressure of individual goals wasn’t always welcome, according to Hoogendoorn.
“It was annoying,” she said.
With all of that out of the way now, the Mustangs, and Hoogendoorn, are clear to concentrate on nailing down another NCL I championship.
“That has always been our focus, our main goal,” Holt said.
“I really didn’t care about the other stuff (personal milestones),” Hoogendoorn said. “I just want to win the league.”
Middletown struggled to shake Upper Lake (1-12, 6-15) until late in the third quarter. Both teams were having a hard time finding the basket, but the Mustangs began warming up from the field after a pair of 3-pointers by Upper Lake’s Naomi Poe cut Middletown’s lead to 22-17 with 3:55 remaining in the period.
The Mustangs’ Sarah Fetter scored five points in quick succession, including a three-point play with 1:02 left in the quarter, and Hoogendoorn’s basket with 27.1 seconds left made it 31-21.
As the fourth quarter opened, Hoogendoorn hit one of two free throws – career point No. 1,498 – and Fetter scored on a layup to make it 34-21. Hoogendoorn’s driving layup, career points 1,499 and 1,500, followed seconds later.
Middletown added 11 more unanswered points before the game ended and went on to shut out Upper Lake 16-0 in the fourth quarter. A smiling Hoogendoorn spent the final minutes on the bench enjoying the rest of the game, the pressure of her pursuit of 1,500 lifted.
Fetters finished with 11 points for the Mustangs while senior Jaylee Doris added seven more.
“She was huge for us,” Holt said of Fetters.
Upper Lake, already minus sophomore guard Alyssa John (knee injury), finished the game without another top player, junior post Aimee Schaefers, who twisted her ankle late in the game and had to watch the remainder of the game from the bench.
“It’s been hard without Alyssa and then Aimee was out,” Upper Lake head coach Raelene Cromwell said.
“We’re just happy to have (Ashlyn) Rhodes and (Kali) Minnis back out there, because they were out with injuries earlier this season.”
Poe finished with nine points to lead the Cougars, all on 3-pointers.
“We fought and are continuing to fight and don’t give up,” Cromwell said.
Middletown was minus two starters once again on Tuesday. Post player Harley Holley is out with a knee injury, her return this season uncertain, while guard Jordyn Harbison missed the game because of illness.
While Holt has promoted several junior varsity players to take their place, team chemistry isn’t quite there yet, according to Middletown’s coach, since the players are getting to know each other during a crucial stretch of the team’s schedule.
Upper Lake closes out its season Thursday at home against St. Helena. The Cougars will honor their seniors during a pregame ceremony. Friday is also senior night for the Mustangs as they play their final regular-season home game.
Middletown won the JV game 49-17 behind 12 points each from Emma Jones and Ally Cherry. Maddie De la Torre added six points, seven rebounds and 10 steals while Brenna Goodloe had six points.
“The game started out slow in the beginning, but the girls pulled it together and put together a solid game,” Middletown head coach Daryl Dacosta said. “The girls are playing with good momentum heading into our final game.”
Middletown (8-3 league, 14-8 overall) can finish in a tie with Lower Lake (9-3) for second place in the final league standings with a win at home Friday against Clear Lake.
