BOYS BASKETBALL
RECAPS
■ Creswell was upset by Sisters last week, losing 43-41, and then lost to No.1 Westside Christian on Monday 60-42. Against the Outlaws, senior Tyler Whitson led with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Following was Luke Bailey with 10 points. Against the Eagles, Whitson recorded a double-double at 20 points and 12 rebounds.
■ Pleasant Hill swept the Harrisburg Eagles and Burns Hilanders last week, pulling away 49-35 with the Eagles and 59-46 against the Hilanders. Against Harrisburg, Gavin Inglish was the leading scorer with 14 points. Following was Riley Smith with 13 and Landen Melvin with 9. Against Burns, Inglish led again with 20 points. Following was Melvin with 16, Chase Vargas and Smith with 8 each, and Jacob Neely with 7.
■ Springfield had a tight game while hosting Eagle Point last week, but lost to the Eagles 66-53. Now 0-12, this is the first time the Millers have gone winless in their first 12 games in the past 11 years (as far back as OSAA goes from the 2013-14 season).
■ Thurston skated past Crater 70-47 at home last week. Midwestern All-League player Nate Stiffler returned to the court with a double-double (20 points and 10 rebounds) after returning from an ankle injury. Lucas LaBounty showed his usual dominance on the scoreboard with another 20 points. Following was Grady Saunders with 12.
PREVIEWS
#13 COTTAGE GROVE (7-8)
■ Tipping off: The Lions are 1-2 in the Sky-Em League,and hit the road for a rematch against No. 1 Marshfield (13-2). Lions coach Seth Hutchison has said that given his “young, relatively inexperienced” team, he’s more focused on the small steps and building success rather than maintaining a winning streak. “I’m not really worried about putting together a long streak, I’m more worried about putting another (win) together now,” Hutchison said. This may be a good learning experience for the Lions and Trevor Cooper and Nathin Lemons, who lead offensively.
#6 CRESWELL (11-5)
■ Tipping off: The Bulldogs travel to Elmira on Friday to play the Falcons. The No. 25 Falcons have had a tumultuous season with an 8-7 record. This should be smooth sailing for Tyler Whitson and his cast of younger, talented players. This will also be great practice for the Bulldogs as they prepare for their big game against the Billies next week.
#2 PLEASANT HILL (14-3)
■ Tipping off: The Billies welcome the Sisters Outlaws to their home court Friday. Though the Outlaws (7-6) have had a roller-coaster preseason, they recently upset the Bulldogs 43-41 and have had a 2-0 start to league play. Gavin Inglish and Logan Melvin should sustain their offense.
#30 SPRINGFIELD (0-12)
■ Tipping off: The Millers head to Ashland this week. The 16th-ranked Grizzlies have had a roller-coaster preseason. This may be a chance for the Millers to get a win in the Midwestern League before meeting North Eugene in the next game.
#2 THURSTON (12-3)
■ Tipping off: The Colts have an away game against the No. 9 Churchill Lancers next week. Though the Colts are ranked higher, in a tough league like the Midwestern League, they can’t let up, especially without the home-court advantage. With the return of standout Nate Stiffler, the Colts are on a roll.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove lost to Junction City 50-45 on the road last week. Though the Lions kept the game at a tight 3-8 point gap for all three quarters, the Tigers edged them out in the fourth quarter. Makya Alsup was the leading scorer with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Mariah Bailey followed with 17 points and Abbi Hemenway added 9 points.
■ Creswell edged out Sisters 65-62 on the road last week. Mila Nguyen led with 8 points and 7 rebounds. Following was Peyton Jenkins with 7 points and Elliette Kinney contributed 9 rebounds.
■ Pleasant Hill swept Harrisburg and Burns. The Billies topped the Eagles 36-31, then clipped the Hilanders 45-42. Against Harrisburg, Karsyn Stapleton led with 16 points and Claire Crawford with 13 points. Against the Hilanders, Brooke Weimer stole the show with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Following was Claire Crawford with 9 points and 5 rebounds, then Stapleton with 8 points and 6 assists.
