Should be an interesting season for Central Valley Conference girls teams, as they ready themselves for the round robin format of games where they face each other three times.
Here is a very brief overview of the five league competitors.
MCNARY GIRLS
Last Season: 8-16 (6-8 in Mtn Valley Conference)
Coach: Mike McShane
Coach Mike Shane, who had an illustrious high school career at South Salem, and solid time as a college and professional player—returns to his “home” to coach the Lady Celts.
McNary has some returning players that the first-year coach can build upon—and the early, non-conference games show they are buying what McShane is selling, racing out to a 7-3 record.
The three top returners for McNary all come with all-league honors from last year in the Mountain Valley Conference.
Juniors Avery Buss and Ava Rubio, and senior KJ Custer—will play extended minutes for the Celts. Buss is touted by Coach McShane as a good rebounder and three-point shooter, and Ava Rubio is also a great defender and offensive force. The pair received second team honors in 2022. Custer was an honorable mention pick who brings athleticism to the floor.
Also expected to contribute at both ends of the floor is senior Brookelynn Jackson.
Both Jackson and Custer were named to the all-tournament team of the recently completed Pacific Office Automation Holiday Classic at McDaniel High School in Portland.
How McNary’s preseason success translates into league wins and losses remains to be seen. The Celts begin CVC play on Thursday, January fifth—hosting Sprague.
NORTH SALEM GIRLS
Last Season: 4-17 (2-14 in Mid-Willamette Conference-5A)
Coach: Page Love
North Salem first year coach Page Love has no small task ahead of her. She has been tasked with improving the basketball fortunes of the Vikings girls basketball program. Last season, North managed four wins on the season, and just two wins at the 5A level in the Mid-Willamette Conference. North has moved back up to the 6A ranks, and will be facing tough opposition in their efforts to be force to be reckoned with.
Love, in an interview with SB Live, says she hopes to see some of her players have break out seasons.
She points to junior guard Emma Juarez as one of those players—after earning all-league honors in 2022. She has similar hopes for senior guard Natalya Mendoza and junior post Simone Richardson as the Vikings work to develop chemistry and team play this year.
In the preseason, North has managed a pair of non-conference wins out of ten games played—providing a measure of hope for better things ahead.
The Viks start league play on Thursday, January fifth—entertaining West Salem.
SOUTH SALEM GIRLS
Last Season: 18-5 (12-2 in Mtn Valley Conference)
Coach: Adrian Lewis
South Salem girls basketball coach Adrian Lewis is a decidedly confident man. But he will be the first to admit that his Saxons squad will be hard pressed to contend for the Central Valley Conference title in 2023.
“I like our chances this year to contend for the playoffs,” said Lewis to me in November. “But we lost eight girls from last year’s team, including four starters.”
“We have a great group of young core players that have talent… my hope is we will get it together by January.”
Lewis has identified five players that he expects to be key contributors during the course of the year—three juniors and a pair of seniors.
Junior guards Avery Anunson, Izzy Flores, and Sadie Paterson are the backcourt players Lewis is expecting to see big things from during the season. Paterson—honorable mention all-conference last year, averaged nearly four points and 2 ½ rebounds last season. Anunson has the shooting ability to open up the floor for others, while Flores is praised by the coach for her outstanding ball handling skills.
Seniors Maggie Lapray (wing) and Carley Peterson (post) will also provide strength inside and out. Lapray was a second team pick after averaging nearly 13 points and five rebounds a game last year. Lewis calls her a great leader. Peterson is praised as being a physical force inside.
South’s preseason record currently stands at 3-6, so the Saxons are still trying to find their footing in preparation for regular season play.
The Saxons have the first bye of the five team CVC round-robin schedule, and has scheduled a pair of non-league games this week before opening conference play on Monday, January ninth, at West Salem.
SPRAGUE GIRLS
Last Season: 4-19 (1-13 in Mtn Valley Conference)
Coach: Kevan Hanson
After winning just four games all of last season, and just one league game during that same span, the Sprague Olympians are downright giddy about the improvement their girls team has shown so far in the 2022-23 season.
First year coach Kevan Hanson’s squad has compiled an impressive 8-3 record in non-league competition so far this year—as the young team has learned lessons from last year.
In their most recent competition, the Olympians went 2-1 at the Cactus Jam Tournament just before New Year’s Day in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Oly squad has a number of key contributors.
Inside, Sprague has juniors Reese Beyrouty and Victoria Butler providing interior presence to contest shots and score in the paint.
Senior guards Paige Huynh and Alyssa Meza deliver experienced leadership for Sprague. Huynh is a solid ball handler, while Meza—the leading scorer for the Olympians last year, provides good perimeter shooting.
The last two players—junior Makenna Trussell and freshman Carly Skogstad—have scoring and some intangibles that make them extra special for the team.
Trussell’s honorable mention honors last year as a shooting guard came not only from her shooting range, but also her ability to move without the ball and make everyone else around her successful.
Skogstad is considered one of the best frosh players in the local area, and shows no fear in driving the lane or shooting from the outside. She has already won a Statesman Journal player of week award for her efforts, during a week where she averaged better than 22 points a game during a five-game stretch. She also was named to the all-tournament team in Arizona.
Central Valley Conference play begins for Sprague on Thursday, January fifth, when they play at McNary.
WEST SALEM GIRLS
Last Season: 16-9 (13-1 in Mtn Valley Conference)
Coach: Katie Singleton
The West Salem Titans were the class of the Mountain Valley Conference is 2022, winning the league crown. It is 2022-23, but the Titans are expected to be at or near the top of the CVC standings.
Most of West’s key players are back—including last season’s player of the year in senior Lizzy Bennett.
Coach Katie Singleton has a long list of players she expects to contribute this season—including four freshmen on the varsity roster.
Seniors Mady Diaz and Elizabeth Gile are expected to provide good support for Bennett on the floor. Diaz was a second team all-leaguer, and is anticipated to shoot more going to the bucket. Gile is expected to continue her role as an undisputed leader on the floor.
In an interview with SB Live, Singleton identified sophomore Braeli Martin, and juniors Mia Mejia and Jazmin Alilifua as better players this year than last, saying “they have a grown a lot since last year.”
All four freshmen have seen good playing time during the preseason. One of them, Emma Zuniga, stood out in the recent Capital City Classic tournament at Corban University. She joined Lizzy Bennett on the all-tournament team list—Bennett was on first team, Emma on second team.
Considering the strength of West’s non-league schedule, their 7-4 record to date is excellent. The Titans look to win a second straight league title beginning Thursday, January fifth, as they travel to North Salem.