MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week presented by the Oregon National Guard

It's one thing to win a state title. It's another to bring an entire community together.

That's what the boys basketball team at Philomath has done, following a 48-39 win over La Salle Prep last week at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. Ben Desaulnier scored 23 of his game-high 30 points in the first half, making 11 of 21 shots as the Warriors finished 23-3.

They won their second title, the first coming in 2002, when current head coach Blake Ecker was an assistant.

For their championship, the Warriors have been selected as the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"It is fantastic," Ecker said. "I was an assistant coach on the team that won in 2002, so to get here this year is very cool. The team and kids had an amazing run.



"We're a pretty small community of about 5,000 and this has brought our entire community together. Our team and community had a common goal and that was to get there and they supported us through it all."

After losing their first two games, a state championship was the furthest thing on Ecker's mind.

"We were playing selfish and not playing team ball," Ecker said. "We had to sit down and talk about how we needed to play together and that if we did that we could really have something. Once we started playing more as a team, the wins started piling on. We realized we could be great and we had a vision of what could happen and what we could accomplish. The kids saw that and bought into that."

Did they ever. They won 23 of their last 24 games and gained some major momentum right before the playoffs with a 104-62 win over Stayton. They hadn't scored more than 77 in any game before that.

The Warriors opened postseason with a 73-51 win over Sweet Home, but barely escaped North Valley, winning 44-43. They then knocked off La Grande 61-52 in the semifinals.

It helped to have the 6-2, 205-pound DeSaulnier, one of the state's best all-around athletes. As a junior, he made All-State in football, basketball and baseball.

He averaged 29 points per game and scored 53 in a game last month while only playing three quarters.



"Ben was definitely our best player on our team this year," Ecker said. "He will probably be named the Player of the Year in our division. He is an athletic young man, he's had a great attitude all season, and he has worked hard all year long."

Other key players were Cole Chambers, Brodie Marchant, Koeby Bennett and Trey Ecker, who had eight rebounds and 14 assists in the win over Sweet Home.

Before this season, Philomath hadn't won 20 games in any season under Ecker, though they were 16-8 and 19-7 the two previous seasons. Before that, the Warriors were 13-13, 7-16, 8-11, 16-8, 17-7 and 9-16.

"To all come together, especially being the underdogs, and then to achieve (the championship) is amazing," coach Ecker said.

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Numbers and rankings are great, but wins and titles are better.

That is largely the attitude of the West Linn (Ore.) boys basketball team which is attempting to repeat as a 6A state champion.



On Saturday, the Lions improved to 21-4 with their 17th straight win, a 76-52 victory over Grant in the second round of the state tournament. They now face Central Catholic (17-9) in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Sophomore Payton Pritchard scored 21 points, including 19 in the first half that was finished off with a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer. According to Oregonelive.com’s Andrew Nemec, that gave West Linn its first double-digit lead, 39-27 — one it would extend in the second half.

"Nobody cares about stats," West Linn coach Eric Viuhkola told Nemec. "All we care about is playing that next game. We want to win another state title."

For their focus and win streak, West Linn is the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

The state’s top-ranked team, according to the MaxPreps computer rankings, has won one other state championship, that coming in 1997.

With Viuhkola at the helm starting in 2008, the Lions have had only one losing season — 14-16 in 2010-11 — but rattled off two 15-win seasons before going 22-7 two years ago, 21-6 last season and are currently 21-4.

This year’s squad is blessed with a lot of offensive firepower, as it showed with an opening game 105-72 win over Tualatin.



Pritchard, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, had 28 in that one, Anthony Mathis 20 and Ryan Shearmire 10.

Mathis is a 6-2 junior shooting guard and Shearmire is a 6-5 senior and two-time All-State player.  

Seven other times West Linn has scored at least 80, including an 80-39 opening-round playoff win over Century when the Lions scored only 11 in the first quarter following an eight-day layoff.

They really picked things up after that, especially senior C.J. Sitton who drilled four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points. Pritchard and Mathis had 15 apiece.

Thursday’s game is a repeat of last year’s title game, a 45-41 win over Central Catholic. Shearmire had 15 points and nine rebounds in that title game.

The Lions lost six games last year, but caught fire late thanks in part to the team’s mantra of "Poise, belief and toughness."



"We knew we had the talent," Viuhkola said after winning the state title last year. "We just knew that we had to come together and believe in each other."

We’ll see if that belief holds true the rest of the playoff season.

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With all due respect, the Blanchet Catholic (Salem) Cavaliers don’t need any reminders.

Their current 18-game win streak is all well and good, but then they know that guarantees them nothing.

Last season, the Salem power won 17 in a row before a heartbreaking 49-29 loss in the 3A state finals to Horizon Christian. An impressive 28-5 season it was for the Cavaliers, who have won at least 23 games in each of the previous four seasons under coach Jon Tromblay.

This season, led by a strong core of seniors and juniors, Blanchet Catholic is bent on going all the way after a 4-4 start.

Thanks to their 18-game win streak and a strong balanced scoring attack, the Cavaliers are the MaxPreps Oregon State Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.



"Our pre-league schedule was very challenging," said Tromblay. "It provided us the opportunity to compete at a high level, which has helped our team the last two months."

Led by 6-foot-3 senior guard Patrick Counts, grandson of former Olympic gold medalist and NBA veteran Mel Counts, the Cavaliers average 63.4 points per game.

Counts averages 18.9 points and 5.7 rebounds a game while shooting 51 percent from the field.

"Patrick is a three-year varsity captain," said Tromblay. "His ability to include his teammates in all aspects of the game has contributed to our success."

Counts is joined by 6-2 senior guard Trevor Howard (16.7 ppg) as the only double-digit scorers on average during the year.

The rest of the squad, led by 5-10 senior Kyle Ruiz (6.8 ppg), fill in their roles beautifully, which has led to a 17-0 league record.



"Not only do they work together on the court, but off the court as well," said Tromblay. "We have three senior players that have started together since their sophomore year. They have grown accustomed to each others' strengths and have incorporated their other teammates seamlessly."

In a 90-37 win over Pleasant Hill, Howard struck for a season-high of 30 points. He’s been a model of consistency lately, with 13 straight double-digit scoring games, including tallies of 21, 20, 23, 23 and 19 his last five games.

