NWL, TRC fill  6 of 8 slots; #1 Cobras (25-0) wait to strike

Familiar faces return to the Pendleton Convention Center as all four semifinalists from 2009 make another run for the elusive blue trophy. This year’s field features six teams from the two strongest leagues seeking to knock off the unanimous #1 team that has never been to Pendleton. Three of the eight quarterfinalists are #3 seeds who took the long way home.

The Northwest League and Tri-River Conference send three teams each against each other in the quarterfinals for bragging rights as 2A’s dominant league. Defending champs #3 Knappa vs. #5 Western Mennonite, #4 Portland Christian vs. Salem Academy and #2 Blanchet vs. #7 DeLaSalle should provide plenty of opening day excitement. Lying in wait is unbeaten and top-ranked Central Linn, which takes on Cinderella Stanfield, the BMC #3 seed and the only quarterfinal team east of the I-5 corridor.

With its dry crisp air, green-vested volunteers, ample parking, and city-wide hospitality, Pendleton may not be as big as the Rose Garden, or possess quite the nostalgia of Mac Court. But then again (with apologies to OSAA) it’s not Willamette…

A – Western Mennonite vs. B. – Knappa (Thurs. March 4 @ 1:30 pm)

The boys’ tournament kicks off with a rematch between 2009 semifinalists, won by eventual champion Knappa, 52-45. The Pioneers and Loggers represent two of the most successful and respected 2A programs in the state. It’s only fitting that they should resume their Pendleton battle where they left off one year ago.

A - #5 Western Mennonite (22-6, TRC #2). “So close, yet so far away…” has been the unfortunate theme for Western Mennonite as Gary Hull and his Pioneers return once again to Pendleton in their quest for the school’s first-ever championship. Currently the dean of 2A boys coaches, Hull has brought some memorable teams and players to the Convention Center over the years, only to see his title hopes dashed along the way.

In 2006, the Pioneers fell in the semifinals, 51-46, to eventual champ Oakland, led by Danny Derry. In 2007’s quarterfinal opener, Bonanza’s Daniel Clark hit a jumper at the final buzzer, sending Hull’s team to the consolation bracket, 49-47. In 2008, Western Mennonite finally reached the title game, only to watch Portland Christian drill 15 of 20 3-pointers in a devastating 70-38 loss. Last year the Pioneers met up with sentimental favorite Knappa, led by retiring coaching legend Craig Cokley and fell to the Loggers, 52-45. However, WM rebounded from that loss to claim the 3rd place trophy with a 55-53 win over Portland Christian.

This year’s edition features a pair of TRC 1st team selections in 6’ 5” senior Taylor Branch and junior guard Pierre Zook. Branch leads the team in scoring at 17.1 ppg as well as rebounds (6.3) and blocks (2.0). Despite his inside game, Branch is a deadly outside shooter, hitting 35 of 91 from beyond the arc.  Meanwhile, Zook creates his own havoc outside, averaging 14.2 ppg while dishing out 172 assists on the year. Senior Luke Burkey (TRC 3rd team), freshman Bradley Branch (9.2 ppg) and sophomore Danny Martinez round out the Pioneer starting lineup.

Western Mennonite finished 13-3 in the rugged TRC, claiming the district #2 seed behind Blanchet Catholic. The Pioneers did not shy away from a tough nonleague schedule either. Their strong showing at the SAC Christmas Tournament began with a 65-61 win  over #4 Portland Christian, followed by a 79-77 win over 3A Valley Catholic, leading to a 74-68 loss to 3A defending champ Cascade Christian in the tournament finals. The Pioneers earned their fifth straight trip to Pendleton with Saturday’s 74-51 win at North Douglas (MVC #2).

B - #3 Knappa (22-6, NWL #3) A year ago the Loggers sent retiring coach Craig Cokley into a well-deserved retirement with a hard-fought 41-36 over fellow NWL team DeLaSalle. Most neutral fans inside the Convention Center were rooting for Cokley to end his career hoisting the blue trophy and his team did not fail him. But with Cokley’s departure, the graduation of Jesse Moreland, Nate Boardman, Steve Tedai and the transfer loss of Mitch Cokley many wondered how long it would take Knappa to get back to Pendleton. The answer was “immediately.”

Rebuilding from the NWL strongest JV program last year, Knappa once again joins NWL powers PC and DLS as Pendleton quarterfinalists. Taking over for Cokley this season is former assistant coach Will Isom, a Knappa grad whose name may be familiar to recent Pendleton fans. Coach Isom’s younger brothers Ryan and Paul were starters on Knappa’s 2007 3rd place team.

