Boys Basketball
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove boys opened Sky-Em League with a loss to the Marist Spartans 59-38. Trevor Cooper was the lead scorer with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Following was Nathan Lemon with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.
■ Creswell boys downed the Class 2A Lowell Devils last Thursday 64-29. Senior Tyler Whitson was the lead scorer with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Following was Darien Dewey with 11 points, 4 turnovers, and 2 assists.
■ Springfield boys closed off their preseason 0-10 last week on the road. It lost to the No. 5 ranked 4A Cascade Cougars by almost a 40-point margin 81-45. The Millers had a 23.1-point loss margin per game during non-league.
■ Thurston boys started the Midwestern League strong with a 74-56 win over the Eagle Point Eagles last Friday. Junior Lucas LaBounty crushed the scoreboard with the highest-scored points from any Colts player this season with 30 points. Senior Noah Blair followed with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.
PREVIEWS
#15 COTTAGE GROVE (6-7)
■ Tipping off: The Lions travel to No. 19 Junction City, which also started league play at 0-1. Trevor Cooper is the Lions’ leading scorer.
#3 CRESWELL (10-3)
■ Tipping off: The Bulldogs travel to Sisters to face the No. 20 Outlaws this Friday in a Mountain Valley Conference game. The Outlaws are 7-6 through their preseason. Tyler Whitson and his cast of younger, talented players this season, have had a more consistent and stable run throughout the preseason.
#2 PLEASANT HILL (11-2)
■ Tipping off: The Billies drive to Harrisburg this Friday to battle the No. 22 Eagles. The Eagles (7-7) have struggled this season. This will be a breezy start to the Mountain Valley Conference for the Billies, who have the powerhouse of Gavin Inglish and Landen Melvin. Coach Luke Jackson has said his team needs to work on “execution and defense.”
#30 SPRINGFIELD (0-10)
■ Tipping off: The Millers play host to the Eagle Point Eagles at their home court on Friday. The No. 29 Eagles share the Millers’ struggle in a trying preseason. Coupled with their home-court advantage, this may be a chance for the Millers to get a win this season before the Midwestern League becomes more demanding later.
#2 THURSTON (10-3)
■ Tipping off: The Colts welcome the Crater Comets to their court this Friday. The No. 21 Comets (6-7) are on a six-game losing streak. This might be an easier game for the Colts, who have a deep roster of high scorers.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove girls lost their first Sky-Em League game to the Marist Spartans 51-30. For the first half, the Lions managed to sustain a tight lead. They led 7-5 in the first quarter and 20-17 over Marist in the second. But Marist rallied in the last half of the game, pulling away with a 21-point lead at 41-20 in the third quarter. Mariah Bailey scored 10 points; Lily Cross scored 8 points and recorded 4 rebounds; Makya Alsup had 5 points and 5 rebounds; Sienna Wagner finished with 4 points and 8 rebounds;
■ Creswell girls finished non-league play last week with a three-game winning streak. They dominated Glide 42-21 on Tuesday, skated past Lowell 61-19 on Thursday, and finished their last game against Molalla with a 46-39 win. In their last game against Molalla, Raelee Green and Brooke Moehlmann led the scoring with 7 points each. Elliette Kinney was the top rebounder with 12 rebounds, and Moehlmann recorded 11 boards.
■ Springfield girls ended non-league action with a 79-54 loss to the No. 2 ranked Class 6A Clackamas Cavaliers on the road last weekend. Darissa Romero-Ah Sam was the leading scorer with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Following her was Sailor Hall with 13 points and 4 rebounds.
■Thurston girls had a rocky start to the Midwestern League competition when they lost 50-28 to the No. 11 Eagle Point Eagles on the road last Friday. The Colts are 1-4 on their road games and start their league schedule at 0-1.
PREVIEWS
#15 COTTAGE GROVE (7-6)
■ Tipping off: The Lions head to Junction City and battle the No 8 Tigers this Friday. This may be a difficult Sky-Em opponent for the Lions. If they want to raise their rankings in Class 4A and sustain a strong league record, standouts Makya Alsup, Mariah Bailey, and Kylee Cordin will need to excel.
#19 CRESWELL (7-6)
■ Tipping off: The Bulldogs go to Sisters this Friday. Despite their No. 23 ranking, the Outlaws (9-4) will be a tough matchup for the Bulldogs, who are riding a three-game winning streak. Last season, the Bulldogs blew out the Outlaws in all three matchups. Look out for the strong play of Raelee Green and Brooke Moehlmann – the leading scorers for the Bulldogs, along with top rebounder Elliette Kinney.
#8 PLEASANT HILL (9-4)
■ Tipping off: The Billies hit the road to face No. 12 Harrisburg. Though the Billies are ranked higher, the Eagles (10-4) might put up a fight against the Billies. Last season, the Billies dominated the Eagles in both games. Also, the Billies have gained momentum after a four-game winning streak and a recent win over Class 2A powerhouse the Oakland Oakers. Claire Crawford, Cheyenne Green, and Brooke Weimer power the offense.
#4 SPRINGFIELD (7-5)
■ Tipping off: The Millers play host to the No.11 Eagle Point Eagles on Friday. The Eagles (8-4) will be a good matchup for the Millers in a difficult league where anything can happen. Leading scorers Sailor Hall, Darissa Romero-Ah Sam, and Ikunaday Filipe will control the tempo of the game.
#21 THURSTON (4-7)
■ Tipping off: The Colts welcome the Crater Comets to their home court on Friday. The No. 1 Comets with a crisp 13-1 record will be a challenge for the Colts and are a difficult start to the Midwestern League schedule. Bridgette Nault, Gracie Nissen, and Payton Tove leads the Colts.
