Salem-Keizer prep hoops in last week-playoff preview-PLUS
PLUS--a special Bits & Pieces feature with a referee, bad suits, and some baseball
CENTRAL VALLEY CONFERENCE BASKETBALL—post season preview
Boys
It seems appropriate that the CVC boys basketball championship is still up in the air heading into the last two games of league play.
The favored West Salem Titans are still in control of their own destiny in terms of taking home the title, but the McNary Celtics are right on their heels a game back—with a monster game coming Tuesday, when the Celts host West in Keizer. The winner will clinch the number-one conference seed for the OSAA playoffs.
The Titans (9-1) lost at home to McNary on a buzzer beating layup by Jabol Balos on February 7th, 58-57. West won the first match up in January. West—currently 13th in the OSAA power rankings, would not only wrap up the conference crown with a win,
but also a first-round home game in the post season. McNary, ranked 21st, could face a first playoff game on the road even with the victory.
West and McNary both bring reliable clusters of scoring threats to the contest.
McNary coach Ryan Kirch’s squad features the fire power of senior Brody Roth (15.2 ppg) on the wing, and sophomore Stephen Adams (13.7) from the outside; slippery point guard Jando Gonzalez (9.4) and athletic wing Jabo Balos (8.3) both penetrate well— and Balos moves well without the ball, as he displayed on the winning shot as time expired in the Celts’ one-point victory.
Coach Travis Myers’s team also brings an impressive list of scorers to the floor. The Titans are most effective when operating on the run. Junior point guard Jackson Leach (14.3 ppg) leaks out off missed shots to direct the West Salem fast break, can drill a three-pointer, or simply drives past his defender for a lay-up or short jumper; seniors Jimmy Lathen (12.2) and Tommy Slack (11.6) have similar skill sets with quick slashes down the lane; Lathen is also a solid post-up player. Junior wing Connor Oretel (11.1) is streaky, but can drill three pointers anywhere on the court at the drop of a hat.
A wild card for the Titans is junior post Trent Ferguson. Missing from the line-up for over half of the season, Ferguson scored 10 points in 16 minutes in his only appearance a week ago. He missed the last game due to a funeral, but could be a real game changer to wrap up the season and start the playoffs.
Even if West wins Tuesday’s game to clinch the top seed, McNary could still forge a league co-championship with a victory at South Salem on Saturday, combined with a West Salem loss to Sprague. The Titans do have two wins at home over Sprague this season-but only in single digits. Friday’s final conference game is at Sprague because the previous game between the two teams had to be moved to West due to power problems at the Sprague High.
Sprague is a lock for the third and final CVC playoff spot. The Olympians face a first-round road game with a power ranking of 29 in the 32-team tournament. Coach Jordan Graneto’s team has been paced all season by the scoring prowess of senior Liam Spencer. Junior Grayson Long also put key points on the board all season long for the Olys. Senior post Jake Horn and sophomore wing Jarod Stanley have also been key contributors all year—giving Sprague a fighting chance in the post season.
The top eight teams after two playoff rounds will advance to the final bracket at the University Portland—beginning on March eighth.
Everyone buckle your seat belts—it should be quite the wild ride to wrap up the regular season.
Girls
The West Salem Titans, short of an unexpected two game losing streak to end the season, should be the top CVC seed in the 6A girls bracket. Coach Katie Singleton’s team has been a well-oiled machine all season, enroute to a perfect 10-0 conference record so far and a solid power ranking of eleventh.
The West line up is an effective blend of veterans and young players who pass the ball well and run their offensive sets with few mistakes. Defending conference player of the year—Lizzy Bennett (15.0 ppg) and fellow senior Mady Diaz (13.5)—to frosh standout Emma Zuniga (14.0), the Lady Titans are a poised group that has yet to wilt under pressure.
Second place McNary (8-2) has jelled effectively under first year coach—and former all-state basketballer Mike McShane. It has been a team effort all year long, with players such as seniors KJ Custer (9.8 ppg) and Brookelynn Jackson, and juniors Avery Buss (11.5) and Ava Rubio (11.6) among those capturing headlines during the year. The Celts do have one “trophy” they would like to claim in their game Tuesday vs. West. After being trounced in their first contest against the Titans, the McNary squad fell by just five points in their last encounter—and would love to grab a win at home to potentially bolster their #20 power ranking.
