PREP PLAYOFFS: FOR JONES, A TOUGH ENDING : LOSS FINISHES STAR'S CAREER AT PARACLETE.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

The final buzzer was close to sounding, the signal that his prep basketball career was coming to an end.

And fittingly, Glenn Jones played like he didn't want it to end.

The Paraclete High standout never left the floor, even with his Spirits on the brink of losing 77-59 to Twentynine Palms in a Division IV-AA playoff game Tuesday night.

He made two memorable baskets in the closing minutes. One was a drive down the lane that ended in a successful layup while Jones was falling headfirst into the floor and sliding into the wall at the Highland High gym.

The final points for Paraclete's all-time best 3-point shooter came on another layup, this one a reverse shot off a nifty baseline drive.

Then it ended and Jones was holding back tears as he congratulated the Twentynine Palms players.

``We just couldn't get it done tonight,'' said Jones, his eyes welling up again. ``We made too many mistakes.''

Jones wondered if not transferring from Paraclete - he considered going to Quartz Hill for his senior year - was another mistake.

But he stayed loyal to coach Andy Gavel, who missed Tuesday's game when he was hospitalized with a dangerously high blood-sugar count.

``It was hard to play without him on the bench with us,'' Jones said of Gavel's absence. ``I tried to block it out.''

Though Paraclete finished with a losing record (11-15), it reached the second round of the playoffs after a 6-15 season last year.

Not helping the cause was a wave of nagging injuries and a flu bug that struck the Spirits during the playoffs.

Paraclete's Southern Section championship football run didn't help the basketball team. A handful of players didn't join the team until mid-December and another of those, Michael Washington, left the basketball team to focus on academics.

``With the football players, they came in late and it took them a little while to get used to playing basketball again,'' said assistant coach J.R. Chatman, who took over for Gavel in the Twentynine Palms loss.

Through it all, there was Jones. The guard scored 20 points per game and broke Jeff Zelenski's mark of 108 3-pointers.

Jones fine-tuned his game, developing into not just one of the best scorers in the Antelope Valley but also a floor leader.

``He's one of the main reasons why I came out (for basketball). I wanted a chance to play with Glenn Jones,'' said junior guard Rob Fockaert, the starting quarterback on Paraclete's two consecutive section championship teams.

``He probably deserved better. He was such a hard worker for this team. Any college would be lucky to get Glenn.''

Chatman, a former standout player at Paraclete, and Jones worked extensively together after Paraclete practices the past two seasons.

Prior to his senior year, Jones approached Chatman with his plans to be more of a complete player.

``He wanted to be a leader. Those are sometimes big shoes to fill,'' Chatman said. ``I think he had something to prove and he (took on the role).

``He's come a long way in his career. With Glenn, we've always wanted him to reach his potential. His potential is way up there. Once he started to realize that, it started to show on the floor.''

The practice: A 5-0 halftime lead was secure enough for Paraclete's girls' soccer team to spend the second half of Tuesday's Division IV playoff win over Bishop holding an impromptu practice.

The Spirits (19-6) didn't have to worry about offense anymore so they instead focused on passing. Specifically, their one-touch game.

That style of soccer focuses on passing the ball back and forth with the first contact on the ball, rather then two-touch, which includes gaining possession and following up with a pass.

``One-touch is a hard level of play to work on. Most teams play two-touch,'' said Paraclete coach Deana Jacoby, whose team plays a quarterfinal match today. ``When it comes to one-touch, it's important to remember, one-touch with control.''

Paraclete has been a fixture in the Southern Section playoffs. The Spirits progressed to the semifinals last year following three consecutive quarterfinal appearances.

Is this season's Division IV championship game the next step for Paraclete to take?

Jacoby called last year's semifinal loss to St. Bonaventure ``very rewarding.''

It was also part of what she calls a growth experience.

``Isn't that all part of the growth process?'' Jacoby said. ``You're not growing unless your taking your steps one at a time.''

Still alive: Through Tuesday's games, the Antelope Valley has a number of teams still breathing in postseason.

Perhaps the most surprising survivor has been the Lancaster boys' soccer team. The Eagles won for the second time away from home when they outlasted Indio 3-2 in triple overtime on Tuesday.

Lancaster meets Riverside Poly today.

In boys' basketball, Mojave, Antelope Valley Christian and Desert all won their games to advance to Friday's next round.

Mojave beat Calvary Chapel 56-54 in Division IV-A, Desert defeated Yeshiva 62-46 in V-AA and A.V. Christian routed host Pilgrim 78-61 in V-A.

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PHOTO Erik Sunberg, far right, and his Lancaster High soccer teammates have been a surprise in the postseason, winning two games on the road.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News