Douglas basketball inducts five into Hall of Fame

The moment caused Werner Christen to shed a few tears.

Christen, who has been involved with Douglas basketball for over 35 years, was one of five inducted into Douglas High School basketball Hall of Fame Saturday, December 8.

Christen was the lone surprise inductee and he wasn’t expecting his family to meet his at half court.

“I missed a lot of the ceremony cause I was bawling,” laughed Christen. “They snuck my girls in. I think they were hiding from me for the first game.”

Christen’s path at Douglas originally started as a one-year commitment to coaching with Andy Hughes.

In 1987, Christen helped Hughes and Randy Green establish the foundation for the girls basketball program. In 2023, he’s still coaching the Tiger girls junior varsity team.

“It was a great honor. It’s something you don’t expect,” said Christen. “I was there a long time. I think I got rewarded for my longevity.”

Randy Green suggested he would have to write a book to encapsulate all of his favorite memories of Christen.

“I always loved the atmosphere. It’s was always a fun place to be and it still is,” said Christen.

One of the newest Tiger basketball Hall of Fame inductees said he prided himself on how close his fellow coaches were.

There was hardly any turnover among the fellow coaches, who maintained a steady presence in the community.

“You remember the families, the kids and the fun stuff you did,” said Christen. “You just remember the good times and you remember some of the losses, too.”

He said he also vividly remembers the 2002 state tournament run, as well.

Four more inductees

Joining Christen in the Douglas basketball Hall of Fame were Ally Freitas, Alicia Main, Austin Neddenriep and Matt Thomas.

Freitas played with the Tigers from 2005 to 2009 before going to college at the University of Nevada, Reno and graduating with a degree in environmental engineering.

Main, who played for Douglas High from 1989 to 1992, is on the bench on game days where she has served as an assistant coach for the girls team since 2021.

The varsity assistant coach was a four-year starter with the Tigers as a player and said her playing days helped form a deep connection with the program.

Neddenriep and Thomas competed on the court for Douglas from 2007 to 2011.

Neddenriep was a captain on the 2011 boys teams that went 23-5 and earned a spot in the Class 4A North championship game.

In their junior and senior seasons, Neddenriep and Thomas were both named first team all-Sierra League players.  

Thomas also won two dunk contests hosted by the school in his playing days.

Thomas went on to play college baseball at Feather River before moving onto playing at UNLV, helping the Rebels gain national recognition and make the NCAA tournament.

(Ally Freitas holds her Douglas High School basketball Hall of Fame plaque alongside Werner Christen, left, and Jason Carter, right. Frietas was inducted into the Tiger basketball Hall of Fame December 8 after being a four-year starter from 2005 to 2009. / Ron Harpin)