The eight teams suiting up starting Thursday at the OSAA / OnPoint Community Credit Union 3A Boys Basketball State Championships at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay have 18 state championships among them. Cascade Christian has five, including the last three. Pleasant Hill has four, but none since 1999. Creswell has three. Valley Catholic and De La Salle North Catholic have two apiece. Banks and Oregon Episcopal School have won one apiece, each within the last six years.
Only one team in Coos Bay is hunting its first-ever championship.
Westside Christian, the tournament’s No. 1 seed.
The Eagles have come close, finishing as state runner up the past two seasons, but hoisting the blue trophy has proved elusive.
“We are hoping to change that this year,” said coach David Henry.
Westside Christian has been ranked No. 1 in the OSAAtoday Coaches Polls all season and the Eagles back it up with a 19-game winning streak to start the year. Henry said the team doesn’t have the eye-popping athletes like in years’ past, but their cohesion is unlike any of Henry’s other teams.
Despite graduating its top two players from last year, Westside Christian’s success this season hasn’t come from an influx of transfers. Yes, the Eagles brought in Cole Chiong from Tualatin, but his brother, Etan, attended the school and played in the program. The team added Chiong to two returning starters and filled in thanks to “player development through the program and understanding of the expectations from our coaching staff.” Henry said.
Though Westside Christian is No. 1 and presumptively favored to win the state title on Saturday, and has persevered through a brutal schedule in the Lewis & Clark League, which makes up half the field, the Eagles have not yet played the defending champs this year, nor No. 2 Pleasant Hill, which is riding a 17-game winning streak. They will be tested and may have to rely on their depth more than usual because of an early-February knee injury suffered by senior Jack Leland, their best player. Henry expects Leland to be 80-90 percent by Thursday, which may be good enough. If not, Westside Christian will need to rely on the rest of this “small but mighty” crew to show the rest of 3A that the Eagles are truly a team whose sum is greater than its parts.
Let’s take a look at the quarterfinal state tournament matchups:
3A boys quarterfinals, Thursday, Marshfield High School
No. 12 Banks (20-5) vs. No. 1 Westside Christian (21-3), 1:30 pm:
The first game of the boys tournament features a senior-laden team that was under .500 a year ago versus a team that was No. 1 all season long after finishing last year as state runner up. The teams met during the regular season, with Westside prevailing late in December, 68-54. Banks has won just one title in program history. That came in 2019 as a 4A team. Westside Christian has been state runner up three times, but has yet to seize the blue trophy as state champion.
Banks comes to Coos Bay as a hot team. The Braves have won 10 in a row and 14 of their last 15 games. They will face a stiff test versus the shooters of Westside Christian, but have the guard play and determination to match up. Senior guard Noel Mayo in the team’s key player. He leads the team in scoring (almost 17 per game in league play) as well as assists and steals. Sophomore Fisher King is a double digit scorer and rugged rebounder. Senior Max Walker is soaring with confidence after putting up 26 to send Banks past Umatilla in the Round 2 playoff game. He averaged nine points and seven rebounds in league play. Others to watch include seniors Luke Bigsby and Brayden Exline. The roster of 13 includes eight seniors playing all out to make headlines their last seasons of competitive basketball.
Westside Christian is one of four teams in the field from the Lewis & Clark league. The Eagles went 10-2 in league play. They are battle tested and get high-octane scoring from their entire lineup. Described as “small but mighty” by head coach David Henry, the Eagles like to run, but also can fill it up from beyond the arc. They play tough defense, limiting opponents to 51 points per game on average. Westside Christian won 19 games in a row to start the year, but dropped three straight after senior point guard and leading scorer Jack Leland suffered a knee injury. He averages 16 points, seven rebounds, six steals and five assists per game, but won’t be at full strength in Coos Bay. The Eagles will need Cole Chiong (12.9 points; 4.2 assists), Jona Lee (12.2 points), Roahn Reid (13 points; 5 rebounds; 2.6 assists) and Kyler Crites (10 points) to step up. “This group plays together unlike any of our previous teams,” Henry said. “The balance and how they share the ball are deadly. They are truly a ‘sum of the parts’ team.”
No. 11 De La Salle North Catholic (14-13) vs. No. 5 Oregon Episcopal School (18-7), 3:15 pm:
This game matches Lewis & Clark League rivals that have played three times this year, with Oregon Episcopal winning two of them. De La Salle North is making its 12thh straight appearance in Coos Bay. OES missed the playoffs last year as a .500 team, but made the “State Eight” two of three years subsequently, defeating De La Salle North in the third-place game in 2022.
