Lionhearted Eagles thriving

2320513

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the little guy.

So it’s simple to see why Lake Mead Christian Academy, with only about 150 high school students, might be missed athletically.

But the school is home to 13 pretty good basketball players and a “crazy” coach, and together they are forcing teams to take notice of the Eagles.

Lake Mead, which competes in Class 1A, is 13-0 this season while playing just about anybody, anywhere and any time.

The average margin of victory is more than 20 points, and 10 of those wins are against Nevada teams, with one coming against a Class 4A school, five against 3A schools and two against 2A schools.

“We were expecting a great start, but it’s our hardest schedule ever,” Lake Mead coach Jeff Newton said. “It isn’t a patty-cake schedule.”

In a five-day span this month, the Eagles made a statement about how good they are.

On Dec. 7, they routed Basic, 64-39. Granted, the Wolves were 1-7 at the time, but the school has more than 2,000 students.

On Dec. 10, Lake Mead beat three-time defending 3A state champion Faith Lutheran 89-69 and followed with an 86-64 win over four-time defending 2A state champ The Meadows the next night.

“To play against bigger schools, it shows that we can play against anybody,” senior point guard Stephen Byrd said. “Bring ’em.”

The Faith Lutheran game was especially impressive. Basic probably isn’t a playoff team this season, and The Meadows is down after its dynasty run. But the Crusaders look like one of the state’s best 3A teams this season.

“In my four years, I’d say that’s the biggest win,” senior guard Jared Dean said.

Newton admits his squad caught the Crusaders at the right time. Faith Lutheran was just returning from a trip to Minden for a tournament.

“It was a bigger game for us than it was for them,” Newton said. “They didn’t have a lot to gain. If they beat Lake Mead, they’re supposed to.”

But the win was impressive, nonetheless, especially because Faith Lutheran has an inside presence, something Lake Mead lacks. The Eagles’ tallest player is 6 feet 4 inches, and the team sometimes goes with five guards.

“I’ll go on record and say Faith will win the 3A (title) outright,” Newton said. “I say Faith will take the 3A by 15 or 20 points.”

Apparently scheduling bigger schools didn’t make things challenging enough for Newton, so he decided to make it tougher by playing 17 consecutive games on the road.

Lake Mead’s last home game came on Dec. 1 in the title game of its tournament. The Eagles don’t have another home game until Jan. 15.

“We have a crazy coach who will schedule (17) games before our first home game,” Byrd said.

But Newton doesn’t sound crazy when he talks about his reasoning. He didn’t start a senior last year, and Newton said his young team sometimes didn’t rise to match more experienced teams’ intensity.

“It’s all about mental toughness,” Newton said of the trip. “I thought it would help mature us a little bit and make us more mentally tough.”

Said sophomore guard Landon Littlefield, who averages a team-high 20 points: “It can’t do anything but good for our team. It’ll just make us stronger.”

That might be bad news for the rest of the state’s 1A schools. Newton said the team never discusses the state championship, but it’s a focus for the players. “Our main goal is that championship,” Byrd said.

Lake Mead is no stranger to the championship game, having advanced to four title games in the last five years. But the Eagles have lost all four by a total of 17 points, including a 61-59 loss to Trinity last year.

“We’ve lost four championships. That stinks,” Newton said. “But as coaches, what do we teach? Get your butt off the dirt, shake off the dirt and keep going. That’s life. We don’t even talk about the state championship.”

What he talks about is life after basketball for his team.

“We’re building young men,” Newton said. “Building a basketball team is easy. Building young men is a whole lot harder.”

Newton said his feelings for his players won’t change if they win a state title or lose another championship game.

“I love my kids, and I wouldn’t love them any more or any less if we won the state championship, and that’s the bottom line,” he said.

Then Newton hedges and admits he would enjoy that first state championship.

“Of course it will be nice,” he said. “We’ll be partying all night — a Christian party.”