Leading the 2010 team is senior guard Tevan Klauser, a NWL 1st team selection and the only holdover starter from last year’s championship team. One piece of trivia from the 2009 title game is that Cokley used his five starters the entire game – not a single substitute came off the bench. But watching from that bench were Eddie Corder, Dillion Moreland and Dalton Kelly who now have taken up the mantles of the departing Loggers and done them proud this season. Moreland (Jr) and Kelly (So) each made NWL 2nd team for a program that has always emphasized team play over individual stardom. Long-time NWL and Pendleton fans have always appreciated Knappa’s relentless work ethic and the throw-back practice of raising their hands when whistled for a personal foul.

Knappa’s road to Pendleton this year was not as easy as it could have been, but nothing is easy at the top of the NWL. The Loggers finished 12-2 in a 3-way tie for first with DLS and PC. However, the Knights earned the top district seed on AZZI points, with Knappa finishing 2nd ahead of Portland Christian. But on February 16, the Royals handed the Loggers their first and only home loss of the season in a district playoff game, landing Knappa in the NWL #3 OSAA slot with a road trip to Chiloquin (SCL #1). The Panthers must be tired of seeing NWL #3 seeds come to town because for the second straight year the NWL #3 seed won at Chiloquin, giving the league three Pendleton berths once again.

KEY TO GAME: These two teams should show no first-time jitters given their recent and deep playoff heritage. For most teams, getting to Pendleton is often the goal. For Western Mennonite, it’s winning once there. With Craig Cokley now a pleasant memory for many neutral fans, this may be Coach Hull’s year to win over the locals. But Knappa has always been a team that can never be overlooked and the Loggers remain defending champs until defeated.

*************************************************************************

C – #4 Portland Christian vs. D – Salem Academy (Thurs. March 4 @ 3:15 pm)

This quarterfinal features two of the hottest 2A teams, each peaking at the end of the season when it matters most. The game also gives Pendleton fans the chance to watch 2A’s leading scorer try to lead his team past an opponent that has taken home trophies the last two years, including the blue one in 2008. The game also pits the only two schools that placed both their boys and girls teams in the Pendleton brackets.

C – #4 Portland Christian (19-8, NWL #1) The Royals join fellow NWL teams Knappa and DeLaSalle at Pendleton once again. Last year, the three NWL powers comprised three of the four semifinalists, with all taking home trophies. This year, the NWL Big Three split their home-and-home series and finished deadlocked at 12-2 atop NWL standings. But when the SOP AZZI points were applied, the Royals came up short, requiring a district playoff trip to Knappa. Many in Royal Nation were already planning for a long trip to Chiloquin, given the Logger’s 60-40 thumping of the Royals at Knappa on January 26. But coach Jeff Huston’s squad handed Knappa its first and only home loss, 67-60 in overtime. In the NWL district title game, PC beat DeLaSalle for the second straight time, 40-31, to earn the NWL #1 OSAA seed. The Royals bounced Monroe (MVC #3), 65-29, at home Saturday to earn their third straight trip to Pendleton.

The 2010 season did not start off well for PC as the Royals struggled to a 4-6 record through December. Yet the 2A coaches kept Portland Christian in the top ten, primarily because of the somewhat misleading W-L record. PC’s six early losses came against 3A #2 Horizon Christian, 3A #5 Santiam Christian, 3A Portland Adventist, 5A Parkrose and 2A #5 Western Mennonite. All of those teams (except Parkrose) made the OSAA playoffs. That tough nonleague schedule paid off as the Royals have since gone 15-2, winning their last nine games in a row.

The Royals are led by senior four-year starter Vance Downey, a NWL 1st team pick averaging 17.4 ppg. Senior guard Tommy Niebergall (9.7 ppg) and senior post Spencer Bolt (10.9 ppg) each earned NWL 2nd team honors. But the key to PC’s recent success has been a charge by coach Huston to pick up the tempo following that 20-point loss at Knappa. The inside joke at PC is that the season turned around for the PC boys when they started playing like the PC girls – which this year is a compliment.

D – Salem Academy (15-13, TRC #3) If the Royals’ resurgence has been notable, the Crusaders’ presence in Pendleton this year is nothing short of amazing. A month ago, SAC was limping along with a 10-13 record following a 59-52 loss to lowly Dephian School. But two factors gave SAC coach Pete Potloff hope for a post-season bid. First is the fact that the 9-team TRC permits its top seven teams to compete in the district playoffs, giving hope to teams with losing records to earn an OSAA playoff spot. Second, this year the TRC earned the annual rotation of the 4th OSAA slot in the boys bracket. Thus, seven TRC teams had a crack at four OSAA playoff spots.

