Two years removed from claiming its first state championship in three decades, Central Catholic's boys basketball team is looking like a serious threat to win another one.
Bolstered by the play of senior point guard Zamir “Bam” Paschal and senior wing Jalen Nicholson – players plagued by knee issues last season – the Rams (9-5, 3-0 6A Mt. Hood Conference) are showing glimpses of the 2024 title squad, which went unbeaten against Oregon teams.
They are No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll, holding wins over No. 2 Southridge, No. 4 Tualatin, No. 5 Jesuit and No. 9 Clackamas. Their only loss to an Oregon team is a 76-72 defeat to Southridge, which they avenged with a convincing 62-43 victory.
“At our best, we're pretty good,” coach David Blue said. “It's just playing 32 minutes, trying to make sure we're locked in the whole time.”
Blue likes the team's chemistry.
“Collectively, this has probably been one of my best years, if not the best,” he said. “It's the way they play together, celebrate one another, the talent all-around, the experience. This has been a really fun year to be around the guys.”
Central Catholic had designs on a repeat last year but injuries stunted the Rams, who lost in the 6A quarterfinals. Paschal, a key contributor on the state title team as a sophomore, did not play after December due to soreness in his knee caused by surgically implanted screws. The screws were removed and he is flourishing again, averaging a team-leading 14 points per game.
“He's having a great year. He's been pretty special,” Blue said of the 6-foot-1 Paschal, who has offers from Portland and Portland State. “He had to work his way back. He's fully healthy.”
The 6-7 Nicholson dealt with knee issues the last two years but has returned to health this season. He is putting up 13.points per game and providing an interior presence.
“He's had a monster season for us,” Blue said. “He's been consistent, giving us scoring and rebounding. There's a calmness about being a senior and having clarity on his role.”
Paschal and Nicholson are joined in the starting lineup by Loyola University (Md.)-bound senior point guard Robbie Long III (6-4), senior wing Donovan Miller (6-8) and junior guard Malcolm Weatherspoon (6-3). Junior guard Isaac Bongen (6-4), a transfer from Jesuit, is the first player off the bench.
The top six in the rotation are balancing the load on offense, led by the seniors. Paschal and Long are sharing point-guard duties, but the team has a wealth of ballhandlers and shot creators.
“Basically five guys that can handle the ball, shoot, make plays, finish really well,” Blue said. “They're athletic. Bam and Robbie play well off each other. They won a state championship together. They take turns.”
Miller, who has grown about six inches since his sophomore year, is coming into his own. He worked his way into the starting lineup by the end of last season after coming off the bench behind Isaac Carr and Duce Paschal, who have moved on to college careers at Wake Forest and Weber State, respectively.
“He's a high-level shooter,” Blue said of Miller. “A lot of people are really excited about him and where he'll be in a few years.”
In the Dec. 19 loss at Southridge, Central Catholic opened a double-digit lead in the first half but was unable to hold it, falling victim to poor game management, according to Blue. In the Dec. 30 win over the Skyhawks, the Rams locked down on defense and made better decisions on offense.
Central Catholic trailed at Clackamas 48-36 at half in a pivotal Mt. Hood game Jan. 16 before outscoring the Cavaliers 31-12 the rest of the way to win 67-60.
“We flipped that in the second half,” Blue said. “It really said a lot about our experience and grit, that competitiveness.”
West Salem separates in CVC
West Salem (7-7, 3-0) is alone in first place in the 6A Central Valley Conference after a 78-75 home win over South Salem (11-4, 2-1) on Tuesday.
Sophomore guard Jonah Munns scored 27 points to lead the Titans. Senior wing Diggs Sladek, in his second game back from a torn ACL, had 15 points in limited minutes off the bench. Senior guard Jacob Sanderson had 11 assists, eight rebounds and three steals to go with three points.
The win came after a 66-60 victory at McNary (10-3, 2-1), which is tied with South Salem in second place.
“We have to play each team in our league three times, so while the wins were exciting, they need to drive us to get better, as South and McNary are both more than capable of beating us,” West Salem coach Dean Sanderson said.
The Titans have won four in a row after a 3-7 start. All of their losses came against teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll.
“I think our tough nonleague schedule has helped us prepare for teams in our league,” Dean Sanderson said. “Our team is getting better and didn't lose confidence during that tough stretch.”
No. 1 PC takes Northwest League showdown
Portland Christian, No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 2A coaches poll, gutted out a 57-46 win at No. 6 Knappa on Tuesday to take over first place in the Northwest League.
Junior guard Keylon Kittleson led the way for the Royals (15-0, 6-0) with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Portland Christian also got key contributions from senior Josiah Harris-Skidmore (eight points, six rebounds, seven assists) and juniors Zane Ozier (11 points, nine rebounds, six assists) and Hudson Calhoun (10 points, seven rebounds, four steals).
The two-time reigning Northwest League champion Royals, who extended their regular-season league winning streak to 38, handed the Loggers (13-4, 5-1) their first loss in six games.
“Knappa is a tough place to play, and I thought our guys did a good job at fighting through some early adversity, taking care of the glass and executing down the stretch to get a big win,” Portland Christian coach Erik Lyslo said. “Everyone wants to knock us off right now, so we're getting everyone's best games, and it's been fun to see our kids respond to each challenge so far.”
Cougars hand Valor first loss
Senior Danyon Schneider poured in 20 points as No. 2 Country Christian held off third-ranked and previously unbeaten Valor Christian/Tualatin Valley Academy 57-52 in a 1A Valley 10 League game Tuesday.
“Our game plan was to push the tempo and take advantage of our depth on our bench, along with exploiting the high post of their zone, which is where Danyon Schneider thrived all game,” Country Christian coach Dawson Nofziger said.
Nofziger credited the play of his big men, 6-6 junior Ryan Gordon and 6-2 senior Andy Ives, for their defense in neutralizing Valor Christian's size.
With the home win, Country Christian (14-3, 4-0) is tied with No. 9 Open Door Christian Academy (12-3, 4-0) in first place, ahead of Valor Christian (12-2, 3-2) and No. 5 North Clackamas Christian (10-5, 3-2).
Valor Christian suffered its second defeat Thursday, falling 51-44 at North Clackamas Christian.
jerryu@osaa.org
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