Counts has been even more prolific as the season has progressed, scoring 28, 29 and 26 his last three games. He’s scored in double figures in all but one game this season.

The 29 were a season high in a 88-51 win over Creswell last week.

The Cavaliers have only been threatened a few times during the win streak, twice in the last two weeks, a 59-53 win over Dayton and a 65-60 victory over Harrisburg. They also have a 53-52 win over Creswell. All the other wins have been by double digits.

"Our number one objective each year is to challenge for a league title," said Tromblay. "Last year’s loss was not a topic of conversation this season."



The Cavaliers have a rematch with Harrisburg on Thursday night, and Tromblay has been preparing the team with a specific focus.

"Free throws and more free throws!" he said.

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It’s not a push. Barely a nudge really. When McKenzie (Finn Rock) girls coach David Duncan rolls out the basketball, his Eagles are almost always ready.

Thus far they are 22-4 overall and 14-2 in league and have won at least 20 games five straight seasons, including 27-1 in 2011-12 when the Eagles won a state 1A title.

"It’s is all about the girls," said coach David Duncan. "Their determination and work ethic is so strong. They enjoy going to state and want to get there every year."

Because of their work ethic and results, the Eagles are the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

Led by a stifling defense and the Hiddleston sisters, Makaila and Buggy, the Eagles are destined to make a strong state-title push.



Even with just nine girls, McKenzie has the stamina and strength to allow just 26.3 points per game. Three times it's allowed less than 10 points and 12 times it has given up 20 or less.

"We went into the season saying that our focus was going to be on nothing but defense," Duncan said. "We would leave every night after practice talking about defense. We worked on nothing but defense and all our drills are focused on that.

"We knew that our offense would come, but we have to be able to stop teams defensively. We aren’t the best scorers or offensive team, but we can defend with anybody and the girls bought into this goal and wanted to reach that this season."

Makaila Hiddleston, a 5-11 post, averages 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game to lead the team.

"She is our scoring threat," Duncan said. "She makes our team go offensively. We work an inside-outside offense and she is definitely our inside presence. Other teams narrow in on her. She is certainly our cornerstone and everything goes from her."

Her sister Buggy is the team’s second leading scorer and averages 9.9 points per game.



"They play very well together and have a good chemistry. They are different players and have a different type of playing style, but they work very well with one another."

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The North Medford boys basketball team has won three Oregon state titles, but it’s been a while. Like a long while. Like 53 years.

The Black Tornadoes won the state crown in 1961 and that was after a 31-year drought, taking titles in 1930 and 1925.

Since Scott Plankenhorn took over, North Medford has definitely had some success, going 20-9 his second season after a 9-18 campaign his first year in 2006-07.

Since 2007-08, the Black Tornadoes have gone 18-6, 14-12, 20-7, 24-4 and last season 14-11.

This year, they are 15-5 following a three-game win streak after a 57-47 defeat to South Medford.



"We have got quite a few kids who returned from (last year's) team and committed themselves to make sure we did the little things to win close games," said Plankenhorn. "We have been much better at the defensive end and much more consistent at that end of the floor. We have really worked on trying to stay much more positive even when things aren't going perfect. The kids have just stayed together and keep working to get better every day."

North Medford is ranked 15th in the state and with an experienced crew that includes seven seniors, including co-captain Aaron Browne-Moore (8.2 points per game) and Julian Gray (10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game).

The Black Tornadoes’ experience has shown the ability to win close games right from the get-go, with wins over Wilson (56-55) and Bend (56-54) to open the season.

Most recently, they defeated Crater 76-72 in overtime last week behind 23 points by senior Brian Bush and 14 apiece by Browne-Moore and Tristen Holmes, the team’s leading scorer at 18.2 per game.

For their clutch play down the stretch, North Medford has been picked as the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

In the win over Crater, the Black Tornadoes made eight 3-pointers and got 12 rebounds from Browne-Moore, a 6-foot-3 forward.



Following the Crater win, North Medford rolled to a 66-39 win at Cascade Christian, racing to leads of 19-6 and 37-13 after the first two quarters.

Holmes had 17 points, Gray 12 and Browne-Moore 10. Ten different players scored.

"We are led by Tristen Holmes in scoring but also he is also our leading rebounder," said Plankenhorn. "He is near the top in assists and steals, also helping the team wherever needed. He is huge for this team with his consistent scoring of the ball but is a special player because of all the other things he does. He rebounds, assists and then will guard the best guard on the other team most of the time."

The Black Tornadoes get a rubber match with South Medford on Friday night at home. The teams have split two previous meetings.

"We are very split with seven seniors and six underclassmen on our 13-man roster currently, but are led by returning starters Julian Gray, Aaron Browne-Moore and Tristen Holmes. In the close games our ability to make big plays and play sound defense have been big factors in those wins."

With so much experience and an ability to win close games, they should make a strong state title run with the hope of ending the very long drought.



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A 16-2 start for the Seaside girls basketball team is not by accident, says head coach Wally Hamer.

The Seagulls gave up a scant 33.9 points per game and are also terrors on the boards.

It’s just as Hamer emphasizes and it’s why Seaside is the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"We work at the defensive end of the court," Hamer said. "We play pressure full court defense. With an emphasis on good man-to-man defense. We try to box out and give our opponents only one shot. We believe defense and rebounding are the most important parts of our game that will make us successful."

Seaside has had mixed success before this season, going 20-6 last year and before that it was 13-4, 17-8, 9-17, 16-6, 17-8 and 15-12.

The Seagulls started the season with seven straight wins, and after two losses in three games they have won eight straight, led by 5-10 senior forward Kaitlin Lewis (10.6 points per game) and 5-10 freshman Maddi Utti (12.7).

Utti has made an immediate impact on the Seagulls as a ninth-grader, something that hasn’t surprised Hamer.



"She has been very dedicated to the game of basketball," Hamer said. "Ever since she was a young girl she has played a lot of ball. She has worked at the fundamentals and is a true team player. Her best attribute is her defensive footwork and she applies tremendous pressure on who she is defending."

Utti epitomizes the team’s youth as the Seagulls have just two seniors on an 11-person roster. The 15th-ranked team in the state shoots 42 percent on 3-pointers, 75 of 180.

The defense plus rebounding plus effective 3-point shooting gives the Seagulls a bright future in the playoffs.

