The eighth-grade boys' basketball teams at Carson Valley Middle School and Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School battled it out every time they met up this season.
Early in the season, Carson Valley pulled out a win at Pau-Wa-Lu in overtime. Several weeks later, Pau-Wa-Lu answered by defeating the Tigers at Carson Valley on a buzzer-beater.
Last week, the teams met up in the 41st annual Optimist Winter Classic at South Tahoe. Both had been eliminated from the Tah-Neva League tournament in the semifinals, but got one last shot at each other in the championship game of the 16-team Optimist tournament.
What resulted was more of the same back-and-forth style of play the two teams got accustomed to this season.
In the end, Carson Valley pulled out a 44-41 victory in an amazing four overtimes.
"I have never played or coached in a four overtime game before," Carson Valley coach Mike Rechs said. "Pau-Wa-Lu played very hard. It was neat to have an all-Douglas final and it was a very exciting game."
The Panthers had the ball with time dwindling before Carson Valley's Beau Battista made a critical steal and called timeout with eight seconds left.
The Tigers inbounded the ball to CJ Marcotte, who was fouled and sank both free throws to seal the win.
Marcotte led the Tigers with 15 points, Michael Whalin scored 13, Luis Pine-Duarte had seven and Chris Schonian scored six.
Carson Valley advanced to the championship with a 30-23 win over Incline. Schonian scored eight points and Marcotte and Pine-Duarte each scored six. Whalin had an excellent defensive effort, holding Incline's best player to four points.
In the quarterfinals, Marcotte scored 18 points and Schonian and Pina-Duarte each scored six in a 46-29 win over Placer, Calif. Schonian had 15 points and Marcotte added 13 to lead the Tigers in an opening-round win over Gold Trail of Placerville, Calif.
Colton Dale had eight points in that game.
