Eddie Townsend and the rest of the Toledo coaching staff entered the game wearing suits and boutonnieres. They knew that the night was going to be special. The stands were filled with almost every school from the tournament. For the second night in a row, the Oakland pep band offered their support to the Boomers from Toledo. The fan loyalties were decidedly in favor of the Boomers, who came into the night having never won a team championship in any varsity sport. Toledo entered the game as the top seed, having been ranked #1 in the Coach's poll and by OSAA for the majority of the year. Toledo was led by senior scoring savant Conner Marchant, who entered the game just 6 points shy of taking over as Oregon's third-highest all-time scorer (regardless of school size or sex). Their opponents were the second-seeded Pioneers of Western Christian who were seeking to defend last year's title. Western Christian was led by senior Payton Richardson who has a full-ride basketball scholarship to a Division II NCAA school next year. Toledo was ranked higher and had the crowd behind them, but their task was not an easy one. Western Christian has made the state finals the last 15 years, including the last three years' championship contests. Last year, Western Christian pulled off a huge upset over the predicted champion Columbia Christian 61-48 with a nearly perfect game. This team also returned the star Richardson and the all-time Oregon career three point shooter Alexander Nikoli. The first quarter was a back and forth one. Both teams played aggressive man defense. Western Christian opted to use Richardson to guard the lethal Marchant. Ty Vanderhoof carried much of the Pioneer's offense while stars Richardson and Nikoli struggled to hit early. Toledo went on a 7-0 run to finish the quarter after Mason McAlpine hit a 24-foot three pointer in the last minute and a half in the quarter. After one, Toledo was up 17-11. The second quarter was every bit as electric as the first. Toledo made an excellent strategic decision and went after Richardson. Marchant drew two fouls on Richardson before halftime, knowing Western could not afford to loose their star. Toledo's defense held firm against the disciplined attack of the Pioneers. In the high-paced affair, Toledo only conceded 21 points for the half, all of which were contested. Going into the break, Toledo led 33-21. The third quarter progressed similarly to the second. Western Christian did an excellent job of keeping Toledo in check offensively. The Pioneers traded the chore of guarding Marchant to protect Richardson from foul trouble, but midway through the quarter Marchant drew a fourth foul on Western's Vanderhoof forcing Richardson to take Marchant again. With 1:33 to play in the quarter, Richardson picked up a third foul. With only one quarter separating Toledo from its first ever team title, the Boomers led 48-31. The forth quarter was faster paced than the first three. Western Christian needed to change something in their approach if they wanted to close the 17 point deficit and repeat as champions. The Pioneers flipped the "chaos switch". A full-court trapping press became the mainstay of Western's defense. The first 3:15 went perfectly for the Pioneers. Marchant turned the ball over three times in an 8-0 run for Western. With 4:45 to play, it was a 9 point game, but Toledo pulled out of the potential nose-dive. The Boomers only allowed one more turnover the rest of the game and doubled down on the defensive glass, limiting second chance points for Western and grabbing offensive rebounds of their own. At the 2:16 mark, Richardson picked up his 5th foul, ending his high school career. From then on the game rested in Toledo's ability to make free throws. At 1:10 it was again a 9 point game - the closest it would be the rest of the game. With each free throw Toledo knocked down, the smiles on the players, coaches, and fans grew. Marchant hit two free throws with 17 seconds to play, and both teams subbed in their benches. The clock hit 00:00 and the celebrations began in earnest. Hugs, tears, shouts. The height of human emotions. For a town that has never won a title, this first one was a special one. Western's defense held Marchant in check, only ceding one three pointer and holding him to 50% shooting. These numbers may sound like a poor defensive job, but Marchant's 22 points were the fewest he scored all tournament and was well below his season average. He ended the game with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 assists. Marchant also ended his career as Oregon's 3rd all-time leading scorer behind NBA all-star Kevin Love of and Bob "Pudgy" Hunt. The special feature of Toledo's high-powered offense (averaging 86 points per game entering the night) was not so much how well they shot the three, but how far they shot the three. Not only could the Boomers rain three pointers at 45% clip, but they could shoot 45% from NBA range. Marchant would fire shots from the old Phoenix Sun's logo in the middle of the court, while McAlpine and Gunner Rothenberger drained shots from half a step behind the purple NBA arch. This range advantage opened up driving lanes for Marchant and room for Jaxon Rozewski to operate in the key. Another key to Toledo's success was their excellent rebounding. The Boomers held the Pioneers to just 6 offensive rebounds, while hauling in 9 themselves. Credit Western Christian's defense that held Toledo to the lowest point total all season. However, the Toledo defense was excellent as well, holding the Pioneers to just 37% shooting (12.5% from thee), and their stingy rebounding did not allow for many second chance opportunities. "Good shooting covers a multitude of sins" is a quote I heard all the time growing up and playing basketball, and there is no better case study than this championship team from Toledo. In their first game, Bandon hauled in offensive rebound and took six more shots than the Boomers, yet Toledo cruised to win by 30 due to their 52.4% shooting performance. In the semifinals and finals both, Toledo turned the ball over more than their opponents, but the disparity in shooting percentage was too much for Knappa and Western Christian to compensate for. Toledo only took 37 shots in the finals, compared to Western's 45, but still led for nearly the entire contest. Toledo did no make many errors in the tournament, only turning the ball over 32 times in three games, and their scorching offense put every game out of reach. Toledo's "poor" offensive nights were most teams' average to high scoring nights. Toledo gave their opponents no room for error all season. The Boomers had their sights set on bring home 1st place all year and nothing would thwart that objective. Their time to join the list of champions had come.