"We have three great captains this year," Hamer said. "Katy Kawasoe and Katlin Lewis have done a great job of leading our team. They are both great role models and are positive with our team.

"Our goals are to get better every day and to be tough and together no matter what happens to us on and off the court. We want tough-minded players, especially on defense, and work as a team and share the ball."

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The single most important lessons learned by high school athletes, coaches tell them, are from defeat.



Evidently, the players on the boys basketball team from Churchill (Eugene) are very intent pupils.

Since back-to-back losses in late December, the Lancers have rattled off 11 straight wins and scored points by the bushel. In their last five games they’ve scored 85, 70, 102, 65 and 73.

And Oregon doesn’t utilize a shot clock.

For their learning curve, 14-2 record and No. 3 ranking in the state, the Lancers are the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"We really try to emphasize that our defense promotes our offense," said head coach Kelly Bokn. "By defending all 84 feet, we force more possessions and provide ourselves the opportunity to score more. We feel that our conditioning and depth over the course of a 32-minute game will provide opportunities for good scoring runs."

There was absolutely no shame in either of the losses.

The first came to Chicago and national power Whitney Young, 89-80, and the other came the following night, 67-55, to Jefferson (Portland), currently 15-1 and Oregon's No. 2 team.



Churchill has been a model of consistency over the years. The program has won state titles in 1995 and 2001, but over the last eight seasons the Lancers have gone 18-7, 21-9, 13-13, 19-7, 15-9, 10-16, 22-6 and 23-5.

They have great balance with four double-digit scorers, led by David Schedrick, a 6-foot-3 senior shooting guard, at 18.8 points per game.

"David is a talented scorer for our team," said Bokn. "However, if it wasn't for the fact that he plays with some very unselfish players, he would not be the scorer that he is."

Others to average double digits are 6-3 wing Andrew Smith (12.1), 5-11 point guard Malik Morgan (11.1) and 6-3 wing DeShone Brooks (10.8), who had 32 points against Whitney Young.

But these gents aren’t the only capable scorers.

In a recent 102-50 win over North Eugene, no less than six scored at least 10 points, led by Schedrick with 18 and Morgan 16.



Brooks, Smith and 6-2 wing Kendrick Abraham all had 11 points and 6-1 wing Tanner Evenson added 10. The Lancers were perfectly consistent by quarter as well with 31, 24, 25 and 22.

Churchill has two games this week, finished off at Marist (Eugene). With nine seniors on a 12-man roster, this is the season the Lancers will likely make a serious state-title run.

"There are some very talented teams in the state this year. We feel like we are one of those," said Bokn. "Last year, we lost in the finals of the state championships and it stung. If we continue to progress, work hard and stay healthy ... we could have the opportunity again. Our goal is to get to that final game again and compete for a state title."

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Sometimes a loss isn’t such a bad thing. It evidently woke up a strong La Salle (Milwaukie) girls basketball team after it started the season 6-0.

Following a 58-46 loss to Henley, the Falcons have rattled off six more wins without a loss, including wins by margins of 75, 61, 40, 28 and 28.

For their strong start, the Falcons have been selected as the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.



Led by second-year coach Kelli Wedin, La Salle went 24-4 last year, losing in the state 5A quarterfinals.

"We have a great group of kids back from last year," she said. "We lost to a good team — Henley is very good, but it was a humbling loss. We're thankful that we experienced that loss early because it made us hungry and made us stronger as a team. The girls know they don't want to feel that again."

This season, led by a balanced squad that is blessed with both experience and talented younger players, the Falcons hope to repeat the trend of the 1981 and 1985 teams that went a combined 50-1 and won two state titles.

La Salle was 28-0 in 2010-11, but fell in the state finals to Cascade, 58-56. It doesn’t get much more painful than that.

Senior Sterling Swift was on that team and now leads the Falcons with a 13.6 scoring average.

"She is my one player who is a four-year varsity starter," said Wedin. "She has the experience, dedication, and leadership. She knows what it takes to win that state title and how close she was and knows that she can get there again. She has her eyes on the prize and this drive keeps her motivated and hungry to get there."



Four others average between 8.0 and 8.9 points per game, including freshman Aleah Goodman (8.6) and sophomore Alexandra Jansen (8.2).

Ranked ninth in the state, according to the MaxPreps computer rankings, the Falcons are scheduled to play Madras this week.

"Our motto this season has been 'no regrets.' We know that no matter who we play, we have to come out and be ready," said Wedin. "This year we have a huge target on our backs every game, so we need to be ready to mentally play and play really good every night."

If they continue to play defense like they have thus far, allowing just 37.9 points per game, the Falcons should be in a good shape to make a state-title run.

That’s because they lead the state in scoring — by a wide margin (more than 10 points per game) — by averaging 70.5 per outing. The Falcons shoot a superb 46 percent from the floor as a team, they average 20 assists a night led by Goodman (5.6 per game) and 18.6 steals per game.

That leads to some easy transition buckets.



"We went on a beach retreat early on this season and the girls set their goals and we are in pursuit of a state championship," said Wedin. "What's great about our team is that we don't rely on just one person and we share the ball really well. Any player can step up on any given night. We are a talented team, but we take pride in being the hardest working team.

"We want to put in that effort and if we can truly outwork the other team, we will be able to meet our ultimate goal."

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The rise toward the top has been slow, steady and sure for the West Albany boys basketball team.

When Todd Zimmerman took over the head coaching job in 2008, the Bulldogs were coming off an 8-16 season.

The first two years for Zimmerman were similar, at 9-12 and 9-15. In 2010-11, West Albany jumped to 11 wins and the last two seasons it has hit full-stride, going 17-8 and 19-9.

With four straight wins — two last week — the Bulldogs are 9-3 in 2013-14.



For their steady climb, they’ve been picked as the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"We have a real core value that we are going to get better," said Zimmerman. "We aren't going to get our sights any higher than getting better than we were yesterday.

"West Albany used to have a strong tradition of basketball and that has faded. If everyday we come out and we get better, after putting that hard work in, we will restore that tradition. We will do this by having everyone work together, players and coaches. No one person is bigger than that goal — to get better."

Led by one of the state’s leading scorers Nate Sherwood (20.4 points per game), West Albany recorded wins over Silverton (57-43) and Lebanon (56-40) last week.

