Wildcats close 21-11 season with tough playoff loss Wildcats close 21-11 season with tough playoff loss (March 03, 2004)

By Jonas Raab

Special to the Almanac

Woodside High's boys basketball team wrapped up its basketball season Saturday, February 28, with an upsetting overtime loss to Leigh High School.

Wildcats coach Darrell Barbour was disappointed: "We put ourselves in a position where we were up about 6 points, but we were unable to get it done."

The final score of 59-53 was typical of the neck-and-neck, nitty-gritty basketball that Woodside has played during a season when it won 21 games and lost 11.

Since Barbour came to coach in 1996, the Wildcats have not had a losing season. They have taken two CCS Division II titles and come in second twice.

"We average winning between 20 and 22 games a year," says Barbour.
Friday the 13th

A season high point for Barbour and Woodside came February 13 when the Wildcats came from behind to beat the Menlo-Atherton Bears, 61-58.

"We made plays on both sides of the court to get it done," Barbour says.

Woodside juniors Justonn Smith and Dominic Duncan-Cruz both had 18 points in the match-up, and Aaron Mayfield came up big with his floor-length pass to Eric Berman for the lay-up to tie the game at 58.

Just seconds later Woodside shut down M-A's defense and Mayfield once again set up Duncan-Cruz for the lay-up. The Bears did not score again.

Although Woodside was victorious, it was anybody's game up to the end. M-A junior Dan Trautman had 24 points, going 10 for 17, and senior Steve Yob scored 13.

This was the second time this season the teams butted heads. The February 13 loss came just three weeks after the Wildcats nipped the Bears, 63-62, in an overtime game.

"What stood out for me in that game was the fact that Justonn Smith fouled out so we were forced to play the end of the game and overtime without him," says Barbour. "Eric Berman and Dominic Duncan-Cruz came up big for us in that game."

Although there is rivalry between the teams, the players and coaches expressed respect for each other. M-A junior Steve Yob says of the Wildcats: "They're a really athletic team, and they have a lot of good starters that can all score on any given night."

"M-A is very good competition," Barbour says. "Coach (Craig) Carson does a great job over there."

Carson speaks highly of the Woodside team, but says it can be a bit streaky as far as shooting is concerned. "Their strengths are rebounds and athleticism," he says.

"I try to get the guys to understand that we may look good on paper, but I don't believe in paper," says Barbour. "You don't win games on paper. You do the things between the lines."

The Wildcats are a balanced team with Smith and Duncan-Cruz coming in with power, and players like Conor Driscoll a constant threat from the 3-point line. Mayfield and Berman are key players with their skillful ball handling.

"There wasn't really one or two guys that made us what we are," Barbour says. "When we were playing well as a group we were really good and when we didn't play well as a group, we struggled."

Of the top nine players on the Woodside team, eight will return next season. However, Barbour does not take for granted that they will have another winning season.

"What needs to happen is that those players who are coming back need to get better, they need to improve," he says.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.