The rematch between the top-ranked Boomers of Toledo and the fourth ranked Knappa Loggers was the most attended event of the second day at the 2A OSAA Championships. Fans from Western Christian, Columbia Christian, Santiam, Oakland, and Union all showed up in addition to the regular fans to witness this clash of blue and gold. The first quarter lived up to the hype, and then some. Both teams were hitting tough shots and playing intense defense. Toledo opened a quick lead; using Mason McAlpine to exploit the baseline of Knappa’s 1-3-1 zone. Knappa adjusted well, switching to their signature “tandem and three” scheme after a timeout. Toledo star Connor Marchant struggled to find a rhythm in the first quarter. After the first eight minutes, the Loggers held a 23-18 advantage. The tide turned against Knappa in the second quarter. Eli Takalo found himself with three fouls early in the second, forcing him to take a seat. Toledo then put a defensive “spy” on Devin Hoover and Knappa went cold from the field. Marchant found his shot, dropping 9 in the quarter. Camo Meithe played a tough defensive game on Marchant, forcing a couple of turnovers on the star guard. Toledo was stingy on the defensive glass, only relinquishing 6 offensive boards to the Loggers. By halftime, the score was 41-30 in favor of the Boomers. Backed against the wall to start the second half, the Loggers dug in defensively. They held Toledo to 16 points for the third quarter and to twelve points in the fourth, but the offensive struggles continued for the NW League Champions. Toledo adjusted well after the first quarter and made Knappa work for every point; holding Knappa to single digits each quarter after the first. The Loggers shot just 23% in the second half. Knappa still fought on. A team effort held Toledo nearly 20 points below their season average. The final score was Toledo 69 to Knappa’s 46. Knappa plays league rival Columbia Christian for 3rd place tomorrow at 2:15 PM. These teams split in the regular season and Columbia won the regular season NW League crown while Knappa won the tournament crown beating Mannahouse Christian. This game promises to be another ‘good old-fashioned hate’ showdown with bragging rights and third place at state on the line. This will be the third time these teams will clash this year.

Overview In a rematch of last year’s 4/5 seed quarterfinal, the Knappa Loggers downed the Oakers from Oakland. Devin Hoover lead the Loggers scoring with 23; with Kanai Philip and Eli Takalo chipping in 12 and 16 respectively. Noah Strempel lead the Oakers with 18 points; Tristan Mask and Colton Brownson added 13 and 16. The Loggers found themselves in foul trouble the whole game and Cameron Meithe and Logan Morrill contributing valuable minutes. With 1:55 to play, Mask brought the Oakers within 9 points of Knappa, but an effective press break and free throw shooting secured the win for Knappa. Knappa finished the game on a 9-2 run capped off with a dunk by Hoover with :23 left. Take Away Knappa showed how deep they can go when they need to by playing 8 players by the second quarter. The whole game a different player would carry them forward. Hoover was their main scorer, but Kanai Philip took over when he needed, Takalo gave Oakland fits inside, and other players all hit timely shots. They have to face a tough team in Toledo tomorrow and will need to play at their best to walk away with another win over Boomers this year and a place in the championship game. Oakland is a talented team. Brownson is a defensive nightmare that can shoot inside and outside at a high percentage. Mask missed many of his shots today but credit the smothering defense of the Loggers for that. Oakland has a quick turnaround, playing Bandon tomorrow morning in the “Breakfast Bracket”. Oakland has the talent to come away with a fourth-place trophy, but it will depend on how the team rebounds from this defeat.