■ Springfield dominated Churchill 76-25 and Eagle Point 59-27 last week. Against the Lancers, Darissa Romero-Ah Sam led with 23 points and 6 steals. Following was Sailor Hall with 22 points, 7 steals and 6 rebounds. Then, Mylah Wilson with 15 points, 4 steals and 5 assists. Against the Eagles, Romero-Ah Sam had 19 points, 4 steals and 4 rebounds and Hall had 17 points and 6 rebounds.
■ Thurston lost to No.1 Crater 74-28 at home last week. It was the largest point difference the Colts have lost by this season. The Comets remain a demanding Midwestern League foe against the Colts. The Colts are 0-3 the past two seasons against the Comets.
PREVIEWS
#17 COTTAGE GROVE (7-8)
■ Tipping off: The Lions go to Marshfield to play the Pirates on Friday in a rematch. The Lions lost to the Pirates earlier this season by 22 points (57-35). This might be the opportunity to gain back that win. Standouts Makya Alsup, Mariah Bailey, and Kylee Cordin will need to shine.
#17 CRESWELL (10-6)
■ Tipping off: The Bulldogs head to Elmira to face the Falcons. The No. 22 Falcons have had a mixed season thus far. The Bulldogs have turned around their season for the better and are rolling with a six-game winning streak and starting 2-0 in league. Look out for the big plays of Mila Nguyen and Brooke Moehlmann – the leading scorers for the Bulldogs, along with leading rebounder Elliette Kinney.
#6 PLEASANT HILL (12-4)
■ Tipping off: The Billies play host to the No. 24 Sisters Outlaws on their home court on Friday. Last season, the Billies came away 2-0 against Sisters. This should be a breezy game for the Billies and their standouts Claire Crawford, Cheyenne Green, and Brooke Weimer.
#4 SPRINGFIELD (9-5)
■ Tipping off: The Millers head to Ashland on Friday. The No. 26 Grizzlies have had a rocky season with a 5-10 record. This should be smooth sailing for leading scorers Sailor Hall, Darissa Romero-Ah Sam, and Ikunaday Filipe.
#19 THURSTON (5-8)
■ Tipping off: The Colts play host to 6A Roosevelt on Friday. Though a Class 6A team, the Roughriders have had a trying season at No. 36 and a 5-8 record. The Colts have downed 6A teams before and this might be a good opportunity for the Colts to take a respite from a rocky start to league. Watch for standouts Bridgette Nault, Gracie Nissen, and Payton Tove.
WRESTLING, SWIMMING & CHEER
RECAPS
BOYS & GIRLS WRESTLING
■ Thurston boys and girls earned first place in the Class 5A classification at the Oregon Wrestling Classic last week. This is one of wrestling’s biggest meets in Oregon, which consists of Class 1A-6A schools.
■ Pleasant Hill boys took home first at the Nick Lutz Invitational last week. Following was Cottage Grove in 4th, Creswell in 14th and Springfield at 16th. Pleasant Hill’s Jack Quinones (106), Nolan Perkins (113), Bryson Boyles (144) finished first in their weight classes. On the girls side, Zaira Duarte (130) won in her weight class. Creswell’s Lyosha Mitchell (126) took home first in her weight class.
BOYS & GIRLS SWIMMING
■ Springfield lost to Churchill last Friday. Overall scores were Millers girls (4-2 with: 71, CHS with 91 and Miller boys (3-3 at: 51 and CHS with 106. The “Millers of the Meet” were Everette Bailey with the 50 Free at 3.63% and Gavin Reffstrup with the 100 Free at 10.99%.
CHEER
■ Thurston finished in second place at the Sweet Home Cheer Classic last weekend.
■ Creswell placed second in its division at Thurston the week before.