With its win against Etna during Friday night's Winter Carnival game, the Weed Cougars stayed at the top of a closely packed Shasta Cascade League standings.
Weed (7-2) and Trinity (5-2) had the fewest losses at week’s end, ahead of Fall River (6-3), Mount Shasta (5-3) and Etna (3-5).
The Cougars trailed Etna by 3 at the half, led by 3 after three quarters, then stretched their lead to as much as 12 points late in the final period.
Cougar seniors Robert West and Tanner Shelton made 4 three-point shots each. West finished with 24 points, Shelton 15.
Robert Gonzales scored 14 points and led the Cougars with 11 rebounds, while Brandon Ede scored 3, Jake West 2 and Carlos Nava 2.
“I feel our kids outplayed them,” Carpine said. “Our intensity level was higher and we dominated the offensive and defensive boards... I was proud of the way our kids played.”
Weed also lost at Fall River, 76-51, on Tuesday, Feb. 2, and defeated Burney the following night at home, 64-53.
Now 17-5 overall, the Cougars play next at home against Modoc (1-7) on Tuesday, Feb. 9, then at Burney (1-6) Friday night, Feb. 12.

Bears keep hopes alive for girls SCL title
Mount Shasta High School’s girls basketball team had no trouble at Modoc Friday night, winning 52-27.
But the Bears (6-2 in league, 11-9 overall) lost at Etna earlier in the week and trail both Fall River (8-1) and Etna (7-2) in the Shasta Cascade League standings.
A key game affecting the Bears is Fall River at Etna this Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Mount Shasta travels to Burney (3-4) that night, then goes to Weaverville the following night for a makeup game against Trinity (2-6).
Amanda Amesbury led the Bears with 14 points in the Modoc game, Taylor Hansen scored 10, Kismet Prosper 9, Jeana Michels 9, Janelle Jaegel 7 and Rachel Abbott 5.
In the Bears’ 49-43 loss at Etna, Amesbury scored 16, Abbott 11, Hansen 7, Michels 7 and Prosper 2.
Coach Danny Hansen said the Bears played well at Etna, but missed some shots they’ve been making in recent weeks.
If Etna beats Fall River on Tuesday, the Bears will be in position to at least share the league title by winning their final four games.

Mount Shasta boys defeat Modoc
Mount Shasta’s boys, after losing at Etna Tuesday night, 50-39, defeated Modoc, 49-29, Friday night.
The Bears finished the week 5-3 in the SCL, even with Fall River (6-3) in the loss column and one game behind Weed (7-2) and Trinity (5-2).
After playing at Burney this coming Tuesday night, Feb. 9, the Bears will play two consecutive games against Trinity, a makeup this Wednesday in Weaverville and a home game Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Tim Jaegel led the Bears with 14 point and 4 steals in the win over Modoc. Erik Thelander added 9 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Andrew Campbell scored 7, Gene Kenyon 5, Dustin McDaniel 4, Brad Thomas 3, Mark Maumasi 3, Shane Freeman 2 and Alex McCord 2.

Weed girls stayed with Etna until the end
Weed’s girls had a chance to help their rivals from Mount Shasta in Friday night’s game against visiting Etna.
The Cougars (3-6 in league, 4-14 overall) trailed from the mid-second quarter on, but had a chance to tie it when Sierra Skeen put up a three-point shot from the corner in the game’s final minute.
Skeen’s shot missed and the Lions went on to a 54-49 victory.
Skeen did make 4 three-pointers in the game and finished with 19 points. Nicolette Neel hit 3 threes for the Cougars and scored 15.
Amanda Greene, after reinjuring her arm and sitting out the second quarter, returned in the second half and finished with 8 points.
Kera Vogel added 6 for the Cougars.
Tandy Thackeray had a game-high 23 points for Etna.
Earlier in the week Weed defeated Burney, 61-39, on Wednesday after a 52-36 the night before at Fall River.
Skeen scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and 7 assists in the Burney game.
She and Greene both scored 15 at Fall River, where the Cougars fell behind early, then outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, 29-24.
“I’m extremely proud of the team,” Weed coach Dan DeRoss said. “They play hard and they never give up.”

Near-miss for Tigers at Tulelake
Still seeking their first league victory of the season, the Dunsmuir High School boys basketball team lost a pair of close road games this past week, 62-57 at Big Valley on Tuesday and 60-53 at Tulelake on Friday.
In a report contributed by Dunsmuir resident Richard McCormack, the Tigers started off with an 11-4 lead in the first 5 minutes of the Tulelake game. However the Honkers tied the game at 12-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was a back and forth scoring match with the Honkers leading 27-25 at the half.
In the third period the Tigers broke out quickly and led the Honkers during the first part of the period. The entire third quarter was another back and forth scoring match with the Honkers leading 39-38 going into the fourth.
The fourth was a nail-biter that came down to the last minute of the game.
With 5:04 left in the game and the Honkers leading 45-42, the Tigers made another push.
With 2:21 left in the game Jake Mekeel was fouled with the Honkers leading 49-47 Mekeel made both baskets to tie the game once again. Then with less than 2 minutes remaining both teams were again tied at 51-51.
However that was the last push and the Honkers beat the Tigers 60-53.
Mekeel led the Tigers with 16 points, Nate Gonzales finished with 12, LT Hisey 8, Collin Lattanzio 8, Jordan Vanwilgen 7 and Zack Shirley 2.
 

Dunsmuir’s girls lost to Big Valley, 55-26, and to Tulelake, 55-29.
Junior Katie McIntyre led the Tigers in the Big Valley game with 13 points.