Knappa claimed their fourth league win last night against Neah-Kah-Nie to take over first place in the Northwest League from Faith Bible and Mannahouse Christian who were tied at the top with a league record of 4-1. Neah-Kah-Nie was looking to bounce back from a loss at Faith Bible last week - although the Pirates were still missing several key players due to COVID protocol. There were no visiting fans allowed at Neah-Kah-Nie, who's basketball program is still recovering from a bout with COVID. The first quarter was a wild affair filled with turnovers, missed shots, and energetic play by both teams. Knappa's press allowed for loads of layups, but Neah-Kah-Nie did a good job to force Knappa to convert contested shots and layups. By the end of the first quarter, Knappa led 24-9 despite having difficulties scoring in their set offense. Neah-Kah-Nie showed their determination to play hard in the second quarter. Rather than folding to the pressure, the Pirates dug their heels in and took advantage of the press to score layups of their own as well as taking better care of the ball. However, with both of their posts still out of action, Neah-Kah-Nie struggled to haul in defensive rebounds allowing Knappa to get 2nd and 3rd opportunities on offense. Despite a determined effort, the 5'10" Neah-Kah-Nie freshman Ethan Hanson simply could not outrebound the towering 6'9" Logan Morrill from Knappa. Although Neah-Kah-Nie play was commendable in the second quarter, the Loggers still led 33-15. Knappa came out of the break ready to cause havoc. Their press continued to give troubles to Neah-Kah-Nie. Even when the press did not create turnovers, the constant disruption of tipped passes and near-steals kept the Neah-Kah-Nie offense off balance. The third quarter was a repeat of first quarter, although the Loggers did a better job of converting their layups. Knappa still struggled to find their 3-point game and set offense, but that did not stop them from posting 22 points in the quarter. At the end of the third, Knappa led 56-24. Like the first half, Neah-Kah-Nie settled in during the fourth quarter. They stemmed the bleeding from their turnovers and managed to score with Knappa. Unfortunately, the game was too far out of reach for the Pirates. The final score was 66-32 in favor of Knappa. These two teams will play each other again on Thursday at Knappa. Neah-Kah-Nie is expected to be at full strength for the game, so the results of last night will not necessarily carry over into the rematch. Knappa plays again tonight against Gaston to defend their first-place position in league. Neah-Kah-Nie is slated to play tonight against a Columbia Christian team coming off of a big win against Mannahouse last Saturday. #NWLeague

Background The Knights of Columbia Christian were looking to score their first league win over 2nd-place Mannahouse Christian. Columbia Christian was 5-5 on the season and an uncharacteristic 0-2 in league. The Knights are looking to bounce back from a tough loss on the road to Nestucca. The Mannahouse Christian Lions are off to a better start to their season at 10-2 overall and 4-0 in league play. The Lions are also coming off of a 52-point win against Gaston. The showdown was originally scheduled for Friday night, but was rescheduled to Saturday. Summary Saturday games are always weird for players. They usually take place during the middle of the day on a day without the normal structure of school. Some teams have no issues with these complications, but sometimes it is enough to throw off a team's rhythm. Columbia Christian responded well to the challenge, while the Saturday Sleepies seemed to catch Mannahouse in the first half. Mannahouse seemed confused by Columbia's 1-3-1 zone. After an 8-2 Columbia run to start the game, Mannahouse called a timeout and played the rest of the quarter evenly. At the end of the first it was 14-8 in favor of Columbia. Throughout the first half, Dawson Vensel created plays from Columbia through drives and taking defenders 1-on-1. Mannahouse put on a press in the second quarter, but the Knights handled the pressure well. Christian Chapman drained a couple of 3-pointers to help Columbia build the lead to 22-14 by the half. Mannahouse woke up in the third quarter. They forced turnovers and got their offense flowing by finding the gaps in Columbia's defense. Mannahouse scored at the end of the quarter to bring themselves within 7 points (35-28 Columbia). Mannahouse built on their momentum in the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run to start bringing the score to within 3 points with 6:45 to go before Columbia was forced to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, Columbia turned the ball over, but Mannahouse failed to capitalize on the opportunity to tie the game. However, the Lions got a second chance. A steal by senior captain Devin Johnson looked to be a breakaway layup, but a foul by Columbia gave the Lions the ball out of bounds. Mannahouse coach Ryan Bjornsgard argued that it should