Overview The Knappa Loggers downed the Lions from Jefferson 76-52. Knappa came into Saturday’s game riding a four-game win streak with an overall record of 24-2. The Lions came in having lost three of their last four contests and an overall record of 18-6. The relentless ¾ court pressure defense from the Loggers overwhelmed Jefferson, who struggled to get clean looks at the rim. Jefferson fought relentlessly and knocked down shots whenever Knappa allowed them a clean look at the rim, but a 31-13 3rd quarter secured the win for the Loggers. Quarter 1: 23-16 Knappa Knappa opened the game with a quick 7-0 run. Jefferson looked uncomfortable trying to run their offense near the loud student section from Knappa. After gathering themselves, Jefferson went on an 11-7 run. Knappa’s 1-2-1-1 ¾ court press caused trouble for the Lions, but Knappa opted to go to a backyard style defense running two men in zone and three in man-to-man. Knappa ended the quarter on a 9-5 run. Quarter 2: 32-28 Knappa Jefferson came into the second quarter with much more confidence. Diego Rodriguez drove assertively to the hole and Romo Jr. knocked down outside shots. Knappa’s defense denied senior star DJ Krider the ball, taking him out of the Lions’ offense for most of the game. For the Loggers, Eli Takalo was making his first appearance in three weeks. The rust of not playing showed in the first half. Knappa went through a mini drought during the third quarter. The Lions managed to cut the lead to four points by the break. Quarter 3: 63-41 Knappa Coming out of the break, Knappa returned to their press. Turnovers mounted as the Loggers turned the basketball game into a track meet. Hoover’s length and the anticipation of Philip, Takalo, and Ramvick forced turnover after turnover leading to easy baskets. Jefferson kept fighting. The coaching staff did an excellent job of calling timeouts and the team never stopped competing, but, after each timeout, Knappa came up with defensive stops to keep their momentum going. The 31 points dropped by the Loggers (including a 10-0 run in less than 45 seconds) showed how explosive they can be in transition. Quarter 4: 76-52 Knappa The fourth quarter was less exciting than the up and down third. Knappa took a minor step off the offensive, opting for more deliberate offense and defense. Jefferson competed hard, but the third quarter had created too much of a gap for their exhausted starters to overcome. With 2:36 left in the game, the white flag was raised and both sides subbed in their benches. Takeaways: Jefferson is a very good team. They have three players that can consistently knock down outside shots. The two starters that did not knock down many outside shots were attentive and valuable release valves and components of the offense. The Jefferson coaches know what they are doing. They call good plays and kept ahold of the game in a tough atmosphere like Knappa. Had they drawn a better matchup, there is a good chance they would still be playing next week. Jefferson was the #2 team out of the Central Valley Conference, coming in behind #5 ranked Oakland. Although they are graduating a good class of seniors, the junior class is promising to carry on the tradition set by these outgoing seniors. Also, Diego Aguilar is a quick freshman that knows how to play ball. He is going to be an explosive player to watch as he develops. Knappa is a very tall and athletic team. Like all eight teams heading to Pendleton, they stand a good chance at winning it all. There is not one player that is “the guy” for the Loggers, making them an unusual matchup on defense for teams. While Devin Hoover has been the leading scorer many times this year, Mason Westerholm posted a 43 point game earlier this year, and Eli Takalo is also close to breaking a thousand points for a career. Not to mention that Joe Ramvick has carried the team for stretches of games and that Kanai Philip hit the game winner over #6 Columbia earlier this season. For all their diversity and athleticism, the Loggers are streaky. When they hit their outside shots, there are few teams that stand a chance against them, however, as demonstrated by the loss at Nestucca, if they are not hitting their shots, they can lose to teams much worse than those at Pendleton. This means that the majority of Knappa’s offense comes from fast breaks and points in the paint. Tall teams, like Columbia, give Knappa trouble inside. Additionally, if teams do not give away fast break points, the Knappa offense is likely to go through slumps. Knappa is also not the most careful with the basketball and turnovers have been an issue for them throughout the year.