After 18 games this year, De La Salle North Catholic sat at 6-12 and ravaged with injuries as three players were lost for the season. The Knights have rallied to go 8-1 over their last nine, with 6-4 senior forward Jaylen Hill stepping up his game. Hill, who has accumulated almost 1,200 points and more than 750 rebounds over his career, is averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds per contest. Junior point guard Josh Hickox is another player to watch. He is the only other returning player from last year’s fourth-place team and is averaging 11 points, three assists and three rebounds per game. De La Salle North is a unique Cristo Rey Network school (one of only 32 nationwide) that mixes academics with 1-2 days or work weekly. The basketball team has been known for its high octane offense, but the injuries and having Hill in the paint means the Knights’ style has adjusted to “More brakes; less gas.”
Oregon Episcopal went 8-4 to finish third in league play. The Aardvarks are 1-1 versus Westside Christian and 0-3 versus Valley Catholic, in addition to their 2-1 mark against DLSN. Their other two losses are against 2A No. 1 Western Christian and a team from Alaska, quite a turnaround after being 11-11 a year ago. The faces on this team are both familiar and experienced. Seniors Joe Schwalbach and Kais Elabdeia combined to score 30 points per game. Schwalbach also leads the team in rebounding. Both were First Team All-League picks. Junior Max Holzman, a 5-10 guard who averages 15 points and 3.5 assists per game, was a Second Team choice. The other starters are Porter Hagerman, a premier defender; and 5-7 sophomore Jack Boudreaux, who can fill it up from deep.
No. 6 Cascade Christian (20-4) vs. No. 3 Valley Catholic (19-7), 6:30 pm:
This quarterfinal pits the three-time defending champions against last year’s third-place team. Cascade Christian defeated Valley Catholic by 13 in the semifinals a year ago but the two have not met since. Valley Catholic has two state titles all-time, the last in 2014.
For Cascade Christian, the coach is familiar but the rest of the team may not be. Gone is 7-0 Austin Maurer (to Grand Canyon University) and heady guard Avery Huston (to a basketball academy in Texas). The only returning starters and contributors on varsity are senior guards Jaren Fronckowiak and Deryk Farmer. They combine to average 25 points per game, although Farmer only recently returned to action after missing a month with an ankle injury. The constant for this team is, of course, coach Brian Morse, who eclipsed 700 career wins this season and is one of just five boys’ coaches all time at or above that mark. He has taken a roster comprised mainly of players who were on JV last year and built a team, even without Farmer, that has won 15 games in a row heading to Coos Bay. Senior guard Bryley Richardson was First Team Al-League and Defensive POY. Senior Cade Goldade was First Team All-League and averages nine points and six rebounds a game. Junior guard Brady Kleker was Second Team All-League and averaged 8.5 points per game. Morse, whose teams have made the championship game five straight years, stressed that his team in NOT the favorite this year. But the last two seasons, the Challengers also were the No. 6 seed in Coos Bay. Care to tell this team that it can’t do what the two before it did?
Valley Catholic is a senior-led, experienced team that is making its second appearance in a row in Coos Bay. After going 9-3 in the brutal Lewis & Clark League, the Valiants are battle tested and enjoying winning after an 0-3 start. They are led by First Team All-League guard Zach Pippin and Second Team All-League center Luke Jarussi, both seniors and both of whom were All-State Tournament second Team picks a year ago. Just Han and Dylan Trobestsky, two more seniors, help establish strong defense and are strong shooters on the perimeter. The Valley Catholic team shoots 50 percent from the field and almost 36 percent from long range. The Valiants rebound well and are deep, with as many as 11 seeing time in a game.
No. 9 Creswell (17-9) vs. No. 2 Pleasant Hill (24-3), 8:15 pm:
This quarterfinal pits two Mountain Valley Conference rivals that lost in Round 2 last year. More interestingly, it matches Pleasant Hill’s first-year coach, Luke Jackson, against the high school he led to the 2000 state championship. The teams have played twice this year, with Pleasant Hill taking both.
Creswell is a young team, with only three seniors on the roster. Only 6-2 senior guard Tyler Whitson, co-MVC POY, has been to Coos Bay before. He was a sophomore starter on the 2023 team that took fourth. The rest of the roster consists of varsity newcomers. Whitson, who averages 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.8 steals, is Creswell’s bell cow. Other impact players include 6-5 junior Luke Bailey (10.9 ppg; 5.5 rbg) and 6-4 sophomore Mason Schartz (6.7 ppg; 3.9 rpg; 1.7 apg). Creswell head coach Jesse Thomas said there have been growing pains, injuries and illness, but the Bulldogs are trending upward and looking forward to the opportunity to knock off a conference foe.
