PENDLETON — Frankie Koehnke has been going to the 2A basketball tournament at the Pendleton Convention Center since she was a baby.
Now a freshman at Regis, Koehnke finally gets to play in the building she grew up in.
“It was always fun to watch my brothers play,” Koehnke said. “The whole climate is different there. It’s much louder and fun to cheer, but it seems more fun to play. I have been waiting for this.”
Koehnke and the No. 1-seeded Rams (26-1) are looking for the team’s first state title since 2014 when they beat Western Mennonite 36-29. Regis did not make it to state last year, but was fifth in 2024.
This season, the Rams’ one loss is to 3A Amity, which is ranked No. 2 behind Vale.
“It feels good to only have one loss,” Koehnke said. “The team has worked really hard for it. It’s probably good that we had one loss than instead of losing now. We know how a loss feels. Amity is a really good team.”
Regis, which won the Tri-River Conference with a 14-0 record, beat Bonanza in the first round to advance to the quarterfinals, where they will play Knappa.
“That game had me nervous all week, but I was really relaxed when we came home with the win,” Koehnke said.
Koehnke, who also runs cross country and track, started playing basketball in kindergarten, and has benefitted from working with her older brothers Isaiah and Lucas from a young age. Her dad, Jason, coaches the Regis boys team.
Isaiah, who set the state’s career scoring record as a senior for the Rams, is a freshman at Jessup University, where he is redshirting. Lucas is a senior on the Regis boys team.
“We always work out together,” Koehnke said. “When we go one-on-one, I always learn stuff from them. I always lose to Isaiah, but when Lucas beats me, it’s closer. Dad definitely knows the game. He always has something good to say.”
Koehnke, a 5-foot-6 guard, has started since the beginning of the season, and leads the team with 17 points and six assists per game. She was named the Tri-River Conference player of the year.
“That really surprised me,” Koehnke said of the honor.
Koehnke said she likes to shoot the 3, but also drives to the basket with a left-handed runner.
Now that Koehnke has finally reached the hardwood of the Pendleton Convention Center, she and the Rams would like to bring home a state title, and think they have a realistic shot at achieving their goal.
“It’s a big difference from last year and the girls on the team know that,” Koehnke said. “We knew we would be good and everyone would be trying to beat us. It’s fun to think I have three more years after this.”
Girls quarterfinals, Thursday, Pendleton Convention Center
No. 1 Regis (26-1) vs. No. 9 Knappa (16-12), 1:30 p.m.: Regis went from having a losing record last season to being the No. 1 seed this year.
That turnaround is thanks to freshman Frankie Koehnke and senior Clara Persons.
“Frankie has great court awareness,” Regis coach Tim Manning said. “She comes comes from a basketball family. Her brothers Isaiah and Lucas have been to Pendleton the last four years and Lucas is there again this year. She was a valuable addition to this team this year.”
Persons played at Regis her freshman and sophomore year, transferred to Salem Academy last year and won the 2A state title, and is now back at Regis.
“Clara made her way back to Regis this year for her senior year,” Manning said. “She has been a great leader and asset for us this year.”
Koehnke leads the Rams with 17 points and six assists a game, while Persons adds 15 points and Hadley Foster 10 points and eight rebounds.
“These girls play well as a team,”Manning said. “They work together well on defense to try to disrupt their opponents. We have a balanced scoring line which makes us difficult to guard. They like to run which is fun to coach.”
The Rams won state titles in 1985 and from 2011-14.
Manning said his team is not taking Knappa lightly.
“Knappa is a great, well-coached team,” he said. “They have size as well as some really good guards. We are excited to play them and I’m sure it will be a tough game. They have some good momentum going with that exciting win over Trinity Lutheran (first round of state).”
The Loggers are making their third consecutive tip to Pendleton.
“We are very excited,” Knappa coach Traci Brokey said. “If you want to compete for trophies in Pendleton, you have to play the best teams in the state. Regis brings the talent this year. It comes back to us controlling what we do well. They are a strong ball club with good athletes. We will focus on our preparation and our strengths and come in ready to play.”
