Mustangs notch Foundation Game victory against Calistoga
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CALISTOGA >> Stepping on the hardwood for the first time in almost nine months, an understrength Middletown High School varsity boys basketball team beat Calistoga 60-55 in a North Coast Section Foundation Game Tuesday night in Calistoga.
Foundation Game results do not count toward a team’s win-loss record. The games are fundraisers for the section’s scholarship program.
“We were a little rusty,” Middletown head coach Jake Diehl said. “Obviously we don’ have a full squad.”
A half dozen Middletown players are still participating in the football playoffs, so the Mustangs could be without them for up to two more weeks.
“I think we were taken back by the speed of the game (at the varsity level),” Diehl said of his squad, especially the newer and more inexperienced players. “This was our first look at facing someone other than ourselves in practice. We’ve got some tough games coming up.”
Harrison Brown led the Mustangs with 13 points, including a 3-pointer. Willie Tadder added 12 points and Cody Perez had 10.
“We had a wakeup call,” Diehl said of his team’s first action. “We’ll get back to work tomorrow on the things we need to fix.”
JV game
Middletown’s junior varsity squad beat Calistoga 48-17 behind 18 points from Jovial Najd.
“We came right out with intensity,” Middletown coach Mike Myers said. “Our press was great.”
Lucas Hernandez had eight points for the Mustangs while Koa Johnson pulled down eight rebounds and had six steals, both team highs.
Middletown’s teams return home next Tuesday to play Maria Carrillo.