have been called an intentional foul, which would have given the Lions two free throws and the ball, but the officials disagreed. Mannahouse again failed to capitalize on their chance and Columbia did not look back. A quick 8-2 run stretched Columbia's lead to 9 points and was capped by a dagger 3-point shot by Jordan Tibbets with 2:27 to go. Mannahouse continued to fight, but it was not enough. Another 3-point shot by Tibbets ended the scoring with a minute to go. The game finished with a final score of 46-36 in favor of Columbia Christian. Takeaways The middle of the Northwest League just got a lot more crowded. With Mannahouse's first loss in league, they now sit at 4-1 in League, tied with Faith Bible. The showdown on Tuesday will hopefully add some clarity to the league, but it is likely that there will be a group of teams all jockeying for position as the district tournament approaches. Mannahouse has also done a good job this season of giving themselves breathing room. By winning their first 4 games in league, the Lions are still very much a contender. Columbia Christian scored its first win in league. With three games next week, Columbia has a chance to win its way into the playoff conversation. Should they win all three games (or even 2/3), the Knights will find themselves in position to make a run at the district tournament. They are a tall team that has some good athletes capable of causing issues for many teams. It would be easy to feel down after opening 0-2 in league, but the team and coaching staff deserve credit for keeping their heads in the game and realizing that their season is far from over and that potentially great things await them. Post Script If you saw someone that deserves a shoutout for their play, please put it in the comments so others can appreciate the good work being done by these players. Additionally, if there are any pictures that you took of the game you feel comfortable sharing, please share them to my email, lincoln.james.miller@gmail.com, and I will give full picture credit. #NWLeague

Background The Neah-Kah-Nie Pirates faced off against the Falcons of Faith Bible in their first game back since January 4th. The Pirates were 3-0 (1-0 in league play), however they were down their leading scorer and both starting posts due to COVID protocol. This left them with only 6 full-time varsity players and only 3 of their regular starters. Faith Bible came into last night's game coming off a big win at Vernonia and leading the league in offense. The Falcons were looking to maintain their third-place standing in conference play and stay in contention for a playoff berth. Summary Both teams came out with a lot of energy going up and down the court in a fast-paced start. Junior wing Espen White carried the Pirates offensively in the first few minutes of the game by driving on the man-to-man defense of Faith Bible. Neah-Kah-Nie's aggression early on led to four fouls in the first three minutes of the game being called on Faith Bible. The Falcon's coach called a timeout and gathered his team. Coming out of the timeout, freshman Ezekiel Cook was substituted in to play defense on White. Cook's lock-down spy defense helped cool the Neah-Kah-Nie offense while Faith Bible began to pick apart Neah-Kah-Nie's 1-2-2 zone with great ball movement. After the first quarter, Faith Bible led 13-8. The second quarter was less even. Landon Young shot 3/4 on 3-point shots leading an explosion by the Falcon's offense. Even on missed shots, the Falcons routinely pulled in offensive rebounds to give themselves second and third opportunities to score. Not having their posts hurt Neah-Kah-Nie as the height differential was proving decisive. Eddie Loza hit a couple of 3-point shots to give Neah-Kah-Nie some life, but it was not enough. At half, the score was 27-13 in favor of the Falcons. The story continued into the second half. Despite the energetic play of Loza, White, Matthew Erickson, the Pirates could not keep pace with the hungry Falcons. Six different Falcons scored from beyond the arch as they dominated the second half. But Neah-Kah-Nie refused to quit. Early in the fourth quarter, the Pirate's 2-2-1 full-court press helped them pull within 12 points of Faith Bible only to be met with a substitution and a scoring run by the Falcons. The final score was 58-37 in favor of Faith Bible. Takeaways Neah-Kah-Nie is back playing again, which is great for their team. The Pirates put on a good fight despite being down three major contributors on the team. This has given other players a chance to gain experience and develop themselves. This team is definitely in the mix for one of the Northwest League's two playoff berths. Coach Erick White said that he was proud of how his boys played in the face of adversity, "All we ask is that they give it their all and they did." They face a stiff test next week with four games - two of them against the OSAA #3-ranked Knappa Loggers, but they also expect the return of their full team by their second game against