Upton Boys Basketball Wrap [VIDEO]

Over the course of the last two seasons, the Upton boys basketball program has a remarkable 89-5 record. The Bobcats were 24-3 this past season with a 4th place finish at the 1A State Tournament and played a couple of very exciting games. In the quarterfinal round, Upton outlasted St. Stephens 66-50 as Jess Claycomb and Luca Brooks each threw in 20 points. The Bobcats outscored the Eagles 23-9 in the 4th quarter to put that game away.

In the 1A semi-finals, Upton lost a heartbreaking 57-55 overtime decision to eventual state champion Saratoga in a game that featured 12 ties and 11 lead changes. Jess Claycomb was great with 19 points on 7-15 from the floor. Luca Brooks had 17 points and 9 rebounds hit a game-tying free throw in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.

In the 3rd and 4th place game, Upton absorbed another very close loss, this time to Encampment 66-63. This was a game where the Bobcats trailed by as many as 15 and came up with a furious 4th quarter rally. Upton had 5 players in double figures by Brooks with 15, Claycomb with 12 while Jayden Caylor and Brayden Bruce each had 11

Upton had two all-state selections in Luca Brooks who averaged 18 points a game as well as Jess Claycomb who threw in 14 a game. Jayden Caylor, Brayden Bruce, and Isaiah Brooks were named all-conference. Claycomb, by the way, finished the year with 1001 points, one of just 8 Upton players in history to go over 1000 points in his career.

This team will certainly be a factor next year as Claycomb and Bruce returning as seniors with Luca Brooks returning as a junior. The team will certainly miss Caylor who is a graduating senior but there's plenty of tools in the toolbox for this program.