Sherwood made 8-of-15 shots and was 9-for-10 from the line en route to 25 points against Silverton. The 6-foot-8 power forward added 11 rebounds as did junior Isaiah Edwards, a 6-4 post, who also had 11 points.

This has been the formula most of the season as Edwards averages 11.6 points per game and about seven rebounds per contest. Sherwood averages more than 10 caroms a game.

"Nate is just one of the guys on the team," said Zimmerman. "The guys love him and they give him a hard time, just like they give the other players. Nate has no special standing with the players — he is just trying to work hard and get better everyday in order to help his team get better.



"It's cool that someone of his talent can fit in and get along well with all his teammates and it's something that's very rare. He is a great, likeable kid — and a heck of a basketball player."

Other key players for the Bulldogs are senior Zach Heagy (7.9 ppg), along with Cody Lahoda, Ben Potter, Joey Roos, J.J. Stewart, Brady Young and Cooper Getsfrid, who all average between 3-4 points per game.

Those totals definitely add up for West Albany, which is No. 16 in the state, according to the MaxPreps computer rankings. Zimmerman obviously uses his bench heavily.

Sherwood, who has made 66 of 133 shots, is by far the team’s top offensive threat. He’s received college interest from Davis, Portland, Portland State and Oregon State, a place his dad Bill played for three seasons in the late 1980s.

According to the Albany Democrat-Herald, Sherwood’s older brother Nick played golf at Oregon State.

"Obviously I have been born and bred OSU," Nate Sherwood told the newspaper. "It’s nice and close to home, which is appealing, and it’s a good basketball program."



West Albany hosts Woodburn (5-8) on Friday.

"Last year we got to the state tournament and it was the first time since 1991 that our basketball program had been there and had a winning record," said Zimmerman. "We want to reach that goal again and compete for a spot in the tournament, and hopefully compete for that blue trophy. Ultimately, to make that happen, we need to work hard each night."

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Following a tough 66-54 loss to the state’s top-ranked team, South Medford, the Westview (Portland) girls basketball team didn’t pout.

The Wildcats, ranked fourth in the state, responded strongly last week with tough, hard-fought wins over Canby (61-52) and Clackamas (51-47) to improve to 8-4.

For their response, Westview was named the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"We went back to the basics," said head coach Lindsay Strothers. "We have three sophomores who are playing significant minutes, who had never really practiced how we play defense. Our past teams had all been veterans, so this year we were lacking in that area. In practice we focused on our defensive footwork and built on what we had learned. We put this to work in our games last week and that's one of the reasons why we won."

Jaime Nared, a 6-foot-2 senior wing, showed why she’s the state’s leading scoring and considered one of the country’s top all-around players by exploding for 30 points in the win over Canby.



The University of Tennessee signee made 14 of 24 shot attempts and added 20 rebounds as the Wildcats pulled away in the second half.

Nared is one of the nation’s top 10 senior recruits and averages 28.3 points, 14.7 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 3.5 assists per game. She averaged 23.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.7 steals last season while earning Metro League MVP honors for a second straight season.

"(Nared) has a lot of patience with the younger players," said Strothers. "She is able to bring in a lot of rebounds, but still has a soft touch on the ball when shooting and is able to score a lot."

She has season highs of 41 points, 25 rebounds, nine assists and nine steals this season.

"Jaime is very unshakeable in terms of her ability to stay focused during the game," said Strothers. "She is a nice young lady in general and she has already challenged our team to go serve the homeless on the weekend. For a coach, she is one of those rare kids who doesn't come along very often. Jaime has the whole package."

Against Canby, senior Dana Bentz added 10 points, Ashley Scoggin, a sophomore, contribute nine points and Bria Thames, also a sophomore, 8.



Against Clackamas, Nared had 22 points and eight rebounds, while Scoggin contributed 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Scoggin, a 5-6 point guard, is the team’s second-leading scorer at 8.1 per game followed by senior Bentz (6.1), Thomas (5.9) and Alia Mahuna (4.4).

Under coach Strothers, the Wildcats are coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons. Their only state championship came in 1999-2000 when they went 27-3 to take the 4A crown.

"We want to win the state championship," said Strothers. "My very first year at Westview, I had the same goal. Our goal is to always get to the championship."

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It’s hard to be perfect. Nearly impossible. Just ask the Knights of Irrigon.

After winning 28 consecutive games to open the 2012-13 season, Irrigon lost in the Oregon State 2A state finals to Oakland, 60-54.



That loss has evidently spurred the Knights this season as they are off to a resounding 9-0 start under coach Jake McElligott. They’ve more than doubled the score of their early opponents by a 720-354 count.

For their hot start, the Knights have been named the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"With our team, we don't look at our record," said McElligott. "The focus is on what can we do each day to get better and how can we improve daily as a team. We evaluate our success on how we are improving, not about records."

They opened the year with an 82-14 win over Echo, a score they haven’t quite yet repeated, however Irrigon has rattled off wins of 80-24, 82-31 and 87-24.

This team doesn’t just score points in bunches — they also allow just 39.3 points per game.

Leading the way offensively is the dynamic junior guard tandem of Anthony Landeros and Adrian Romero, who average 20.7 and 20.1 points per game, respectively.



The 5-10 Landeros had a season-high of 37 points in a 96-58 win over Ione, when he made 13 of 19 shots including seven 3-pointers. He’s made 38 of 71 3-point attempts this season, a remarkable 54 percent.

The 6-foot Romero scored a combined 40 in his first three games, but has since scored at least 20 in five of the next six, including a 34-point outburst in an 82-31 win over Grant Union.

Like Landeros, Romero is deadly from beyond the arc, having made 29 of 57 3-pointers. He’s also a deadly free throw shooter (18 of 22) and is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.4 per game.

"To have two players on our team who are such high scorers and are shooting above 50 percent from 3-point range is pretty incredible. I have to give credit to our whole team," said McElligott. "We have good offensive players with so many scorers and athletes who are able to create space and get the other guys open."

Other top scorers for the Knights are Fredy Vera (12.1 points per game), Ernesto Aguilera (7.3) and Zach Rice (5.7). Vera is also the team’s top playmaker at 5.7 assists per game and he leads the squad in steals (5.7 per outing).

Irrigon averages a remarkable 19.4 steals per game, which has led to easy buckets. The team is shooting 52 percent from the field.



