Cash Gervin Drops 44 in Rattlers Basketball Game

Basketball season is officially underway across the Coachella Valley, and teams are lacing up as we inch closer to Desert Empire League play, now just two weeks out. One program already generating major buzz is the Rancho Mirage High School boys varsity basketball team, who's back on the hardwood after a standout campaign last year.

The Rattlers finished 24–7 overall and 8–2 in league, good for third place in the Desert Empire League last year, and made a strong run through the CIF Southern Section playoffs. They knocked off Palm Springs in the second round before falling in a heartbreaking 60–57 loss to Canyon in round three.

This season brings change, with several seniors graduating. But it also brings star power. Sophomore guard Cash Gervin, who exploded onto the scene as a freshman, returns as one of the valley’s most electric young players. And there’s another storyline driving excitement: the arrival of new head coach Caleb Gervin, who also happens to be Cash’s father.

Coach Gervin says his son’s evolution has been dramatic.

“His role has changed immensely. He shot over 50% last year. Very efficient. Now he has more opportunities to score, so his percentage might dip. He’ll get more pressure, more defense. But he’s been in the lab his whole life. He’s always been taught to play the right way. It’s easy for me to be coach and dad because he’s so unselfish.”

If Friday's performance is any indication, that expanded role is paying off. Rancho Mirage dominated Holtville 78–43, and Cash delivered a jaw-dropping performance: 44 points, including nine three-pointers, and he sat out most of the fourth quarter. He even outscored Holtville by himself, a nearly unheard-of feat at the high school level.

The sophomore is quickly becoming one of the most exciting players in the region, and with league play approaching, all eyes will be on how opponents attempt to slow down Cash and this sharp-shooting Rattlers backcourt.