State seemed like a dream at the start of the season as the Loggers got off to a 1-8 start.
“We were losing close games,” Brokey said. “The girls had belief we could still achieve our goals and had that willingness to work through adversity.”
Knappa is led by senior Mylie Lempea (12 points, 5 assists), the co-player of the year in the Northwest League, and sophomore Lucy Oien (13 points, 7 rebounds), who was a first-team all-league selection.
No. 4 Crosshill Christian (22-5) vs. No. 12 Oakland (19-9), 3:30 p.m.: The bright lights of the Pendleton Convention Center await Crosshill Christian, which is making its first-ever trip to state, whether it be 1A or 2A.
“We are very excited,” Crosshill Christian coach Kevin Baker said. “It was exciting when we beat Heppner (in the first round). The girls have done an amazing job of letting us coach them. We have some pretty talented kids. We have four kids who are really good basketball players and athletes. They are great kids and they want to learn and get better.”
Oakland is in a similar boat, not having been to state since 2019.
“They have been talking about it all year,” Oakland coach Tristan Ivie said of his team. “This is really awesome.”
The Eagles, who won the 2A state volleyball title in November, boast 6-foot-4 senior Zoey Baker inside and sophomore point guard Khloie Cobb.
“They are a great team,” Ivie said. “They will be a huge challenge for us. Zoey is a very good post player and her height brings a lot of challenges for us.”
Zoey Baker led the Eagles with 14 points and 12 rebounds a game and was named the Valley Coast Conference player of the year. When teams changed their defense to contain Baker, Kasey Zuidema was wide open, scoring 15 points in league play and seven in nonleague games.
The Oakers are led by junior Sahara Kramer with 19 points, 5.8 rebounds and four steals a game, and junior Morgan Swearingen, who offers 7.5 points and five rebounds a game.
“They have some good guards that have our attention,” Baker said. “No. 10 (Kramer) is very good. She shoots the balls well from 3. She will give us a challenge. No. 12 (Lianna Gardner) is a good 3-point shooter. We do have the size advantage. It should be a fun game and a fun atmosphere.”
No. 3 Western Christian (22-5) vs. No. 6 Bandon (24-3), 6:30 p.m.: It’s a rematch of the 2024 championship game that the Pioneers won 45-40.
“I wasn’t coaching that year, but I watched that title game,” Western Christian coach Ben Brown said. “Bandon has a terrific coach.”
The Pioneers were second last year, while Bandon was third.
“We have a lot of respect for their program,” said Bandon coach Jordan Sammons, whose team is making its seventh consecutive appearance in Pendleton. “We know it will be a tough one. We are excited to be back in Pendleton and do the best we can. We have been playing pretty well the last few games.”
Kate Michalek leads the Tigers with 16 points and six rebounds a game and is making her fourth trip to state. Last year she tied the tournament 3-point shooting percentage. Shasta Johnson is adding 12 points and eight rebounds.
“We have been really solid defensively,” Sammons said. “That has been the backbone of our teams. We have guards who pressure the ball really well. Offensively, we have girls who can shoot it and play inside.”
The Pioneers get 14 points a game from Kinsey Wark, who also is deadly from the free-throw line. Savannah Newman offers 10 points a game.
“We have some good ones in the starting five,” Brown said. “We don’t put up a whole lot of numbers offensively (48 points a game), we are more of a defensive team.”
Bandon and Western Christian are in the same half the bracket as Stanfield and Weston-McEwen.
“Any one of the four teams having to play each other will be fun,” Brown said. “It’s exciting, but as a coach, it’s nerve-racking. Whoever comes out on this side will be bruised and battled. Hopefully they have something left for the championship game.”
No. 2 Weston-McEwen (23-2) vs. No. 7 Stanfield (18-6), 8:15 p.m.: The Blue Mountain Conference rivals square off on opening night.
“It’s strange matching up with them,” Stanfield coach Dan Sharp said. “It’s almost comical. I have never been in this situation before. You are always playing someone you are trying to find film on. Here, there are no secrets. You can try and game plan, little tweaks and surprise them. You are who you are at the end of the day. It will be a packed place.”