South Salem (5-5) has the third and final playoff slot clinched with a #27 ranking. Like the teams above them, the Lady Saxons—under the direction of veteran coach Adrian Lewis—have blended youth and experience to pull together as a unit.
Senior Maggie Lapray (11.3 ppg) has been a steady scorer for South, most recently recording a torrid 28 point outburst versus West Salem. Senior Carley Peterson, and juniors Izzy Flores, Avery Anunson and Sadie Paterson (10.3) provided steady play for the Saxons during the season. Freshmen Brook Tate (10.0), Emma Burlison (7.0) have also contributed significantly in their first season. After battling injuries much of the season, South appears to be getting healthy at just the right time, and the post season should be a good test for the team.
Unless the team loses two straight, West will likely have a home playoff contest next week, and will see what they can do with that advantage in their quest for a spot in the state 6A quarterfinals in Portland. West Salem has never advanced to the elite eight in their relatively short girls basketball history.
Credit: All game photos courtesy of Laura Ellison of LE Images.
BITS AND PIECES-President’s Day Edition
Two weeks after major surgery, Salem hoops official is back
Local basketball official Randall Goree had a significant medical procedure performance done on his carotid artery at the start of February. Last week—two weeks later—he was back on the basketball court for the McNary-Sprague boys basketball contest last Tuesday, a game that went to double overtime before the Celtics prevailed by three.
While it was an exciting contest, it was even bigger news that the 67-year old Goree was running up and down the floor blowing his whistle.
The procedure performed on Randall in Portland by a vascular surgeon is known as Transcarotid Artery Revascularization or TCAR.
“I had 95% blockage of the right inner carotid artery,” says Goree.
“A stent was placed where the blockage was to allow blood/oxygen to flow to my brain.”
Goree also joked that doctors did positively determine that he has a brain.
For those worried that Randall might suddenly keel over on the floor, he reassures everyone that he has been cleared to officiate.
“I have full approval of my vascular surgeon,” he told me in no uncertain terms.
“I am still not allowed to do heavy lifting, but walking and running are ok.”
This Tuesday night, Goree will work the South Salem-North Salem boys game. But he has had plenty of game time in the days leading up to that contest.
Goree worked the Central-Crescent Valley game on Friday night in Independence between two 5A powers, and on Saturday, was part of the crew officiating the 3A Pac West League championship game between Dayton and Amity.
While he has formally retired from state tournament officiating, Randall Goree is going to keep working on the basketball court until the end of the season and beyond. Running and blowing his whistle.
And smiling. Lots of smiling.
Forgettable Coaching Emsembles for Sprague-South girls game finale’
Girls basketball coaches Adrian Lewis of South Salem and Kevan Hanson of Sprague have been friends for a long time—going back over ten years. They worked together at South Salem as boys JV coaches.
When Hanson was hired this season as the new Sprague girls coach, Lewis—the South girls coach—was ecstatic for his buddy.
And the two began chatting about doing something on their game days when they played—and what they decided upon should give anyone with fashion sense absolute nightmares. What they selected were suits made famous by the forgettable 1990s comedy film Dumb and Dumber.
Hanson already had a perfectly hideous orange suit for the occasion. Lewis went online to find himself an equally horrible get up.
“Good ol’ Amazon had the suit for me, and so I did it,” declared Lewis.
If the crowd reaction was any indicator, the suits had the desired effect. Lewis says the pair might add top hats next year to step-up their fashion game.
South Salem won the contest at Sprague by a count of 64-49.
OSU, ex-South Salem hurler Ryan Brown with early national baseball love
Oregon State redshirt sophomore Ryan Brown has been named to the watch list for the Stopper of the Year, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced on Thursday in Dallas, Texas.
Brown, a right-hander who had nine saves last season, is one of 81 players on the initial watch list. He went 5-1 a year ago, and struck out 40 in 33 innings over 28 appearances.
Brown is a former South Salem High standout, and was named a Freshman All-American last year by both the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball.
After losing to New Mexico in their opener last Friday, the Beavers picked up their first win of the 2023 season on Saturday, beating Minnesota 8-7. Brown collected the save in his first appearance of the year, pitching two full innings—yielding no runs and just one hit.
OSU avenged their Friday loss with a 14-6 win over New Mexico on Sunday.