HSSZ: Weekly Sports Capsules

BOYS BASKETBALL PREVIEWS

Springfield Millers: 1-4, ranked #29
■ Tipping off: Springfield tries to stop a three-game skid at Class 6A Grants Pass on Thursday. The Millers have struggled offensively at times so far, scoring less than 40 points twice in five games. The defense has kept three opponents under 55 points, though, so Thursday’s game could come down to defense for coach TC Combs and the Millers.

Thurston Colts: 4-1, ranked #11
■ Tipping off: Thurston, winners of four in a row, head to Class 6A Ida B. Wells in Portland on Friday. The Colts will need to slow down 5-foot-7 guard Jacey Canalin, a 2nd-team all-league player a season ago. Ida B. Wells has only two players over 6-foot-3, though, so star Thurston big Nate Stiffler should be set up well for a good game.

GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEWS

Springfield Millers: 3-0, ranked #1
■ Tipping off: The Millers head to Class 6A No. 19 Grants Pass on Thursday before flying to Phoenix for the start of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Last season, Springfield went 2-2 in the third-tier bracket. This season, head coach Joe Williamson said the team was voted by other coaches to move up into the second-highest bracket, which is essentially the top teams that aren’t nationally ranked.

Thurston Colts: 0-5, ranked #31
■ Tipping off: Thurston tries to get its first win on the board this week as the Colts host Mountain View on Tuesday – after The Chronicle’s deadline – and head to Woodburn on Thursday. Mountain View and Woodburn are a combined 1-3 on the season, so if standout senior Bailey Tovey and the Colts want their first victory, this week is as good as any.

WINTER SPORTS RECAPS

BOYS BASKETBALL

■ Cottage Grove fell at No. 11 Newport before going 1-1 at the Marist tournament. In the team’s 44-38 win over Gladstone, Cole Kishen had 20 points and 8 rebounds, and Gannon Leach finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals.

■ Creswell went 1-1 last week, losing to Class 4A No. 1 Junction City 44-32 before beating North Bend 58-52. Asher Parsons and Tyler Whitson each had 8 points in the JC loss. Whitson led the way against NB with 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Carson Williamson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. 

■ Pleasant Hill was 2-1 overall. The Billies opened the week with a 74-47 win over Salem Academy behind a triple double from Gavin Inglish – who finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. After a 76-70 loss to Class 2A No. 1 Western Christian, the Billies bounced back with a 109-32 win over Coquille thanks to a career-high 33 points from sophomore Landen Melvin.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

■ Cottage Grove continued its great start to the season, going 2-1 with its only loss against No. 1 Henley. The Lions beat Newport 51-43 behind 13 points from Jaylee Lima and 12 from Mariah Bailey. Bailey kept the ball rolling with 23 points – including 5 threes – in a 58-35 win over Gladstone. In the loss against Henley, Bailey finished with a team-high 13 points and Makya Alsup added 11.

■ Creswell went 2-0 with wins over Class 4A opponents. On Wednesday, the Bulldogs beat Junction City 52-38 thanks to Lizabelle Osborn’s 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Osborn followed up one double-double with another, leading the way in a 42-26 win over North Bend with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Dakota Carson added 10 and 11 points, respectively, in the wins.

■ Pleasant Hill fell twice against top teams last week, losing to Class 2A No. 1 Western Christian 53-34 and 3A No. 2 Coquille 36-34. Junior Claire Crawford had two solid games, finishing with 8 points and 13 rebounds against WC and 7 points and 7 rebounds vs. Coquille. Karsyn Stapleton led the team against Coquille with 15 points, and Raigan Obie finished the week with 9 points and 7 steals.

■ Springfield had a 2-0 week, dominating Class 6A No. 10 Sherwood 61-29 before beating No. 5 Silverton 47-42 in overtime. Danaeja Romero-Ah Sam led the way with two great all-around games, finishing with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals against Sherwood, and 19 points and 9 steals against Silverton. Diamond Wright had another solid week as well, finishing with 14 points and 8 rebounds against Sherwood and 10 points and 8 rebounds against Silverton.

WRESTLING

■ Cottage Grove wrestled at the North Bend Coast Classic, with the girls coming in 14th out of 38 schools and the boys finishing 22nd out of 42. Allison Palluck went 4-0 to win the 120-pound bracket to lead the girls, and Carter Bengston scored a team-high 11 points on the boys side by making the quarterfinals of the 144-pound consolation bracket.

■ Springfield traveled to Philomath HS for the Warrior Classic with six other teams, where the girls finished 5th and the boys grabbed 6th. Lydia Stewart grabbed first in the 115-girls bracket by fall over Yadira Frias-Cortes of Taft. On the boys side, Isaac Carlsen (165) and Joseph Plueard (132) each finished second.

■ Thurston traveled to Westview HS in Beaverton, with the boys grabbing 3rd in the Rose City Championships and the girls finishing 2nd in the War of the Roses. Junior Mason Hakki (113) was the only winner of the boys side, defeating Jesse Landtroop of Sweet Home by decision in the finals. Kristal Zamora (145) moved to 8-0 on the season as the only girl to win for Thurston on the weekend.

CONFERENCE CALL

Weekly tidbits from around our area teams’ conferences:

Crater girls dominate Crescent Valley

■ In Class 5A girls basketball, No. 3 Crater dominated No. 2 Crescent Valley – back-to-back state finalists with a win over Springfield in 2022 – in a 66-29 victory. Crater had 20 steals, with junior Sage Winslow leading the team with 23 points and 6 steals.

No. 1 Junction City continues hot start

■ The Junction City boys basketball team, 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, continued its hot start with three wins last week. The Tigers stifling defense held Creswell to 32 points, Santiam Christian to 39 points, and No. 5 Newport to 44 points in their wins.

Last season, Junction City finished third in the state and 26-3 overall behind star senior Kaleb Burnett. Despite losing Burnett and fellow senior Court Knabe, it seems as though the back-to-back-to-back Sky-Em champs will once again compete for a league title.