It’s the fourth meeting this season between the teams. Weston-McEwen won both conference games, while Stanfield knocked off the TigerScots in the district championship game.
Junior Charlotte Hansell is the engine that drives the TigerScots. She leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Addy Hall and Reagan Pickard are a great support cast, along with Brooklyn Parker, Lily Langford, Evie Hodgson and Manaia Wolf.
“Our focus is on defense which allows us to stay aggressive on offense,” said W-M coach Jeremy Wolf, who’s team finished fifth last year. “With that said, we are always learning from our success and failures while still remaining creative and the girls make sure we're always having fun.”
Kayla Monkus leads the Tigers, averaging 19.5 points, eight rebounds and 10 steals a game. She surpassed the 1,000-point mark during the district tournament.
Kahleigha Haney, a senior, adds 11 points, five assists and five steals a game, while 5-foot-11 junior Taylor Sperr hauls down 11.5 rebounds a game.
“We have kids who have played there,” Sharp said. “Kahleigha has been there four years, and Kayla has been there three. That helps. I think we are willing to be aggressive and shoot. We are small and quick and we are using that to our advantage.”
Boys quarterfinals, Thursday, Pendleton High School
No. 4 Oakland (22-5) vs. No. 5 Stanfield (18-7), 1:30 p.m.: These teams met in the first round last year with the Oakers winning 59-48.
The Oakers, who were third last year, lost seven seniors from last year’s team, but return 6-foot-10 junior Jaxson Clark (14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocked shots), who can throw a monkey wrench into anyone’s game.
“Our strength has been our size,” Oakland coach Jeff Clark said. “We are tall and long, get to the boards and use our defensive pressure to make them earn their points.”
Andy McCurdy added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals a game for the Oakers, who are looking for their first title since 2013.
“I really like their coach,” Stanfield coach Rylie Smith said. “His teams always plays hard. Their big kid has a lot of skill. I don’t want to be worried about their inside game, they have weapons all around.”
Stanfield, which was fourth last year, prepared for this season with a rigorous preseason schedule, and the Tigers play in the ever-tough Blue Mountain Conference that had four teams in the first round of the playoffs.
“We have been battle tested all season,” Smith said. “We are ready for this.”
Alex Angel leads the Tigers with 18 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists a game, while Israel Monkus adds 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Zander Wright and Aaron Sanchez each average nine points a game.
“We know what we have,” Smith said. “Throughout the season, we have tried to figure out our roles. We are really coming into ourselves right now. We are unselfish. It’s a lot of fun to be around.”
Clark said the Tigers pose some problems.
“They are a very talented team,” Clark said. “They are quick and athletic. They shoot the ball well, but are a little size challenged.”
No. 1 Trinity Lutheran (25-1) vs. No. 8 East Linn Christian (20-7), 3:15 p.m.: Trinity Lutheran has won 23 consecutive games, with its last 11 wins by at least 29 points. The Saints last lost a game Dec. 6, at Westside Christian.
“They are an awesome basketball team and they are playing at a high level,” East Linn Christian coach Jonathan Whitehead said. “We are going to have to show up and play well.”
The Saints have won a collection of state trophies, but have never won a state title. They played for a 1A title in 2019, but lost a 59-42 game to Nixyaawii.
Chimi Gilbert, the East Cascades Conference player of the year, leads the Saints with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals a game, while 6-foot-7 Austin Imhoff adds 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Chance Nichols 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.
“Our strengths are the faith life these kids have in Christ, our depth, how we compete, and our unselfish play,” Trinity Lutheran coach Kyle Gilbert said.
The Eagles, who last won a title in 2012, are led by Valley Coast Conference player of the year Gavin Wilson, who puts up 19 points a game. Brison Edwards adds 14 points, and Grady Knurowski 10.
“We finally started sharing the ball fairly well and passing,” Whitehead said. “We are playing defense and boxing out. They’re buying in and putting away the selfish stuff and playing team ball.”
