CORNING – The Yreka Miners boys varsity entered the NSCIF D-IV playoffs with a record of 5-17, including just two wins in the Northern Athletic League (2-8). Seeded eleventh, most felt that the Miners were just there to round out the brackets. The Miners had other plans.

First, Yreka knocked off sixth-seed Live Oak 65-43. Was it a fluke? The answer turns out to be “no.” Last night the Miners paid a visit to the third-seeded Corning Cardinals and left with a ticket to the semi-finals—winning 59-52. The Miners did what no team has done in Division-IV for as far back as the NSCIF archives reach (02-03).

Number-five Gridley and number-seven Colusa are the only other teams not seeded one through four to make it to the semifinals since the archives began. Both teams did it in the 2003-2004 season. However, only the Miners have reached the semifinals entirely on the road, and are the lowest seeded team to do it during that time span.

Following the Lady Miners win over Orland at Miner Gym, Miner players Jimmy Kutzer and Aaron Sinnott had an air of confidence about their game at Corning the next day. Kutzer was short of an outright prediction of victory, but told siskiyouyouth.com that they felt “strong and confident” that they could pull out the win. Sinnott agreed. They were right.

For the Miners, the game was won in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Cardinals 24-13—including a pair of 3-balls by Brandon Meeks with Corning defenders in his face. The Miners were also hot at the free throw line hitting 8/10 in the final frame.

Jeremy Turner led the Miners with 15 points. Andrew Ward had 13, and Brandon Meeks put up 11 points-including three 3-pointers.

Following the game, Meeks told KSYC radio’s Mark McAllister that, “I practice my 3s a lot, just for that big moment.”

The Miners (7-17) will travel to second-seeded Sutter (18-6) on Wednesday, Feb. 27 for a semi-final match. Sutter defeated Orland 74-44 in round-two.