When Travis McFarland arrived at Estacada prior to this season to begin his first campaign leading the Rangers boys basketball program, he soon realized that the path to success for a team that hadn't had a winning season since 2016-17 was about building a new culture.
The effort paid off, and the Rangers are heading to the quarterfinals at the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 4A tournament for the first time in school history Thursday in Forest Grove. Estacada's only previous appearance at a state tournament site was in 1979 for the 16-team Class AAA tournament in Portland.
"We inherited a group where relationships were a bit strained and confidence was low," said McFarland, who spent the previous season at North Marion following 10 years of coaching in Texas. "My immediate priority wasn't X's and O's; it was about building a culture of pace, toughness, and mutual trust. We wanted to move away from 'playing not to lose' and instead embrace a more aggressive, confident identity."
While the Rangers have three graduating seniors they lean heavily on in Paul Ables, Connor Crawford and Gavin Gates, McFarland calls "year one of building a sustainable, competitive program."
"We have three seniors, but we really don't have anyone with experience in high-stakes, meaningful games prior to this year," said McFarland. "We are learning how to win in real-time."
The season hadn't even started before the coach started to see positive signs.
"The buy-in started early," he added. "Even before the season officially tipped off, you could see a shift in how they approached training. They started embracing the work."
The team lost three of five to start the season, then things started to click. A seven-game winning streak lifted Estacada to a 9-3 record and spirits were high. Then a slump hit. Four losses in a row and five in six games presented a tough test for a program that was used to losing.
"For players who haven't experienced much winning in the past, there’s always that fear of 'here we go again'" McFarland noted. "We didn’t panic because we felt we were playing the right way. We stayed focused on our process. We knew if we stayed disciplined, the results would eventually swing back in our favor."
Since the rough patch, the Rangers have won five of their last six including a 56-48 victory at Junction City in the first round of the playoffs.
However this week goes, McFarland believes the future is bright:
"This season is a foundational first step for Estacada. We still have a long way to go, but I’m incredibly proud of how these young men have embraced the work of building a program that values both winning and holistic development."
Boys quarterfinals, Thursday, Forest Grove High School (Viking Gym)
No. 8 La Grande (16-10) vs. No. 1 Scappoose (20-5), 1:30 p.m.: After two losses to two-time defending state champion Baker in the regular season, La Grande captured the Greater Oregon League title by winning the third matchup. The Tigers then won a tight game over Marshfield in the round of 16 to be the only GOL team at the state tournament. La Grande has never won the state title but finished second in 2006 and 2010. ... Scappoose comes to Forest Grove seeking its first state championship since 2015 and fifth overall. The Indians had 10 of their 12 players competing for the football team that reached the 4A semifinals, and head coach Robby Backus said "it took a while to get fully healthy." Backus was a player for the Scappoose team that won the championship 11 years ago. Brayden Miller (10.8 ppg) and Will Kessi (10.6 ppg) are the two players averaging in double-figures offensively, while Trever Oleson earned Cowapa League defensive player of the year honors after receiving the same award for football in the fall.
No. 5 St. Helens (18-5) vs. No. 4 Madras (19-5), 3:15 p.m.: First-year St. Helens head coach and Cowapa League coach of the year Trenton Minich led the Lions to their first conference title since the 1980s with a team that he says centers around "energy, depth and connectivity." League player of the year Andrew Waite (15 ppg, 14 rpg) is the cornerstone of a balanced group that includes three other first-team all-Cowapa players in TJ Kearse (9.1 ppg), Tanner Naes (8.9 ppg) and Noah Bigham (8.5 ppg). Six different players scored at least nine points in their round-of-16 win over Philomath. ... Madras comes to McMinnville in pursuit of its first state championship since 1970 and first championship game appearance since 1997. The White Buffaloes finished fourth in the state two years ago under coach Nick Brown, who's in his seventh season in charge of the program. Tri-Valley Conference first-teamers John Buffalo-Ball (14.1 ppg, 5.8 ppg) and Mattew Suppah-Scott (16.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg) are the key contributors to a league-championship team. Buffalo-Ball has more career assists (304) than any Madras player since 1993 and Suppah-Scott is second over that span in rebounds (565). "We're at our best when we are sharing the basketball, making the extra pass and locked in defensively," Brown said.
No. 6 Marist Catholic (17-7) vs. No. 3 Molalla (20-5), 6:30 p.m.: Marist Catholic features an incredibly deep offensive attack, with six players averaging between 8 and 9.5 ppg. Sophomore Gabe Dietmeyer (9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5 apg) earned first-team Sky-Em League honors, with Gianni Lombardi (9.5 ppg, 6 rps, 3.5 apg), Bodey Drennan (8.4 ppg) and Colton Boresek (8.3 ppg) named to the second team. Head coach Bart Pollard led Cottage Grove to the 4A title game in 2011 and is looking to get back there for the first time in his 15 years leading the Spartans. "We try to share and move the ball and strive to be solid defensively," said Pollard. ... Molalla returned to the postseason this year for the first time since 2022 and hosted a round of 16 game for the first time since 2013. The Indians are an experienced team with eight seniors featuring heavily in the rotation. First-team Tri Valley selection Kurt Pederson leads the team with 14.9 ppg and 7 rpg, with twin brothers Garrett (first-team all-league) and Grant Brusseau (second team) leading an athletic defense that creates opportunities in transition. Jaxson Johnson shoots 34% from 3-point range. "We are at our best when we are playing at a faster tempo and scoring is spread out through multiple players," second-year head coach Erik Strohmeyer said.