Knappa. Their next game is Monday, at home, versus the Loggers. Faith Bible scored a key victory in league, putting them solidly in third place. The team effort showed against Neah-Kah-Nie and they are a very evenly-talented team. So even, in fact, that starting spots are determined as a part of an on-going assessment each practice. The Falcons face an immediate test tonight at Nestucca. It is a long bus ride and the even matchup with between the Falcons and Bobcats led Coach Masterson to comment that the key to winning is a good start. Should they emerge victorious this evening then the Falcons would be continuing to make good on their goal to "turn talent into wins" as well as putting them in excellent position to face Mannahouse next Tuesday. Post Script If you saw someone that deserves a shoutout for their play, please put it in the comments so others can appreciate the good work being done by these players. Additionally, if there are any pictures that you took of the game you feel comfortable sharing, please share them to my email, lincoln.james.miller@gmail.com, and I will give full picture credit. #NWLeague

Background The Bobcats of Nestucca entered last night's game against Knappa with a 3-1 league record and looking to topple the #3-ranked Loggers and put themselves into the conversation for 1st-place. Knappa was looking to shake off some rust after an 8-day hiatus from games and score their ninth straight win. The Knappa lineup welcomed back Nicolai Ogier who returned from an injury sustained during the football season. Summary The first few minutes of the game was an exciting back and forth affair. Knappa jumped out to an 8-1 lead, only to have Nestucca sink two 3-pointers and bring the game back 8-7. But then the press of Knappa forced turnovers and Knappa went on a 13-3 run to finish the quarter. Knappa subbed much of their second team into the game, playing 11 players in the first half. It appeared as if this was going to be a blowout from the beginning, but Nestucca fought back. Knappa went cold on the offensive end and Nestucca was able to fight and win the second quarter 7-6. By halftime the game was 27-17. After halftime, the game came into question again when Nestucca opened with a strong start bringing the score to within two possessions. Knappa called a timeout and then proceeded to have exactly zero issues the rest of the game. They swarmed and harassed the ball carriers for Nestucca and shared the ball on offense. The rest of the game was a 35-5 run by the Loggers. Knappa's press and 3-2 zone shut down the Bobcats' offense while point guard Shane McMahan picked apart the Nestucca defense to create numerous opportunities for his teammates. Although he only recorded 5 assists, McMahan easily could have had many more if a few more shots had fallen for Knappa. The biggest difference came in the rebounding category. Knappa out-rebounded Nestucca 48-28. Takeaways Knappa is proving to be a matchup nightmare. With length, athleticism, and an aggressive mentality, they give their opponents very little chance to get comfortable. While still prone to droughts, they have shown all year that their opponents will also go through long scoring droughts of their own. One of the hardest things to deal with Knappa is the fact that there has not been "the guy". There is no one player that needs to be stopped since there are several players capable of scoring depending on the night. Pair this with a team that creates lots of assists and it becomes extremely challenging to defend them. That all being said, the top teams in state are not likely to turn the ball over as much and are also less likely to give up 21-point runs. Knappa still has a whole league schedule to play and a lot can happen. They have yet to play 9-2 Mannahouse, but they remain the league favorites. Their next game is Monday (January 17th) at Neah-Kah-Nie. Nestucca is a team that should win a lot of games this year. They have several players capable of hitting outside shots when left open and have good speed. Their matchup against Faith Bible on Friday should be a good matchup. A win would put Nestucca in good position going forward in league play. This team has potential to fight for one of the two automatic playoff berths for the Northwest League. They are a senior-heavy team which should give them the experience needed to negotiate the tough environment provided in league play. Post Script If you saw someone that deserves a shoutout for their play, please put it in the comments so others can appreciate the good work being done by these players. Additionally, if there are any pictures that you took of the game you feel comfortable sharing, please share them to my email, lincoln.james.miller@gmail.com, and I will give full picture credit. #NWLeague

