Debbie Greene leads Paisley boys basketball to state playoffs in Oregon

NORTH MEDFORD HIRES WASHINGTON COACH FOR FOOTBALL
Nate Becksted has been hired as North Medford football coach. Becksted has nine years of head coaching experience and owns a career record of 50-33.

Becksted spent the past five seasons at Heritage High in Vancouver, Wash. Under Becksted, the Timberwolves made the state playoffs four times and he won one co-title in the Greater St. Helens League (4A). In 2007, he was named GSHL coach of the year.

North Medford has made the state playoffs the past two seasons, but hasn't had a winning campaign since the 2005 team was 8-4 in the old Southern Oregon Conference.

Becksted grew up in Eureka, Calif. His first head-coaching job was at Willits (Calif.) High School, where he went 24-10 (2002-05).

Becksted, 36, takes over for Jeff Olson, who resigned in November after a 5-6 season. In five seasons with N. Medford, Olson went 21-27 with two playoff appearances.

THIRD IS TIME A CHARM FOR NO. 2 DAYTON AS 3A STATE NEARS
Dayton avenged a pair of 2011 losses to previously ranked No. 1 Horizon Christian (Tualatin) with a five-point win. Dayton, trailing by four at halftime, outscored the Hawks 33-23 in the second half for the victory, 61-56. The win puts Dayton at 21-6 on the season, while Horizon falls to 23-4. The two boys teams met in last year's state title game won by HC.

Horizon won the regular season West Valley League title at 14-0, including handing Dayton its lone league losses. The Feb. 20 game was for seeding purposes, giving Dayton (21-6) one of two No. 1 seeds entering the 16-team 3A State Tournament. Dayton opens the first round of 3A playoffs Feb. 25 by hosting No. 8 seed Catlin Gabel (Portland) (13-13). Horizon Christian (Tualatin) (23-4) plays host to No. 7 Riverside (Boardman) (16-9) the same night.

The other top seed, 24-1 Blanchet Catholic (Salem), will host Nyssa (8-16) and the other No. 2, Sheridan (19-7), will entertain Umatilla (13-12).

Vale (20-2) and Umatilla (21-3) were awarded top seeding for the 3A Girls State tournament and unbeaten St. Mary's (Medford) received a No. 3 seed by virtue of OSAA power rankings, which penalized the 22-0 Crusaders' schedule. The first round of girls action begins Feb. 26.

MaxPreps Oregon girls basketball playoff brackets

In the Boys 2A tournament, Enterprise (20-3) and Days Creek (23-3) were given top seeds, while the girls top-seeded squads were Regis (Stayton) (25-1) and Scio (22-4) with Riddle (23-2) and East Linn Christian Academy (Lebanon) (21-5) earning second seeds. Regis, Scio and East Linn compete in the 2A Tri-River League. The state tournament begins Feb. 23.

STREAKS
* Trailing 17-0, the McKenzie (Finn Rock) boys rallied - in overtime - to defeat Siletz Valley, 51-50, to win the Mountain West League tournament and remain the state's lone unbeaten team. Jordan Wiley scored all of his 22 points in the second half to lead the Eagles (25-0).

* The McMinnville girls defeated Newberg, 45-38, for their first league win since the 2007-08 season. And in the process, Mac (5-17) broke a 13-game losing streak. McMinnville trailed 34-27 entering the fourth quarter, then outscored the Tigers 18-4 in the final eight minutes.

* Thirty minutes after the girls ended their losing streak, the McMinnville boys team recorded a 70-44 victory over Newberg to give them at least a share of their first league title since the 2000-01 season. A win for McMinnville Tuesday at Glencoe will give them the title outright.

* Longest 2010-2011 season basketball win streaks by classification: Girls: 6A - Clackamas, 20; 5A -Wilsonville, 14; 4A - La Salle (Milwaukie), 23; 3A - St. Mary's/Medford, 22; 2A - Regis, 23; 1A - Crane, 18. Boys: 6A - Central Catholic (Portland), 8; 5A - Bend, 12; 4A - Mazama (Klamath Falls), 22; 3A - Blanchet Catholic (Salem), 14; 2A - Knappa (Astoria), 16; 1A - McKenzie, 25.