"(The players) give great defensive help, which helps our offense," said McElligott. "In return, this helps everybody on our team out."

The Knights continue their season this week with a home game versus Heppner (Ore.), before playing on the road Friday at Stanfield.

Before 2011-12, when the team went 15-10, the Knights struggled badly with consecutive seasons of 1-19, 5-11, 2-18, 2-21 and 5-18.

McElligott’s first season was 2-21 in 2009-10, but the Knights have rapidly improved.

"For us, our goal is to get better each day," said McElligott. "Our team has a one-week mission plan, and that mission is to win the next game. When we open our notebooks at the beginning of the week, our goal is to win one game at a time and not look ahead. If we take care of this goal, the end result will be that we are successful."

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Following a rare sub-.500 season last year and a 1-2 start, new Burns girls basketball coach Brandon McMullen could have pushed the panic button.



Instead, he and the Hilanders pushed "go" and rattled off three straight lopsided wins last week, earning them the Oregon Team of the Week, presented the Oregon National Guard.

"It is common that every year or new season a high school program is faced with incorporating new and/or talented young players into the mix. We are certainly not the exception," said McMullen. "As a program we have a quality group of upperclassmen now paired with a strong and talented group of freshman players that have been incorporated into critical positions in our lineup."

Burns (4-2), which won state titles in 2004 (27-1) and 2009 (21-2), has been led in the early going by a freshman, 5-foot-11 post and wing Cathrine Clemens, who is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

Clemens can score either down low or from the perimeter. She also gets to the line often, with 23 makes in 35 attempts.

"Cathrine posses a special athletic talent that provides her opportunities to contribute a considerable amount to our team," said McMullen. "At the age of 15, she is now moving on from a dominant middle school stage of her young career, to a varsity level of competition and game pace.

"With that in mind, Catherine, along with our other underclassmen, have faced learning opportunities in each of our games of this preseason (with both highs and lows). I could write novels about all of the players on our team, however. We certainly have a number of players that posses strengths and talents that need to be utilized, but we truly believe that all 12 players on the varsity lineup (and all players in our program for that matter) are important elements to our ultimate success."



The Hilanders also have some scoring punch from Adina Thomas (11.8 ppg), while senior Kylee Fisher (6.2), sophomore Madison Carson (5.4) and freshman Carli Feist (5.2) are also capable of filling up the stat sheet.

Carson, a 5-10 post, also helps greatly on the boards with 8.2 caroms a game.

"Off the court, these kids are some of the best young people I have known, however as a first year head coach I’ve found that so much of what we need to accomplish early on comes in the form of on-the-court chemistry in addition to a brand new system," said McMullen. "As a reminder of this objective for ourselves, those who watch our games will hear us chant, 'together' before tipoff."

Clemens had 18 points and eight rebounds in a 68-44 win at Lakeview. Burns broke open a relatively close game with a 20-9 run in the fourth quarter.

The Hilanders followed that up with a 53-34 home win over Grant Union as Clemens went for a career high 20 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds, six coming on the offensive end.

"Part of having youth in critical positions on top of teaching a new system to the program is learning how to consistently hit the gas pedal offensively while still playing smart basketball," said McMullen. "Many teams spend a large amount of their early season practice time focused on defense. Early on, we have spent much of this time focusing on our offensive identity. As we get closer to league play, we plan on transitioning more of our focus on the defensive side."

Burns then finished up the successful week with a 63-25 home win over Jordan Valley as junior Alycia Howes was the team's Player of the Game with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Thomas added 17 points and Clemens 12 for the Hilanders, who went on a 16-2 run in the second quarter to put this one away.



"Our ultimate goal is to make a push for the state playoffs," said McMullen. "Burns girls basketball has a rich tradition over the last 15 years of state-level success, and I am focusing our efforts on returning our program to playing at such a level again.

This year we face the hurdle of our own league being arguably the strongest in the state at our classification. You cannot overlook any team in our league, but two squads worth noting are Vale and Nyssa. They posses talent and experience that will provide a tough and challenging hurdle for us in our goal. The message that I must promote (and ask) to our players is: 'Did you get better today?' If we can apply that mentality I feel we will be in a good position as a team heading into our tough league matchups."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
They huffed and they puffed, but after 60 years the Central Catholic (Portland) Rams finally blew the championship door wide open.

Powered by 196 yards rushing and three touchdowns from Ryan Nall, the Rams won their first Oregon state championship since 1953 with a 38-28 6A title-game victory over Jesuit Saturday at Jeld-Wen Field.

Central Catholic had been knocking at the door, according to Oregonlive.com, losing seven times at the quarterfinals or deeper since 1999.

But these Rams, led by a high-powered offense that scored 764 points (54.6 per game), finished 14-0 and won the ever-elusive championship in the state’s largest division.

For their perseverance and historic title, the Rams were the obvious choice as MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.



"It is very humbling," said Central Catholic coach Steve Pyne. "It has been 60 years since the last one, we have had lots of tries and put in a lot of work. We have a lot of alumni who are very happy, proud coaches and the players are very excited. We will enjoy this for a while and then it's back to work."

The Rams piled up 320 yards on the ground, including 10 carries for 78 yards and a score from Cameron Scarlett and five carries and 51 yards by Aidan Wilder en route to the victory.

Defensively, Central Catholic intercepted three passes, two by Aaron Washington and one by Nall.

"Physically, (Nall) has the whole package," said Pyne. "The physical piece is obvious because he is able to run the ball really well. He's such a good leader for our team and he is a quiet leader."

"Ryan is able to involve other players and gets the players on his team to play better. He has an outstanding attitude all the time. In our championship game he had a fumble and when he came off the field, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that kid made a great play on me.' Most players would have been angry or upset, but Ryan respects his opponents and has fun playing the game."

Opening with a 55-14 win over Grant and following up with a wild 59-49 victory over Sheldon, indeed the Rams were off and running — literally — en route to their landmark season. They scored at least 41 points in all but two games, broke 50 eight times, 60 five times, 70 two times and topped out with an 83-49 semifinal win over Tigard when Scarlett (15-356-5) and Nall (14-320-4) each surpassed the 300-yard rushing mark.



The Rams piled up 678 yards rushing in that game (18.32 per carry) and finished with a season-high 780 yards overall.

