Class 3A: Billies boys top public school, #2 overall 

COOS BAY – It was the stuff dreams are made of. Trailing by 13 points midway through the second quarter, Pleasant Hill stormed back to defeat Valley Catholic in a dramatic finish at the 3A Boys State Basketball Championship. 

Unfortunately for the Billies, that game was on Friday night in the semifinals. They still had to play about 24 hours later in the title game, and their dreams of a state title turned into a nightmare. Top-seeded Westside Christian (24-3) took control early and won 65-47 over No. 2-seeded Pleasant Hill. 

“I’m just proud of these kids. They gave it everything they had, but we just didn’t play a fundamental game and we have to live with it,” Pleasant Hill coach Luke Jackson said. “It should have been closer. We didn’t settle down and we kept turning it over and not relying on our fundamentals and our game plan. I kept calling all the timeouts I could, but that’s what happens when you play like that.

“Second place is a big deal, though, and that’s just the way it is. We went all the way through the season without losing to a 3A team until the championship game and that’s a big accomplishment. I’m really proud of the kids – all of them. Every single kid made a difference. Some had to sacrifice, some played through injuries, and some played through sickness. 

We’ll be back, we’ll find a way; we have a bunch of young kids.. … You’ve gotta give (Westside) credit, they’re a great team. We just couldn’t execute (Saturday night).”

***

The Billies’ tournament started on Thursday with their third showdown of the season against nearby rival Creswell. During the regular season, Pleasant Hill won at home 73-43, before the Bulldogs made it close on their court, losing 51-47. 

This time, Pleasant Hill (26-4) split the difference, beating Creswell 61-47. Creswell (17-11) then fell 74-60 to Cascade Christian on Friday, ending its season. 

Senior Riley Smith – who transferred from Creswell to P-Hill during the offseason – had 16 points Creswell while Gavin Inglish and Landen Melvin contributed 14 and 13, respectively. 

In the big comeback win against Valley Catholic, Inglish – a first-team All-State guard – scored 7 points in a span of 2:20 late in the second quarter as P-Hill closed a 13-point gap to 26-20 at halftime. 

Inglish would score a game-high 23 points, but Smith wore the hero’s cape at the game’s end. 

With 21.8 seconds showing, Smith was intentionally fouled with the Billies leading 43-42. He calmly stepped to the line, drained the first shot … and then banked in the second one, making it 45-42. 

Valley Catholic tossed up a wild 3-pointer that didn’t draw iron, and Inglish got the rebound and was fouled with five seconds to play. He made the first free throw, giving the Billies an exhilarating 46-42 win. 

“It was really special, especially since I felt like everyone had penciled in Westside and Valley to be the 1-and-2 (in the final),” Jackson said after that game. “We tried to slow the game down and keep it in the 40s because they really like to run. 

“Our guys hit some big shots – you have to be proud of Riley Smith hitting those two big free throws – even though the last one went off the glass. We celebrated like we won the state title.”

With that victory, Pleasant Hill remained perfect on the season against 3A competition.

***

That streak came to a crashing halt, though, on Saturday night. 

Turnovers were the big bugaboo for the Billies, as the Eagles forced 19 and committed only 8. 

Early on we needed to be strong with the ball, and I take responsibility for the brunt of that,” said Inglish, who uncharacteristically had the ball poked out of his hands on 4-5 occasions. 

“We weren’t intense enough,” said Melvin, who was bottled up for most of the weekend, and not allowed to go on one of his patented shooting sprees. “We allowed them to set the tone with the pace they wanted to play.” 

Agony and ecstasy: Gavin Inglish, Class 3A co-Player of the Year this season, had trouble against a stout defense in the title game.

It was a tough way to end their season, but the two Pleasant Hill stars will take away a lot of pleasant memories. 

“I think it’s sad that we don’t get to play on Pleasant Hill together anymore, but if I’ve learned anything this season, it’s the importance of making tight, close relationships and forming a real brotherhood,” Inglish said. “Because I’ve made so many – not even nuanced – but tight relationships with these guys that I’ll be talking to and being friends with for the rest of my life. I value that more than any win or loss in basketball.” 

“Luke Jackson is a head coach with a wealth of knowledge,” said Melvin, a junior. “Being able to play for him has been a real blessing. All the seniors who are now graduating were so much fun to play with. We’ve all played together since we were little, so it’s tough to see that ending.”

***

The third time was the charm for Westside Christian, which won its first state title after losing to Cascade Christian in the title game each of the past two years. 

Its coach, David Henry, was coaching in his final game before making a move to Arizona. Pleasant Hill, meanwhile, was making its first title game appearance in 26 years. 

Westside Christian was fortunate to get past Oregon Episcopal, as both 3A semifinal games went down to the last minute. With his team leading 54-52, Oregon Episcopal junior guard Porter Hagerm missed two straight breakaway layups in the final four minutes. The Aardvarks never scored again, losing 59-54. 

Inglish was the unanimous selection on the all-tournament first team, where he was joined by Westside’s Cole Chiong, Jaylen Hill of De La Salle North Catholic, Jaren Fronckowiak of Cascade Christian, and Joe Schwalbach of Oregon Episcopal. 

The 3A girls final was another nail-biter, as Amity held on for a 43-41 victory over Banks.