After finishing 4th in the TRC at 9-7, the Crusaders beat Delphian 58-45, followed by a 71-40 win over Santiam to set up a district game against East Linn Christian Academy. But at this point, SAC was guaranteed no worse than the TRC’s 4th OSAA slot. Yet the Crusaders stunned the Eagles, 57-38, to earn the TRC #3 OSAA spot. The reward was a long trip past Pendleton to Athena to take on Weston-McEwen, the Blue Mountain Conference #1 seed. The drive was worth it as SAC rumbled back to Salem with a 59-51 victory and their first trip to Pendleton since 2005 when they took 2nd place. Meanwhile, ELCA had to travel to #1 Central Linn, which resulted in a season-ending 60-31 loss for the Eagles.

In all fairness, no one – including the most loyal SAC fans – would confuse this year’s team with the 2005 squad featuring Landon Boucher, Ben Potloff and Jon Young. But what the 2010 Crusaders lack in depth and overall talent they make up for in TRC POY Calvin Molan, a prolific scorer who has carried his team all season.

KEY TO GAME: PC holding Molan to less than his scoring average. While these two teams did not play each other this year, they saw plenty of each other at SAC’s Annual Christmas Tournament – one of the premier 3A/2A holiday tournaments in the state. Each team knows what it must do to win, which will end either PC's 9-game or SAC's 6-game winning streak.

***********************************************************************

E – Stanfield vs. F. #1 Central Linn (Thurs. March 4 @ 6:30 pm)

The evening quarterfinal features a David vs. Goliath match-up as unranked Stanfield takes on undefeated and top-ranked Central Linn, making its first-ever Pendleton appearance.

E – Stanfield (19-8, BMC #3) The Tigers are the third #3 seed to reach the quarterfinals and the most surprising. Given the relevant strength of the NWL and TRC, it was not a shock that Knappa and Salem Academy won their road games. But with BMC #1 Weston-McEwen and #2 Heppner eliminated, few gave Stanfield much of a chance at St. Mary’s, the SCL #2 seed. But when the final score of 67-58 was confirmed, it was time to sit up take notice of the Tigers.

Stanfield has not been to Pendleton since 1999 when arguably the best team in school history lost in the quarterfinals to Brian Jackson-led Knappa. This year’s Tigers team is led by Devin Bailey and Quin Grogan, both BMC 2nd team picks, and Robbie Shirley (BMC honorable mention). Stanfield led the BMC in scoring at 62.3 ppg, which could prove for a high-scoring shootout with Central Linn.

Stanfield did not play any school outside its immediate Columbia Basin area until its trip to Medford to face St. Mary’s. That’s not uncommon for BMC teams, which are often limited in their choice of opponents other than the local 3A and 1A schools. The Tigers did not play any ranked team in its nonleague schedule, which includes a 70-50 loss to unranked 1A Ione.

While Stanfield may enjoy near-universal support from the locals looking to support a BMC team, that joy could turn sour quickly against its quarterfinal opponent.

F – Central Linn (25-0, MVC #1) The Cobras have sat atop the 2A coaches poll as the unanimous #1 team all year long. Statistically, Central Linn is almost off the charts. At 78.3 ppg, the Cobras trail only 5A Jefferson as Oregon’s highest scoring boys basketball team. Central Linn’s 43.2 average margin of victory is the greatest of any boys’ team, regardless of classification.

Despite the impressive statistics, Central Linn’s schedule has not been as challenging as that of the NWL and TRC teams in this tournament. The Cobras have played only one ranked team outside the 2A classification, defeating 4A #8 Marist. Other 2010 Pendleton teams played top ten 3A schools such as Dayton, Horizon Christian, Sheridan, Santiam Christian, and Cascade Christian. On the other hand, Central Linn played unranked 3A Willamina (7-15), Jefferson (9-13) and Harrisburg (which did make the Willamette 3A bracket). The Cobras’ 2A nonleague schedule included wins over Nestucca (3-21), Kennedy (2-23) and Santiam (11-15). Some might suggest there are more challenging ways to fill a nonleague schedule, particularly for a MVC team looking to win a state championship.

The Mountain View Conference is not considered as strong as the NWL or TRC in basketball. Since its inception in 2007 following reclassification, only one team – North Douglas in 2008 – has won a quarterfinal game. For its part, Central Linn has never appeared at Pendleton nor have the Cobras won a trophy in boys basketball. Thus the challenge for first-year head coach Bart Rothenberger may not be the Cobras’ opponent(s) as much as overcoming Central Linn’s lack of playoff experience, and relative weakness of the Cobra’s overall schedule.

But there is no denying Central Linn can score at a prolific rate, led by 2A POY candidate Trevor Parker, a 2009 MVC 1st team player averaging 18.4 ppg this year. Blake Nightingale (11.4 ppg), Tyler Cone (9.4 ppg), Wesley Smith (8.6 ppg) and Bryce Baldwin (7.4) all contribute to a well-balanced Cobra attack that does not shy from putting up big numbers in all four periods. For example, in CL’s 105-28 and 100-22 wins over Riddle, the Cobras poured in more fourth quarter points (46) than second quarter points (40).