Pleasant Hill has thrived in its first year with Jackson at the helm. The Billies have lost just twice with their varsity team and come to Coos Bay on a 17-game winning streak. The team won the Mountain Valley Conference title outright for the first time since 1999, the same year that Pleasant Hill captured its last state title. See the parallels? Pleasant Hill is led by 6-3 senior guard Gavin Inglish, a sharpshooter averaging 20 points per game; and junior guard Landen Melvin, who averages 16. They are the only two returning starters on a team that has become deeper and tougher by the addition of several football players, like Kaden Fisher, who is 6-5 and averages six rebounds per game. Others to watch include 6-4 senior post Riley Smith (nine pint per game) and defensive standout Jacob Neeley, a 5-11 point guard. Pleasant Hill is 5-0 against the field and ready to put its full-court pressure defense to work.
3A girls quarterfinals, Thursday, North Bend high School
No. 9 Coquille (22-2) vs. No. 1 Amity (27-0), 1:30 pm:
The first game of the girls’ tournament presents an intriguing matchup between Coquille, the best defensive team in 3A; and Amity, the highest scoring team. Both teams return their entire lineups from last year, when Coquille was bounced from the playoffs in the second round; and Amity reached the championship game before being blown out by Corbett.
Coquille is coached by legendary Marty Stallard, who has more lifetime wins than all but two coaches in the state. He has been with the Red Devils since 2021 and brought his trademark 1-2-2 matchup zone defense with him. That defense causes 12 steals per contest and holds opponents to fewer than 24 points of offense per game. Senior point guard Holli Vigue is the team’s top scorer and a do-everything player who fills the stat sheet. She and lightning quick guard Synthia Salazar are menaces at the top of the zone, while Alexi Lucatero and Jenna Willis patrol the paint. Coquille has lost only twice this year, but the Red Devils have 13 wins against sub-.500 teams and have played no one in the 3A state tournament. They did play 4A power Philomath close in a loss and split games with Sutherlin, handing the Bulldogs their first Far West League loss in six seasons. If Coquille reaches the championship game, it will be the first since 2019, when the Red Devils were in 2A and blew a double-digit lead in a 41-40 loss to Heppner
Amity has played in five state championship games over its history, but hasn’t been particularly competitive in any of them. The Warriors believe this year will be different. Their starting lineup consists of two four-year starters and three juniors who are three-year starters. They have experience, a deep bench and a conviction to return to the finals this year and win. Amity is a sharp shooting team that averages almost 65 points per game. It won every game on its slate but two by double digits and, since January, has not allowed an opponent within 19 points except for a 10-point win over Jefferson on Feb. 11. The Warriors, who are 5-0 against state tournament teams and riding a streak of four straight conference titles, are led by First Team All-League performers Saralynn Grove, Alyssa McMullen and Adie Nisly. They combine for 34 points per game, while Eliza Nizly adds almost 10 points per game as well. Amity also has an X-factor in Mya Haarsma, who is back after missing most of the year injured. She is an elite defender and respected senior leader who steadies the team during difficult times. Amity has been to the state tournament the past three years, finishing sixth, fourth and second. The Warriors will be favored to take the final step and claim their first state title, but Coquille’s defense will present a particular challenge in the first round.
No. 5 Jefferson (21-6) vs. No. 4 Cascade Christian (22-4), 3:15 pm:
This is a matchup of two teams that lost in Round 2 of the playoffs last year and have never played for a state championship. Jefferson last played in the state tournament 32 years ago and has never won a state tournament game. Cascade Christian’s last state appearance came 13 years ago, when the Challengers finished third.
Jefferson was 1-3 as of Dec. 12, but has lost just three times since, all to No. 1 Amity. The Lions are the second-highest scoring team in the tournament, led by senior guard Gretchen Orton, the unanimous PacWest Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season. Orton is averaging 22.8 points per game, had a career high of 42 in a win over Santiam Christian and has scored more than 1,700 points over her career. She also averages 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals a game. Orton is complemented by junior guard Aziza Saad, who averages 15 points and three assists. Others to watch include guards Genevieve Orton and Aliya Saad and posts Luella Campbell and Bella Kunkel. The Ortons and the Saads are sisters, had older siblings recently graduate from the school and come from families deeply rooted in the Jefferson community.
