On Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, the Dougherty Valley Wildcats defeated the Amador Valley Dons in the first round of EBAL playoffs 76-67, their second win against the Dons in the 2025-2026 season.
In their previous match up at Amador Valley High School on Jan. 30, 2025, the Wildcats were able to defeat the Dons with a final score of 59-56. With EBAL playoffs around the corner, the two teams were set to face off once again, this time at Dougherty Valley High School for a spot in the finals.
As the game began, the turnout was relatively low with only a few rows of the student section filled, and not much energy in the gym. The Wildcats began by winning the tip off, and the first points were scored by junior Rylan Sevilla, who had a total of 12 points in the game. With the start of the game, the Wildcats were strong on defense, specifically with sophomore Alonzo Walker going up for rebounds both offensively and defensively. Both teams were seemingly taking similar approaches to their plays from the game prior, with repeated matchups like junior Wildcat Devyn Ranola guarding junior Don Jaylen Smith. As the game continued on, the first quarter was relatively low scoring, with the Wildcats in the lead during the beginning. Holes began appearing in the Wildcat defense, leaving Amador open for easy layups and three-point shots. By the time the quarter was almost over, the Wildcats were becoming discombobulated on offense, with their inability to catch passes and carry out effective plays. The first quarter ended with a score of 19-14 in favor of the Dons.
The second quarter began with a detrimental start for the Wildcats, who had made an incomplete pass which resulted in a turnover to the other team. This pattern continued as the Wildcats continually racked up turnovers and were unable to grab rebounds. On the other hand, the Dons had built up their momentum from this, creating a larger point gap between the two teams. The Wildcats attempted to assert dominance by bodying their way to the basket, but the lead created by Amador and the silence from the student section seemed to negatively impact the game. The Dons continually drained shots, and were up by 11 with around one minute left. With these last seconds ticking away, the Wildcats began doubling their defense and fighting to narrow the gap. Frustration built up as referees continually missed calls on Amador for travelling, and the quarter concluded with a score of 34-25, in favor of the Dons.
After the halftime reset, the starters for the Wildcats included senior Rashod Cotton Jr. and juniors Sekai Burgess, Luke Hansen, Ranola and Sevilla. The third quarter began with the Wildcats getting a foul call, and Amador shooting two shots. The Wildcats were able to make most of their shots, but were continually called on fouls, while Amador was called on none. The Dons increased their aggression on defense, causing the Wildcats to lose their rhythm, and allowing the Dons to continue their lead. As the quarter went on, the Wildcat offense was unable to gain a lead, and on defense they were increasingly getting frustrated from the travel and foul calls the referees were missing. At 13 seconds left, the score was 48-40, in favor of the Dons, but Walker was able to hit a buzzer beater layup with an assisted pass by junior Wyatt Swan. The ending score of the third quarter resulted at 48-42, in favor of the Dons.
With the last quarter of the game beginning, the DVHS student section increased their volume and began chanting for the team. The Wildcats began playing defense higher up on the court, leading to a steal by Sevilla who passed the ball to Walker for a layup. The Wildcats continued their offensive momentum by stealing the ball and scoring, leading to a smaller point gap between the two teams. Despite this, the Dons began pulling ahead again, until the last minute of the game, where Sevilla tied the score 55-55. From there, the two teams scored points back and forth, and the Dons were winning 61-59 in the last 30 seconds, with the Dons in possession of the ball. Walker was able to steal the ball and make a layup, tying the game 61-61 as the clock ran out, leading to the third overtime of the season.
As overtime began, four minutes were set on the clock for the final push of the game. The Wildcats had won the tipoff, and Sevilla added three points to the Wildcat score with an and-one. Both teams had five fouls, so every foul going forward would result in shooting free throws. The Wildcats played hard, gaining the lead with around three minutes left. Cotton carried out a behind the backboard two point shot, increasing the energy in the gym. The momentum was carried on by Walker, who dunked on the Dons, increasing the lead by two points. By one minute left, the score read 76-64, and the Wildcats were set for the win. The Dons became desperate, shooting anything they could, but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats won the game 76-67.
Head Coach Mike Hansen commented on the Wildcats comeback in the fourth quarter, and the main component that contributed to their win.
“It was our toughness on our bench. Everyone’s ready and they come in, and they don’t worry about when they’re playing or not playing,” Hansen acknowledged. “Our benched guys kind of turned the momentum around, they know if they get in, they’re going to compete like hell.”
Their next game, the EBAL championship game, will be on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. hosted by the De La Salle Spartans.