But there are no Riddles at Pendleton – only puns.

KEY TO GAME: These are the two teams with the least Pendleton experience, despite their disparate W-L records. Given their underdog status and close proximity to Pendleton, the Tigers will clearly be the fan favorite for the dinner crowd other than Halsey residents. That probably won’t be enough as Central Linn should cruise to the semifinals, where things will get decidedly tougher Friday and Saturday against whoever emerges from the NWL/TRC brawls.

************************************************************************

G – DeLaSalle North Catholic vs. H – Blanchet Catholic (Thurs. March 4 @ 8:15 pm)

The Thursday nightcap should cap a terrific opening round as last year’s 2nd place finisher faces this year’s 2nd-ranked team. This game marks the third and last of the NWL vs. TRC quarterfinal match-ups, with the winner likely taking on top-ranked Central Linn. This is the only quarterfinal in which the opponents met earlier this year. In a December 22 nonleague game, Blanchet defeated De La Salle, 76-68, in Salem.

G – De La Salle North Catholic (19-8, NWL #2) As noted earlier, De La Salle shared the NWL regular season title with Portland Christian and Knappa. The Knights eventually captured the NWL’s #2 OSAA seed and a home game against #8 Heppner, the BMC #2 seed. Following their 65-46 win at Salvation Army, the Knights return to Pendleton for their third consecutive trip.

De La Salle’s Pendleton experience has mirrored that of so many other teams. In 2008, the Knights made their Pendleton debut and played like it, going 1-2 and finishing 6th. With the novelty and first-time jitters gone, the Knights returned last year much more poised and confident. DeLaSalle reached the title game, where they lost to a mission-driven Knappa team that just seemed destined to win it all. Both of those DLS teams were led by two-time 2A POY Donta Harris.

Though De La Salle lost Harris and Terence Kendrick to graduation, coach Forbes Lapp returns three key starters from last year in seniors Royshad Curry, Robert Auger and Christian Fuqua. Curry was 2nd team all-state last year and was chosen by the NWL coaches as the 2010 POY. Curry was joined on the NWL 1st team by Auger, a four-year starter still playing with his right forearm in a cast. Fuqua was named NWL honorable mention, which does not give the quick point guard the credit he is due. Opposing teams often learn too late to ignore Fuqua when he has the ball.

Just as important, Curry, Auger and Fuqua have started all six of De La Salle’s playoff games at Pendleton, looking to add three more to their career totals. Regardless of regular season results, that solid trio of seniors has gone from awe-struck sophomores to seasoned veterans at the Pendleton Convention Center. That experience alone can carry a team far in a 3-day bracket.

H – #2 Blanchet Catholic (21-5, TRC #1) The Cavaliers made the schools’ first-ever Pendleton appearance in 2007 and predictably went 0-2 like so many first-timers before them. Coach Jon Trombley returns this year with arguably a better team that won the rugged TRC regular season title (14-2) and top district seed. The Cavs’ TRC losses to Western Mennonite and ELCA are their only losses to 2A teams this year. Blanchet’s other three losses came against 3A # 5 Santiam Christian and a pair of losses to 3A #1 Dayton. Blanchet also defeated 3A #6 Sheridan and 3A Portland Adventist. Blanchet may not have the best overall record in this field, but no one can question its strength of schedule. As noted above, the Cavaliers also own an early 76-68 nonleague home victory over De La Salle.

The 2010 Cavaliers are led by a trio of talented juniors and a 6’7” freshman still growing. Nick Cantowine (16.5 ppg) and Grayson Franke (11.1 ppg) each earned TRC 1st team honors, while fellow junior Tevin Gianella (8.0 ppg) made 2nd team. Freshman 6’7” center Brent Counts made TRC 3rd team with 8.3 ppg and 66 blocked shots. Trombley was also honored by his peers as TRC COY for 2010. No current player remains from the 2007 squad – with one notable exception. In 2007 Blanchet carried a lanky, 6’3” freshman named Taylor Branch, who later transferred to and starts for TRC rival Western Mennonite.

KEY TO THE GAME: DLS owns the playoff experience over a younger Blanchet team. But the Cav’s own a head-to-head win on their home (not neutral) court. DLS’s Auger has been limited with his arm in a cast, at one point having to shoot free throws left handed. Both teams can get up and down the court and score in the 70’s. Yet, in an NWL playoff game DLS coach Lapp once had Donta Harris dribble the ball for an entire period as Knappa sat in a zone watching 8:00 minutes run continuously.

All Photos by Bruce McCain

[For those who want printed copies of this article for Pendleton, just hit the printer icon at the top right of the page]