Gilbert said the Eagles have a variety of weapons.
“East Linn is well coached, competes hard, and they shoot the 3 really well,” he said. “When you get to Pendleton, it is wide open. The seeding no longer matters. The champion really is determined by who is playing the best at the right time.”
No. 2 Portland Christian (27-0) vs. No. 7 Lowell (22-5), 6:30 p.m.: Portland Christian is the only undefeated team among the final eight. The Royals, who lost in the championship game the past two years to Western Christian, last won a title in 2010.
Lowell is back in Pendleton for the first time since the 1960s. The Red Devils, who won 2A state titles in 1961 and 1963, played at the 1A level for years before moving back to 2A six years ago.
“This will be a new experience for all of us,” Lowell coach Kory Roberts said. “They are a very good team. They are good at pushing the pace and they have a heavy pressure defense. It will be a challenge. We are looking forward to it.”
The Royals come into the tournament with a balanced attack.
Keylon Kittleson is leading the way with 15 points a game, while Zane Ozier is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds. Hudson Calhoun hauls down eight rebounds a game.
“We are a very good defensive team with high IQ,” Portland Christian coach Erik Lyslo said. “This group has played together for so long and has chemistry that all coaches want with their teams. We share the ball well, we defend very well and we are looking forward to the challenge in Pendleton this week.”
The Red Devils are led by senior Wyatt Smith (19 points), who joined the 1,000-point club the second game of the season. Gage Greco, a 6-foot-4 junior, offers 15 points a game.
“We like to push the ball, go fast and get teams worn out,” Roberts said. “We are a pretty young team. We just have two seniors, a lot of sophomores and a handful of juniors. We are excited for the challenge. We want to play three games.”
Three of Lowell’s five losses this season are to East Cascades Conference rival Trinity Lutheran.
“Every team in the tournament is dangerous,” Lyslo said. “There are no average teams. Lowell really plays hard based on the games we've seen. They have good guard play, and they have bigs who can put the ball on the floor and finish. This will be a great challenge for us.”
No. 3 Regis (25-2) vs. No. 11 Western Christian (15-11), 8:30 p.m.: It’s a battle of the Tri-River Conference in the quarterfinals, and it should be a good one.
“It is what it is,” Western Christian coach Geoff Martin said. “Our league is so tough. Regis is a machine. Five of the last six years, the champ has come out of the Tri-Valley. It’s a great privilege to make the final eight.”
Regis is on a roll, having won 15 games in a row. The Rams’ last loss was Jan. 10, at Trinity Lutheran.
Western Christian, which has won the past two 2A titles, doesn’t have the same shine as last year, but after appearing in the title game the past six years in a row, you can never count out the Pioneers, who are in the tournament for the 20th year in a row.
“We had a little bit of a rougher season this year,” Martin said. “I stacked our schedule beyond belief. We played in a 5A-6A tournament and played top 3A schools. You want to be the best, you play the best. There was doubt when we were 3-6, but we clawed and did what we needed to do.”
Regis coach Jason Koehnke said the Pioneers have a great track record at Pendleton.
“They are a winning program,” he said. “Their kids play with a lot of pride and are well coached. They always present a challenge. They are a contender.”
The Rams are led by 6-foot-4 forward Eli Silbernagel, who averages 23 points and 13 rebounds a game. He was the conference player of the year and scored a school record 58 points in a game against Kennedy. Fletcher Gould adds 14 points and five rebounds, while Lucas Koehnke chips in 12 points and six assists, and averages just one turnover a game.
“We share the ball,” Koehnke said. “We average just under 20 assists per game. The kids really like each other and they trust each other. We move the ball and the kids don’t care who scores. That makes us hard to guard. Hopefully we haven’t peaked yet. We hope there is more there.”
Senior Gage Slaughter leads the Pioneers with 16 points a game, while Parker Reed adds 14 and Jack Nicoli 13.
“We can shock some people if we put it all together,” Martin said. “This is a year I think all the right teams are there. If you want to perform at this level, you have to put the egos aside.”
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