WRESTLING
• Paced by Joey Delgado and Abe Rodriquez, Hermiston waltzed through the Columbia River District championships and qualified 17 wrestlers for the upcoming (Feb. 25-26) State Wrestling Championships.

With unbeaten Delgado (40-0 at 140 pounds) and Rodriquez (145) being honored as the meet's top wrestlers, Hermiston had 23 of its 27 wrestlers score points toward their team title. In all, eight Bulldogs were crowned champions. Hermiston is a heavy favorite to win its fifth-straight 5A state title at the finals to be held in Portland.

* With eight wrestlers seeded No. 1, Roseburg is the pre-meet favorite entering Friday's 6A Oregon State Wrestling Championships. Leading Roseburg is senior Drew Van Anrooy (30-0 at 130). Sprague (Salem) junior Brandon Griffin (189) is also unbeaten.

* Henley (Klamath Falls), led by 103-pound sophomore Ronnie Bessmer (28-0), is expected to battle it out with Crook County (Prineville) for the 4A title. Other unbeatens entering the state meet include North Marion (Aurora) sophomore Lucas Randall (130), Phoenix junior Eleazar Deluca (140) and Sweet Home sophomore Colt Schilling (29-0 at 112).

* Dayton and Burns are heavy favorites in the 3A classification. Unbeatens include Riverside (Boardman) star Brigham Hansen, 171-pound senior, 31-0, as well as Rainier senior Tyler Strenke (14-0 at 152) and senior George Swartzlender (28-0 at 285).

* Three-time state champion and unbeaten Zac Cardwell (189 pounds) will lead Lowell as it challenges heavy favorite Culver for the 2A State title.

* Teammates win for fallen wrestlers – Competing with immense determination and heavy hearts, the Dallas wrestling team won the Mid-Willamette Conference championship for teammate Charley Engelfried, who died after a Feb. 3 match at Silverton High School. Dallas had eight wrestlers reach the district championship match, and six of them won titles. Dallas won with 393 points, followed Lebanon (359), West Albany (276), Silverton (273.5), and South Albany (184.5).

DON'T MISS
* 2011 State Wrestling Championships, Feb. 25-26 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland.

TOP PERFORMANCES
* Thanks to 13 3-pointers, South Medford made up for a rare loss earlier in the week by routing Eagle Point, 90-51. A dozen boys scored for the 20-3 Panthers and seven hit three-point shots.

* Mercedes Russell tallied 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks to lead No. 1 5A Springfield (22-2) over 6A 19-5 So. Eugene, 41-29 to give the Lady Millers the Midwestern League title.

* St. Mary's/Medford overcame early foul trouble to defeat Cascade Christian, 50-32 and finish the regular season unblemished at 22-0. Meanwhile 4A LaSalle edged Madras, 43-41, to improve to 23-0.

* South Medford's 6-5 junior center Tess Picknell blocked 13 shots against N. Medford and 11 against Marist. She is averaging 5.3 blocks per game and 9.8 rebounds. S. Medford is ranked eighth after winning the Southern Conference and is 19-5 overall.

* Orlando Vance blocked 15 shots en route to a triple double (he added 26 points and 11 rebounds), but Parkrose (9-13) lost to Liberty (9-14), 71-68.

* Despite 31 turnovers and a dismal 11-for-32 performance from the foul line, the Myrtle Point girls defeated Glide, 43-36, to earn a State 3A playoff berth.

* The Milwaukie boys (19-3) avenged their only NW Oregon League loss by defeating Wilsonville (20-3), 58-49 on Feb. 18. The win left both teams 13-1 in league. It was Milwaukie's first league basketball title in 20 seasons.

* Jesuit (Portland) avenged its only loss of the season when the Lady Crusaders topped Westview, 53-36. Westview's win the first week of February ended Jesuit's unbeaten season and knocked the Crusaders from atop the 6A Girls Poll.

* In winning their 16th game of the season, the Crane (19-5) boys scored 101 points against Long Creek, 101-25. The next night the Mustangs beat Dayville, 53-50, then beat Adrian in the finals of the 1A High Desert League, 49-40.