Background The Nestucca Bobcats entered last night's game with a strong 4-0 record in league play. The Knappa Loggers girls entered their first game since their loss to Faith Bible over a week ago. The Bobcats were looking to extended their lead in league play while Knappa was looking to build off of their good performance against Faith Bible and score their first win in league. Knappa was also missing Ariana Miller, a key player in their game against Faith Bible. Summary From the tip, Nestucca controlled the game. Their 1-3-1 press and 2-3 zone defense smothered the Loggers, who struggled to hit shots. Despite good ball movement and finding open shots, Knappa's offense struggled to capitalize. The only points scored in the first half were by Knappa's Hannah Dietrichs and Patricia Lebo who knocked down 4 free throws between the two of them. Unfortunately for Knappa, Nestucca did not struggle offensively. The Bobcats shot well from beyond the arch and made the most of layup opportunities. At halftime, Nestucca had knocked down 4 three-pointers by three separate players and led 27-4. Knappa came out with energy in the second half and scored a field goal on their first possession. However, Nestucca hit their offensive stride in the third quarter, putting in 21 points. Knappa switched up their defense all night. From man-to-man to an assortment of zone defenses but Nestucca adjusted and continued to build on their lead. The final score ended 56-16 in favor of Nestucca. The high scorer for Nestucca was senior captain Rachel Strober with 18 points. Deitrichs led the scoring for Knappa with 8 points. After the game, Nestucca head coach Tevin Gianella said that he was proud of how his team performed and especially with Stroble who he "wished he had for longer [to coach]". He also said that his team is preparing for Friday night's showdown against Faith Bible. Knappa looks to score their first league win tomorrow (January 14th) at Mannahouse Christian Academy. Takeaways Nestucca is a strong contender for the league title. Their outside shooting posses issues for other teams and their press is effective at creating turnovers. This helps overcome their height as opposing teams are not given an opportunity to set their defenses or run a comfortable offense. The trio of Hailey Knight, Rachel Strober, and Tristyn Harrison stretches opponents. Add the outside shooting threat of Lyndie Hurlimen and you get a team that makes a strong contender to Faith Bible. Friday's game against Faith Bible will be a test for both teams as the slightly different playing styles combat each other. The Northwest League will likely be clearer after the results from that game are in. Knappa had an unfortunate first two league games. Due to cancellations, Knappa had the privilege of facing down what are likely to be the top-2 teams in the league. Despite their offensive struggles in the first half, Knappa continued to show that they will fight. Their ball movement was excellent last night and they have the majority of league play to score some wins and to put them in position to make a run come playoff time. They are a fairly young team that just needs to find their rhythm. Post Script If you saw someone that deserves a shoutout for their play, please put it in the comments so others can appreciate the good work being done by these players. Additionally, if there are any pictures that you took of the game you feel comfortable sharing, please share them to my email, lincoln.james.miller@gmail.com, and I will give full picture credit. #NWLeague

Background I can't recall a time when a coach could play all eleven players on their bench without a noticeable difference on the court, but Knappa Loggers head coach Paul Isom has this luxury. Knappa entered last night's game riding a 7-game winning streak, averaging just over 60 points per game on offense, and giving up less than 40 points per game. Their opponents were the Falcons of Faith Bible who were 7-2 (their only losses were to the #7 and #8 3A teams). Faith Bible has proven to have a high-flying offense which averaged 68.8 points per game (including a 94 point game) along with an effective defense that allowed 41.8 points per game. On paper, this looked to be an even match. Summary Despite the even look on paper, the game was far from close. From the opening tip, Knappa took control of the game. Between great ball movement, selfless play, and stifling defense, Knappa jumped out to an 18-9 lead after the first quarter. The 1-3-1 trapping press and the 3-2 zone defense did not allow Faith Bible to ever get comfortable. Almost every shot was contested and rushed as the Falcons tried to avoid the constant pressure of the Loggers. The Falcons also had no answer for 6'9" senior Logan Morrill who put on a 20-point show or senior guard Shane McMahan who put in 18 and created numerous opportunities for his teammates. The second quarter was even less of a contest. The Loggers put in 25 more points and held the Falcons to just 7. The closing seconds of the half was a brief summary of the game as a whole: Faith Bible had a 1 and 1 free throw opportunity with under 4 seconds left. After missing the first shot, McMahan secured the rebound for Knappa, dribbled to half court, and