Quarterback Aidan Wilder was 6-for-11 for 102 yards and a touchdown in that game.

For the season Nall and Scarlett were spectacular, each surpassing the 1,600-yard mark. Nall led the way with 1,684 yards and Scarlett with 1,640. Each, poetically, rushed for 22 touchdowns. Wilder also rushed for 12 touchdowns.

Even though the Rams were primarily a running team, Wilder was more than efficient, completing 131 of 204 passes for 2,148 yards with 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He spread the ball around beautifully as four different receivers had 20 catches, led by senior Zach Davis (35 catches, 645 yards, 9 touchdowns) and Scarlett (33-674-7).

Nine different defenders had at least 40 tackles, led by junior Matt Vanoudenhaegen's 73 and 65 from junior Tyson Cooper. Ronnie Rust led the team with seven sacks and Washington had 10 interceptions. No one else had more than two.

Kickers George Kapellakis and Emmett Dooney shared PAT duties, which was a major undertaking. Dooney made 54 of 58 and Kapellakis was 45-for-47.

This was only the second time since 2004 under coach Pyne that the team had amassed 10 wins. The other was in 2011 with a 10-3 campaign. During that stretch, the team had won at least eight games nine of 10 seasons. But 14 was a major improvement.



"We had a really good group of kids with lots of talent and they had great chemistry together," said Pyne. "What we did differently — that stood out to me, that had to do with the National Guard — was that during our first week of daily doubles we took the whole team out of town and went and visited a National Guard base for a week. This solidified our team chemistry because we were all hanging out together, bonding, and making great memories."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
Ridgeview (Redmond, Ore.) football coach Andy Codding and his Ravens are very fast studies.

In only their second season as a program, the Ravens won an Oregon State 4A football title following a 50-31 win over Cottage Grove at Hillsboro Stadium on Saturday.

For their fast success, the Ravens have been selected the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

According to Oregonlive.com, Boomer Fleming rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns, Jack Bowman caught two long touchdown passes and Ridgeview overcame a 17-0 deficit to finish its season 13-1.

Tanner Stevens added 114 yards rushing and had a key 43-yard touchdown run in the second half that helped defeat Cottage Grove (10-3), which was after its initial title as well. 



"Even thought it’s our second year as a school, a lot of us have been together since the sixth grade," Bowman told Oregonlive.com. "This is what we’ve been dreaming about and I can’t believe it came true."

Ridgeview, paved by a superb offensive line, came into the game with a whopping 4,440 rushing yards led by an utterly balanced attack led by the duo of Fleming (1,494 yards, 19 touchdowns) and Stevens (1,480, 13).

Senior Cody Simpson (557 yards rushing, 5 TDs) was also a big contributor as was junior quarterback Jacob Johnson, who threw for 969 yards, 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Bowman was by far the biggest receiving threat with 38 catches for 634 yards and six touchdowns coming into the championship game, while senior Reece Rollins made the most of eight catches with five touchdowns.

The defense has been led all year by Coleman Aamodt with 122 tackles, followed by Bowman (79), Ty Hovey (75) and Phelan Lund (74), who also had 10 sacks. Aamodt added nine sacks.

The secondary also did its part as sophomore George Mendezona, Tanner O'Neal and Bowman all had three interceptions.



"This group did a very good job of buying into the system, both offensively and defensively," Codding told MaxPreps. "They have worked very hard in the weight room year-round, and poured all they had into preparing for each game.

"The dedication to a year-round strength and conditioning program helped immensely. We believe we have the best weight room in the state and kids who are willing to use it the right way."

The Ravens' only loss was a 14-12 decision in Week 2 to Klamath Union on Sept. 6. They then rattled off 12 straight wins, including a pair of tight ones, 35-33 at Bend on Sept. 27 and 28-21 home playoff win over Henley.

The 13-win season was a huge improvement over last year’s respectable 6-4 campaign but coach Codding, who is already looking forward to 2014 when the school moves up to the 5A classification.

"It is a very special accomplishment no matter how old a school is, so to do it with our very first class of seniors is beyond words," said Codding. "We are proud to display the very first football state championship trophy in the town of Redmond."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
In a playoff game between a No. 3 seed and a No. 6 seed, the No. 3 team is usually favored. But the Silverton football team is no ordinary six-seed.



Despite coming into last Friday's 5A quarterfinal playoff game at 9-1, the Foxes were forced to play on the road against Springfield. Coach John Mannion rallied his team in a harsh environment to handily defeat the host, 35-3.

For earning a semifinal berth with a convincing playoff win, Silverton has been selected as the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

Silverton trailed Springfield 3-0 after the first quarter, but the Foxes rattled off 35 unanswered points to cement the victory.

"We had beaten (Springfield) earlier in a preseason non-league, so we were familiar with them and they knew how we played," said Mannion. "They are a good squad with lots of skilled players so I am proud of our team for the win. We focused on taking it one play at a time and settling in to the game. We have really been preparing since last January to get ready."

Silverton received a huge performance from senior running back Max Wilson, who carried 31 times for 219 yards and three touchdowns. Junior quarterback Cole Chandler was the consummate game manager, connecting on 10 of 17 passes for 168 yards and the team's two other touchdowns.

The touchdown passes were caught by junior Logan Munson, who had four catches for 53 yards, and senior Wyatt Arrington, who caught a 52-yard pass in addition to the touchdown.

"We have a great group of players. They are hard workers who bought into working hard," said Mannion. "The whole coaching staff is great and we have a really supportive community. We know that it is a constant work in progress and a building process of getting better each season.



"Most importantly, it really is the group of kids. They are an unselfish group, they are supportive of each other and the kids want to continue to get better."

There's another kid that Mannion holds in high regard — his son Sean is one of the top quarterbacks in college football at nearby Oregon State. In fact, John moved the family from Northern California and left a coaching job at Foothill (Pleasanton), in part to be closer to his son.

"We are very proud of Sean. He is our oldest child and it's great to be able to watch some of his games," said Mannion. "It can be stressful, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

Problems can arise when John Mannion's job as a full-time coach conflicts with his job as a full-time dad.

For example, Silverton's semifinal playoff game against No. 2-seed West Albany — the only team to beat the Foxes this season — is set for Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Sean Mannion and Oregon State host Washington in Corvallis at 7:30 p.m. the same night.