No. 15 Hidden Valley (17-8) vs. No. 10 Estacada (15-9), 8:15 p.m.: Hidden Valley head coach Jordan Kasler was on the school's first and only state championship-winning team in 2006 and now 20 years later he's at the reins for the Mustangs' first trip to the quarterfinals since 2008. Skyline Conference player of the year Cooper Gagnon (19.2 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.7 spg) leads the team, with fellow first-team all-conference selections Evan Neufeld (14.8 ppg, 5.7 apg) and Mauricio Mendez (11.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg) also playing key roles. ... Senior Paul Ables (13.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 37.1% 3-pt FG) and brothers Gavin Gates (12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 38.5% 3-pt FG) and Broden Gates (11.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 34.5% 3-pt FG) lead the way for the upstart Rangers, with Connor Crawford (9.4 ppg) being another major contributor. "Our team plays with a significant chip on our shoulder," coach Travis McFarland said. "We are well aware that often the only people who believe in us are the ones inside our locker room."
Girls quarterfinals, Thursday, Forest Grove High School (Joe Moran Court)
No. 9 Philomath (15-10) vs. No. 1 Stayton (21-3), 1:30 p.m.: Philomath is making its eighth straight trip to the state tournament under head coach Ben Silva that includes a state title in 2022, and the Warriors come in battle-tested with a 3-4 record against high-quality 5A teams and four games at a tough tournament in California. In this matchup, they face a rival Stayton team that beat them by eight and five points in two regular-season meetings. First-team Oregon West Conference picks Annaleise Brown and Reagan Heikien are team leaders, along with Reagan Nuno and Jordyn Hood. Brown and Heiken's mothers were each all-state players for Philomath in the 1990s. "With our schedule we have really bought into the defensive side of the game," Silva said. ... Defending 4A champion Stayton graduated three senior starters from last year's team but returns to Forest Grove as the top seed. Led by Oregon West Conference player of the year Kathryn Samek, first-teamer Breeci Hampton and second-teamer Kourtney Samek, the Eagles come into the quarterfinals on an 11-game winning streak. Stayton is also quite literally a team built on family, with head coach Tal Wold saying "half our team is siblings and we have two sets of twins." Wold added "we are quite familiar with Philomath. This year, much like last, both games could have gone either way. We understand the challenge ahead."
No. 5 Henley (20-5) vs. No. 4 Marist Catholic (19-6), 3:15 p.m.: Henley enters the state tournament as a dangerous No. 5 seed, as the 2024 state champs have lost just once this season to a 4A team (65-61 to Stayton in December). The Hornets won every Skyline Conference game in convincing fashion and they are outscoring their opponents by 53 points per game over their last eight wins. ... Marist Catholic coach Dwayne Tyner says his group "thrives on pressure" and hopes to lead the Spartans to their first state championship since 2018. Sky-Em player of the year Ashley Powell had 24 points in a first-round win over Madras and at 6-foot-2 can score from outside or around the rim. First-team all-league selection Talia Tyner is the floor general at point guard, and post Rowan De Lee led the team in rebounds. "We are very deep and tend to play seven to nine players consistently," Dwayne Tyner said.
No. 6 St. Helens (18-5) vs. No. 3 Seaside (20-5), 6:30 p.m.: St. Helens and Seaside faced off three times in Cowapa League play during the regular season, with St. Helens winning two of three. All three games were decided by eight points or fewer. St. Helens is in the state tournament for the first time since 1997 after securing its first league title in 29 years as well. With alum Jillian Ross-Dean coaching the team, the Lions are, in her words, "gritty and never give up until the final buzzer." Two-time Cowapa League player of the year Devan Lee (12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3 apg, 3 spg) leads the team along with fellow all-league players Madelyn Hancock (13.5 ppg, 4 rpg) and D'aye Davidson (9.5 ppg, 7 rpg, 3.5 apg). Ross-Dean says the team stays loose by doing the same dance before leaving the locker room before every game. ... Led by four-year starter and first-team Cowapa League selection Carly Corder (14 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4 spg), Seaside is back at the state tournament for the second consecutive year despite the loss of standout senior point guard Mya Feeney to an ACL tear in December. Head coach Marla Olstedt made the state tournament with the Seagulls as a player in 2008 and nine of 14 players on the team are children of Seaside alumni. Jahzara Marshall (10 ppg, 3 spg) and two-time Cowapa defensive player of the year Lili Miller (8 ppg, 5 rpg, 38% 3-pt FG) are also major contributors. All of the Seagulls' five losses came to teams in the state tournament. "My goal at the start of every season is to play in March," said Olstedt.
No. 7 Cascade (14-10) vs. No. 2 Baker (22-4), 8:15 p.m.: Cascade came out of the gate with a challenging non-conference schedule that included four 5A teams, three 6A teams and a trip to a tournament in Washington. Though the Cougars started the season 4-7, they rallied to win 10 of their last 13 heading into the state tournament and handed No. 1 Stayton one of its three losses. Cascade has reached the state title game eight times but hasn't won a championship since 2011. ... Baker has been a mainstay at the state tournament in recent years, winning titles in 2019 and 2023 and finishing third last year. Head coach Jason Ramos said his team is "balanced with multiple players who contribute and play man defense with pressure." Four different players have posted 20-point games this season. Molly Rasmussen leads the team in scoring (11.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg) while her sister, Gwen Rasmussen (9.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg), and Jaxyn Ramos (9.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg) each average nearly a double-double. Returning all-league player Lily Logsdon tore her ACL in the third-place game last season but is back and contributing again. Multiple players on the team have brothers who won championships with the boys team in 2024 and 2025 or sisters who were part of winning teams in 2019 or 2023.
scott.sepich@gmail.com
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