Overview Butte Falls’ season ended abruptly at Columbia Christian Friday night. The Butte Falls Loggers finished their season with two loses after winning seven straight. Columbia Christian bounced back from an uncharacteristic 53-51 loss against Mannahouse Christian in the Northwest League district tournament on February 20th. Columbia’s offense and pressure defense were too much for Butte Falls who struggled to hit from outside and to contain Mariscal, Hartwich, and Razatdinov. The biggest spark for Butte Falls was Devin Malcolm who was impressive on both ends of the court. Besides Malcolm, the only other source of offense for Butte Falls came off second-chance points by Johnson. Quarter 1: Columbia started a different lineup than normal, and Butte Falls was able to play in a low-scoring back and forth battle for the first few minutes of the game. The Knights subbed in Antoine and Razatdinov midway through the quarter creating mismatches for the Loggers’ man defense. Butte Falls struggled to hit outside shots, but Johnson and Malcolm were tenacious on the glass, giving their team second-chance points. Columbia used a 2-3 zone for the entire game. They ran an aggressive variation to challenge the young guards for the Loggers. This led to a few transition baskets to get the points flowing for the Knights. The quarter ended 15-8; Columbia. Quarter2: The Knights added to their lead in the second quarter. As the starters for Butte Falls tired, the starters for Columbia found more and more success. Despite the height difference, Malcolm continued to pose a challenge to Hartwich. He routinely interrupted and stole passes, blocked shots, and pulled down rebounds. On offense, Malcolm struggled with his outside game, but he rarely struggled to get his shot off. With 1:23 to go in the quarter, Malcolm went down with a left-leg injury. With their star out for the foreseeable future and with Columbia finding their outside and inside rhythm, the Loggers looked defeated the last few minutes of the half. By the end of the half, Columbia had widened the lead to fourteen; 33-19. Quarter 3: Coming out of halftime, Butte Falls recognized that they needed to change things up. Malcolm was back in the lineup, but he played gingerly as he favored his right leg slightly. Butte Falls attempted a 1-3-1, 1-2-2, and 2-3 zones attempting to find some defensive success but found none. With 3:00 minutes left in the quarter, Johnson finally connected from deep for Butte Falls, but it was too little too late. Columbia hit their stride and found success inside with Hartwich and Mariscal continued to cause problems driving. Columbia put the hammer down in the third to put the game out of reach 45-25. Quarter 4: Despite being down by twenty, Butte Falls continued to play hard and compete. Malcolm caused troubles in transition and Johnson continued to pull down rebounds, giving the Loggers second and third chances multiple time. The final nail came when Malcolm suffered a right leg injury on a fast break. He exited the game for a few minutes but came back with 4:34 remaining. By the time he returned, it was evident the Columbia was not going to repeat the fourth quarter disaster with Mannahouse. With 1:11 to go in the game, Butte Falls officially raised the white flag and both sides subbed in their benches. Columbia dominated the game 69-36. Takeaways: A weakness that was exposed by Butte Falls, was the sloppy rebounding. Columbia did a poor job of boxing out, relying on their height to secure rebounds. This could cause them trouble if they do this with a team that can match their athleticism. Additionally, Columbia is only 6 or 7 players deep. In a tournament this could be a problem, especially considering the talent differential between the 7th and 8th man. Columbia has some of the best athletes in the state, hands down. Their height is a problem for teams and their experience shows. Columbia has been in the title game in every year going back to the ’14-’15 season (except the ’16-’17 season when they won the consolation bracket). There is a culture of winning and the players and coaches are capable of living up to that high standard they have created for themselves. There is very little margin for error when playing this dynamic and talented team. Butte Falls can feel good about their season and future. They are just three years removed from a winless season. This season they went 17-9, finished second in their conference, and ended ranked 11th in the OSAA rankings. Of their nine loses, two were forfeits and another three were decided by a single possession. They easily could have finished 21-4. They had an unfortunate draw in the playoffs but can feel good about their season as a whole. hey have a promising Sophomore class. Their nerves and experience showed at Columbia. This was evidenced by their inability to buy a basket if one were to go on sale. Malcolm is an elite athlete that already is creating problems for opponents and he is only going to get bigger, faster, stronger, and better. Likewise, this team is not close to their ceiling they could be at their senior year. With work in the weight room and learning from experiences like Friday will add to their potential. Look out for this team in the coming years as this Sophomore class comes into their own. Lost River is graduating seven seniors, so I favor Butte Falls to win the Southern Cascade League next season, giving them a home playoff berth. I can easily see this team being an elite team in two years if they continue to grow as players.