"Our game coincides with his game this week, so we wish we could be there to watch him play, but we are happy both teams are doing great," said John Mannion. "I'm very proud of this high school team. Sean has come to some of our games and he knows some of the players, so it's good when we can support each other.



"There can be a lot going on and some anxiety, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, but we can't complain and are so happy."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
It’s not exactly America’s team, nor even Oregon’s.

The Dallas High School football team had won a measly 10 games the previous 10 years combined before 2013.

But the Dragons have almost equaled that title in one season.

Behind second-year head coach Tracy Jackson, Dallas (8-3) went on the road last week to upset seventh seed Hermiston 41-35 in overtime on a 1-yard touchdown run by David Rebischke. An interception sealed the victory.

For their banner season and upset win, the Dragons are the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.



"We have some experienced players who wanted to do the extra work that needs to be done in order to improve and get to that next level," said Jackson. "They have been in the weight room since last December and over the summer we gave our team demanding workouts. This has allowed our bodies to perform better and then confidence comes from realizing that we have done all the hard work.

"This game has a physical, mental and emotional component and we have the knowledge that we have been doing the right things and, yes, we can do it and we deserve it."

Dallas got off quickly to start the game with a 10-yard touchdown run by Tim Smothers and a Ryan Spencer interception return for another score making it 14-0.

After Hermiston closed to 14-7, a long kickoff return to the Bulldogs’ 9 set up a short TD run by Rebischke. The teams traded two touchdowns before Smothers recovered a fumble in the end zone to go up 35-21.

Hermiston (6-4) eventually tied it before the Dragons, who finished with a remarkable 414 rushing yards according to northeastoregonnow.com, and won it in overtime.

"We had a big lead early, three important kids went down, we were 5 hours away from home, and we could feel the momentum turning," said Jackson. "Sometimes games happen like that and you have to be able to fight through it, and we fought through it.

"The players got together in a huddle right before overtime started, without the coaches, and they looked each other in the eyes and said we have payed the price and we don't want to give up now. This was a defining moment for our team."



It was Dallas’ fourth straight win and sets up a rematch with No. 2 seed West Albany, which defeated the Dragons 14-7 on Oct. 10, on Friday in quarterfinal action.

"In situations like this, some players would give up and say, 'it's not our night,' but we didn't do that. Our team was not willing to give up," said Jackson. "We came away from this experience saying we are better than we think we are.

"We had brought 500-700 fans to the game who were there supporting us. After the game they waited for us and as we started walking out — our team could hear the uproar of screaming and cheering from our fans. The emotion was surreal and as a coach it was a beautiful thing to watch."

The Dragons have been rushing by committee all season — through 10 games, five different players had rushed between 226 and 875 yards.

Leading the way in the regular season was Rebischke with 874 yards, followed by Smothers with 615, Caleb Naughton (592), Spencer McCarron (279) and Chase Mauk (226).

Senior quarterback Josh Kibbey manages the offense and has thrown for 657 yards and six touchdowns. Smothers is also the leading receiver with 11 catches for 234 yards and two scores.



One of the big strengths on the team is swarming to the ball and tackling. They’ve been led in tackles all season by McCarron (90 tackles, 10 per game), followed by Naughton (87, 8.7) , Jacob Bowman (71, 7.1) and Kaj Christensen (47, 6.7).

The Dragons attack from all angles and have recorded a whopping 49 sacks, led by Bowman’s 13. Nobody else has more than five.

Unlike Dallas, Friday’s opponent West Albany has a strong recent history of success as Randy Nyquist has led the Bulldogs to 85 wins since 2006 with perfect 14-0 records and state 5A titles in 2007 and 2008.

"We are going to make a couple adjustments. West Albany is awesome and their personnel is strong so we will have to prepare for that," said Jackson. "We will have to limit our turnovers and mistakes and we will have to play a tough game to beat them. The cool thing about our team is that every week we are learning more and more about ourselves and each other."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
Perhaps it was too much, too fast.

The Cougars of Mountain View (Bend) opened the season with a 64-0 win over Lebanon and a trip back to the promised land seemed, if nothing else, promising. Especially after following that up with a tough 24-21 win over Century (Hillsboro).



The 2011 Oregon 5A state champions, coached by Brian Crum, hit a big speed bump, however, with a 36-14 loss at Sprague (Salem). Then another with a bitter 26-25 home loss against McNary.

The season could have been flattened.  

But the Cougars regrouped, refocused and closed the regular season with five straight wins before capturing a 17-6 play-in home win over Liberty on Friday.

For their resilience and comeback spirit, the Cougars (8-2) have been selected the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

"Our kids never quit at anything," said Crum. "We challenged ourselves early with a tough schedule versus three 6A programs in a row. Sprague and McNary are both very good football teams still playing in the 6A playoffs. We felt it was important to find our weaknesses early against difficult teams and then be able to make the adjustments necessary to become successful.

"Our coaching staff, our players, and our football community have always been dedicated to doing what is needed to get better every day. Our attitude has been excellent the entire time as has the work ethic. When you think in terms of smalls steps, soon you are a better football program."

Cody Anthony, a junior tailback, did most of the damage in Mountain View’s ball-control offense with 28 carries for 185 yards and both touchdowns in the win over Liberty.



Senior quarterbacks Conor Nehl and Blake Knirk, like they’ve been all year, were efficient and a combined 10 of 16 for 124 yards. Seven different Cougars caught the ball.

The defense, which has spearheaded the late-season flurry, was led by junior Zach Ferguson with 11 tackles and freshman Spencer Klein, playing in his first varsity game, came up and contributed 10 tackles. Senior Austin Phillips contributed nine tackles and junior Joe Hagenbach eight.

Senior Keenan Springer has been the workhorse most of the season with 881 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, but Anthony has come up big of late and has 482 yards rushing and seven scores.

Nehl has been superb and consistent throughout the year with 104 completions for 161 yards and 1,487 yards with 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He threw for more than 200 yards five times and for at least three touchdowns on four occasions.

The team’s leading receiver Nick Hjelm is one of the state’s best with 48 catches for 797 yards and 11 touchdowns.  

Junior Ben Klein leads the team in tackles with 80 and Ferguson is second with 78.



"We are lucky to have a community program where many of these players have played together since they were in elementary school," said Crum. "There has been an increase in the competition level as well this year with players wanting to get playing time and this shows in practice and then on Friday night.