Cascade Christian has a first-year head coach in Monte Cooley. He has guided the Challengers to a school record 22 wins this season, including the 53-44 Round 2 win on Friday over Sutherlin, a team that placed fifth at the state tournament a year ago. Senior Izzy McCauley scored 21 in the Sutherlin win. The Southern Oregon Conference POY is averaging 19 point, six rebounds and three steals per game. She is one of five impact seniors, who also include First Team All-League forward Jordynn Jones and First Team All-League guard Emma Coates, a staunch defender. Cascade Christian goes seven deep with athletes and comes to the state tournament riding a 12-game winning streak. They are 0-1 against the field, losing to Amity by 27 points on Jan. 4.
No. 11 Burns (19-7) vs. No. 3 Vale (24-1), 6:30 pm:
The 6:30 p.m. game is a clash of Eastern Oregon League rivals. They have played three times this season, with Vale prevailing in all three, twice by convincing margins. The teams have combined for eight state titles all time. Burns last played for the title in 2020 and last won in 2009. Vale is 5-1 in state titles over its history, last winning in 2014.
Burns reached the state tournament by upsetting Pleasant Hill, 62-58, on Friday, avenging a three-point regular season loss to the Billies in January. The Hilanders have six players on the roster who also played on their state-ranked volleyball team, including 6-1 senior Akylah Kaino, who was recently named EOL co-Player of the Year; First Team All-Leaguer Amaya Ballard, a sophomore; rugged senior Caitlyn Horrell and sophomore guard Bailey Temple, both Second Team All-League picks.
Vale has lost only one time all year, to 4A No. 5 La Grande in mid-December. Since then, the Vikings have reeled off 20 wins in succession, including a 14-point revenge win over the same La Grande team and three wins over Burns, , 51-26, 56-48 and 49-20. The Vikings are junior led and motivated to win after finishing third last year, losing only to eventual champion Corbett by a point in the semifinals. Junior forward Kesley Stepleton, the EOL co-Player of the Year, leads the Vikings in scoring (12.4) and rebounding (9.1). Junior forwards Elli Jacobs and Izzy Maag, and senior guard Brynlee Hartley, a transfer from Nyssa; are also consistent scorers for Vale, which sees itself as a “defense first” team and yields only 27 points per game. “One big strength is the depth we have,” said coach Randy Seals. “Another big strength these girls have is their team first attitude. Everyone is buying into making the team better rather than looking out for individual accolades.”
No. 10 Taft (20-6) vs. No. 2 Banks (24-3), 8:15 pm:
This is a matchup between a team making its first-ever state tournament appearance and one coming to Coos Bay for the third straight year, winning in 2023 before placing fourth last March. The teams met once in the regular season, with Banks beating Taft, 44-35, on Jan. 4.
Taft won 15 games last year and made the first round of the state playoffs. The Tigers improved to 20 wins this season, breaking the school record for most wins in a season, which had stood for 46 years! Senior guard Sienna Lillebo (First Team All-PacWest Conference) and junior guard Laney Lee (Second Team All-PacWest) are key players on the perimeter. The duo averages 27.5 points, 13 rebounds and eight steals per game collectively. Olivia Davis, a 6-1 sophomore post, is the team’s presence in the paint. She averages eight points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game. Taft is the third team in the state tournament field from the PacWest, joining Amity and Jefferson. The Tigers are 0-5 against those two teams and also have the loss to Banks, but Friday’s playoff win over 2024 state champion Corbett is proof that this Taft team is battle tested and has played a schedule that will make it competitive with anyone in the field.
After winning it all in 2023, Banks lost its state quarterfinal last year to Vale before winning out for fourth place. The Braves return to Coos Bay riding a 17-game winning streak dating back to early January. They have not lost to a 3A team all season. Banks’ calling card is defense. The Braves yields just 31 points per game on average and they turn that defense, which forces 25.5 turnovers and picks up 16.4 steals, into points. The team has very balanced offense, with sophomore Nylah Vanthom, senior McKenna King and sophomore Clarissa Shurts all averaging between eight and nine points per game. Vanthom, who averages four assists and three steals a game, is the Coastal Range League Defensive POY. Others to watch include senior Maylis Crowell and juniors Emily Graham and Jade Janecek. Banks did lose senior starting forward Jordyn Maller, a Second Team All-League pick, to a knee injury in the league championship game. It will be interesting to see how the Braves navigate that significant loss.
johnt@osaa.org
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