sunk a 44-foot shot as time expired. At half, the score was 43-16 Knappa. The Loggers went deep into their bench, playing all 11 players by the end of the 3rd quarter, but the depth of their team meant that the Falcons were still overwhelmed with defensive pressure and offense. The only spark of life came off the bench for the Falcons in the form of #24 Feleti Martinez-Afemui whose court vision and even-keeledness lead to the best scoring chances for the Falcons. A 21-point quarter stretched the lead to 64-24. There was no respite in the fourth quarter as the Loggers scored another 13 points and held the Falcons to just 5 points. The final score was 77-29 Knappa. The Loggers extended their win streak to 8 games and improved to 8-1 on the year and 2-0 in league. Their one loss came to #3 ranked Western Christian on the first game of the year. The Falcons fells to 7-3 on the season and 1-1 in league play. Takeaways Faith Bible is still a contender for a playoff spot in the Northwest League. They still have the best offense in the league and their length will pose issues to other teams. As a team, there is room for improvement in poise and intensity, but they are a talented team that is a legitimate playoff contender. Faith Bible's next game is against Columbia Christian this Friday, January 7th. Knappa is truly an elite team. Their defense is furious, they have length, they have speed, and they can get streaky on offense. They showed last night that when they play to their best there are few teams that can even play close to their level, much less to a higher one. Their depth is their biggest strength as they can afford to go 11-deep into their bench without significant drop-off in talent. This gives them longevity over the course of the season and gives the coaching staff options depending on their opponent. An issue that could haunt the Loggers is their tendency to go cold shooting, but if they continue to crash the offensive boards like they did against Faith Bible, then this issue can be mitigated. Knappa's next game is Thursday, January 6th, at home against Vernonia.

Background Faith Bible girls entered Tuesday night's game as the #4 ranked team in 2A, and with good reason. They were 10-1 with the only loss being to 9-3 Morenci (an Arizona 3A equivalent), averaging 65.3 points per game on offense, and only allowing 29.5 points per game on defense. The Faith Bible Falcons were well-ranked at #4. The Knappa Loggers entered the game at an even 4-4, averaging 35.4 points per game on offense, and allowing 45 points per game. Summary From the opening tip Faith Bible showed why they are ranked #4. Constant pressure defense, beautiful ball movement, and solid play allowed them to take 14-6 lead after the first quarter. However, the Loggers got their feet under them in the second quarter. With the help of a full-court press and solid play by sophomore Ariana Miller helped keep the lead from increasing going into halftime. At half, Faith Bible led 24-16. Unfortunately for the Loggers, they could not keep the pace up. Strong play by both seniors from Faith Bible (Ashley Lohmon and Taylor Masterson scored 16 and 18 points respectively in the game), coupled with a half-time adjustment to combat the press proved to be too much for Knappa. The third quarter was essentially a repeat of the first with the Falcons stretching the lead to 16 with a score of 38-22. The Loggers continued to fight until the end of the fourth quarter, but Faith Bible still managed to stretch the lead. The exact final score is unknown as of now. OSAA.org shows Faith Bible winning 47-30, while the Knappa scorebook has a final score of 47-28 Faith Bible. Either way, Faith Bible won a key league victory to improve to 11-1 on the season and Knappa lost its first league game and fell to 4-5 on the season. Takeaways Although the score seems lopsided, Knappa has a lot to be proud of. They held the #4 team in the state to 18 points below their scoring average while managing to cause problems with their press. Arianna Miller is a good post inside and she carried the team offensively with 18 points. Freshman Alondra Pina shows potential and heart with her hustle and defensive tenacity. Hopefully the Loggers can continue to build upon the good things they accomplished in this game into the rest of league play. Their next game Thursday, January 6th, at home against Vernonia. Faith Bible is well-deserving of their now #3 ranking in state. They are a solid team that has some great athletes. Their senior guards, especially Masterson, are a tough matchup from an athletic perspective and the entire team is disciplined - doing the little things correctly. On defense they do not give up anything easily and they do not hurt themselves with excessive turnovers or unnecessary mistakes. While they might not jump off the page with flash or a killer-look, the Falcons will capitalize on their opponents mistakes and steadily build their lead. The Falcons' next game is Monday, January 10th, against Vernonia.