"We have the depth to have multiple players be major contributors and try and set up our defensive and offensive systems around that depth. When a team can't simply focus on one or two players, it makes it more dangerous."

Mountain View won six straight league titles from 2006-2011, went 60-11 in that span and won the school’s only state championship in 2011.

If they want to get back to the state finals, the Cougars must first deal with sixth-ranked Silverton (8-1) on the road Friday night.

"Silverton will be our most difficult test this year," said Crum. "They are very well-coached and are an extremely physical team. They don't make mistakes, they just force other teams into them. We have been focused on creating a simple game plan that takes advantage of our strengths. We have had two high-energy and focused practices so far as we work on the execution of that game plan."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
It’s been a long struggle for the Yoncalla (Ore.) football team over the years. Since 2003, the Eagles had won just 13 games heading into the 2013 season.



But coach Matt Bragg finally has something to boast about.

Following a 70-26 win at Crow, Yoncalla improved to 7-2 heading into Friday’s home game with McKenzie (Finn Rock).

The Eagles, led as usually by the state’s leading rusher Geoff Payne, piled up 636 total yards to turn the tables on a decisive loss the following week to Triangle Lake, 52-28.

For their turnaround season and remarkable high-scoring offense — they average 51.3 points per game — the Eagles are the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

Payne, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior, rushed 30 times for 346 yards and five touchdowns, pushing his state-leading totals to 204 attempts for 2,097 yards and 29 touchdowns.

It was the sixth time Payne broke the 200-yard rushing barrier and that included a remarkable 440-yard, 7-touchdown performance in an 80-26 win over Mapleton.



"Geoff is such a leader. He knows that everything he does is a product of the other guys on the team," said Bragg. "His hard work reflects on the team; it gets us noticed and pushes his teammates to do their best. It's his third year in the program and he has grown so much since he first got here, getting stronger and faster. He plays hard nonstop."

Against Crow, sophomore quarterback Will Shaw completed 9 of 13 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown and junior Joe Keller hauled in five of those passes for 107 yards.

The Eagles’ superb offensive line paved the way for 494 rushing yards and a 9.88 yards per carry.

Leading the defense was senior Kevin Szelong, who had 10 tackles, junior Trevor Early with six and Payne and sophomore Rob Stewman added five tackles apiece.

Another sophomore Zack Van Loon added three pass deflections and an interception, one of three by the Eagles. Freshman Michael Stevens and Keller added the other two.

With a 3-6 season last year, the Eagles had their best season since 2003. During that time the team had three winless seasons and three one-win seasons.



"Mostly the kids got together and said this is our team and we won't let any outside influences affect us. In July they were already begging me to get into the weight room, so they wanted to get bigger and stronger," said Bragg. "We had fewer injuries than last year. The players also believed what the other coaches and I were preaching this season, 'If we do our job and work hard, we will be successful.'

"This year it is more about the team and not about individual stats. This goes back to Geoff; he isn't concerned about his stats, but more about if the team gets the win."

The Eagles were a powerhouse more than 50 years ago, capturing state titles in 1959 and 1961. They play a McKenzie team that is 1-7, before heading into the playoffs.

"Our first goal this year was to make playoffs, which has now been accomplished," said Bragg. "We wanted to still be playing that second week in November. The last time Yoncalla made play-offs was 2001.

"I graduated in 1992 and every year we made playoffs, so we really wanted to reach that goal of getting there. Since we are a smaller school, with only 80 kids, it is harder to get a competitive team, but the smaller number makes us a very tight-knit group that sticks together."

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.{PAGEBREAK}
It’s one thing to go through the regular season with 21 straight victories. It’s quite another to win 17 of them by sweep.



That’s what the girls volleyball team at Imbler has done for the 2013 season, and for their dominating ways the Panthers have been selected the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

Coached by Jennifer Teeter, who led Imbler to state titles in 2008 and 2009, the Panthers are coming off a 23-5 season and one win away from a third state title since 2008.

"As a team, the girls have worked extremely hard in practice each night to improve," said Teeter. "We set measurable and obtainable goals that focused on physical improvements and mental toughness. We have stayed focused on playing one match at a time, winning one set at a time and playing to win every point throughout the match. The team is very coach-able and dedicated to volleyball, which has also contributed to our success."

Imbler lost in the 2012 1A state finals 25-18, 15-25, 25-21, 20-25 and 15-12 to Powder Valley.

The Panthers lost just three seniors off that team and have been dominating throughout the 2013 season, including two three-set sweeps over Wallowa and Cove last week.

"From the moment we were awarded the second place state trophy last season our focus was pointed to improving upon our finish last year," said Teeter. "As a team, the girls understand that in order to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a state championship, we must stay focused on daily improvement and take it one match at time."

At Wallowa, Imbler prevailed 25-20, 25-12, 25-10 behind 14 kills from 5-foot-8 senior Malia Mills and eight from 5-7 junior Emma Bowers. Senior Ally Fullerton (5-8) had four aces,  Mills added 11 digs and 5-8 senior setter Jacey Teeter had 30 assists.



In a 25-15, 25-15, 25-9 home win over Cove, Mills once again had a dominating match with 15 kills, 5-8 freshman Hannah Wilhelm added 14 digs and Teeter added 33 more assists. Wilhelm also had 13 serve receives to start the offense.

Mills leads the team with 248 kills (4.2 per game) and Bowers has 167. Bowers (35), Fullerton (33) and Mills (31) lead the team in aces, 6-foot senior Stephanie McGilvray leads in blocks (26). Mills (228), Wilhelm (213) and Bowers (202) lead in digs and Teeter has a whopping 612 assists, which ranks second in the state.

Mills ranks seventh in the state in kills and Bowers is 20th. Mills is also 12th in digs.

The Panthers closed the regular season with seven straight wins by sweep, the last two games they lost were against Powder Valley. Imbler gained a measure of revenge with a 21-25, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-11 comeback win in that one behind a combined 26 kills from Mills and Bowers and 43 assists from Teeter.

"We have a great group of young women, who strive to excel on and off the court," said coach Teeter. "They have been committed to volleyball success from the time they were in elementary school. Improving fundamentally and striving to be mentally tough, night in and night out, is what they except of themselves and of each other.

"Overall, they are an outstanding group and I am proud to be their coach."