After a somewhat disappointing tournament last year, the Trojans of Kennedy High School cruised to reclaim the 2A girls' title. Kennedy was the top seed in the tournament and had avenged last year's loss to Coquille in the quarter finals and handed Bandon's girls their second loss of the season in the semis. The Trojan's opponents, the Dragons of Monroe, came in as the 6 seed, having knocked off 3rd seeded Central Linn and 2nd seeded Union. The Dragons drew first blood on their opening possession after Kennedy missed their first shot of the game. This was Monroe's only lead of the game as the Trojans responded by scoring 17 consecutive points. At the end of the quarter, Monroe tossed in another bucket to make it 17-4. The second quarter was more equal. The teams traded baskets back and forth. At the break, Kennedy center Sophie Carley had racked up 8 rebounds and 11 points. Ellie Cantu had another 10 points for the Trojans. Monroe had trouble scoring in the second half, shooting a mere 11.5% on the stout Kennedy defense. In addition to having trouble hitting their shots, Monroe struggled to get rebounds being out-rebounded by 10 rebounds. Kennedy refused to slow down on the offensive end. The third quarter ended 42-20. Kennedy could taste the victory as they exited the huddle. The team took a slower paced, more deliberate approach. Both teams scored 6 points a piece for the quarter. Kennedy's benched rushed the floor when the clock hit 00:00 and the score 48-26. Cheers, tears, and hugs followed. Sophia Carley ended the game with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Ellie Cantu tacked on another 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Trojans.

The Knappa Loggers came up short in their final game of the 2019-20 basketball season. The first quarter started with a 17-0 run by Columbia Christian, compounded by an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers by the Loggers. Coach Paul Isom called two timeouts to right his struggling team, but by the end of the quarter, it was 22-3. The sole bucket coming from Devin Hoover. The second quarter, Knappa began to right the ship. They shored up their turnovers; only giving up the ball 3 times. Despite this, Columbia kept Knappa to just 10 points for the quarter. Going into the break, the Knights tripled Knappa up 39-13. Starting the second quarter, Knappa looked like a completely different team. Knappa found an offensive rhythm from seniors Eli Takalo, Joe Ramvick, and Junior Devin Hoover. The Loggers managed to win the second half by 11 points. Knappa played tough defense and got as close as 11 with 1:15 to play in the fourth, but it was too little too late. Columbia kept their cool and knocked down clutch freethrows to finish the win. The final score ended 64-49 in favor of the Knights. Devin Hoover received 1stteam all-tournament honors for his play. It was a bitter way to end an extremely successful season for the Loggers, who graduate 4 seniors. Next year the Loggers return Devin Hoover, Cameron “Camo” Miethe, and Logan Morrill from their main rotation this year. The team will look much different from this year’s with the upcoming Juniors making the change from JV to Varsity, but Knappa should reload and have another successful season.

The 2nd seeded Bobcats of Union took on the 6th seeded Dragons of Monroe in the Girls' semifinals on March 6th Monroe’s 1-2-2 zone gave Union a tough time holding the Bobcats to just 11.7% shooting from the field. Monroe pounded the ball inside to Ashley Sutton, who lead all scorers with 17 points, early in the game. Union forced 26 turnovers, including 6 steals from Callie Glenn. Glenn led Union with 13 points. Maria Lopez added some outside shooting for the Dragons, dropping 12 points, and Chloe May tossed in another 10 points for Monroe. Union also hauled in 22 offensive rebounds as a team, but this was still not enough to cover the damage of 6.3% shooting in the second half.