South Salem guard Evina Westbrook drives to the basket against St. MaryÕs during the championship game of the OSAA class 6A basketball tournament inside the Chiles Center, on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the University of Portland. South Salem won the game 56-50.

South Salem High junior Evina Westbrook was named to the American Family Insurance Preseason ALL-USA girls basketball team.

The 6-foot point guard and wing averaged 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 steals, 4.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior when South Salem won the OSAA Class 6A state championship.

Westbrook was a first-team all-Greater Valley Conference selection, a first-team state tournament selection and a second-team all-state selection.

As a freshman she was second-team all-conference.

Over the summer she helped the Cal Stars Nike Elite to the championship at the Nike Nationals by averaging 9.5 points and shooting 50 percent from the field.

Westbrook is the No. 3 ranked junior nationally by HoopGurlz.

She has offers from Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Duke, South Carolina and Pac-12 schools such as USC, UCLA, Cal, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State and Oregon.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Perrydale’s Brant Barnes (22) chases down Sherman junior Maverick Winslow (34) during their football game on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, in Perrydale, Ore.

This season has been about Perrydale High School’s football team proving that it belongs among the elite eight-man football programs in the Oregon again.

When Perrydale dropped back down to Class 1A after a brief one-year stay in Class 2A, the Pirates needed to reestablish themselves in people’s minds: The team wasn’t ranked in the top 10 poll the first three weeks of the season.

At noon Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium No. 5 ranked Perrydale (10-0) will play No. 6 ranked Dufur (9-2) in the OSAA Class 1A state semifinals, Perrydale’s sixth state semifinal appearance, and a sign that the Pirates are back.

“It’s awesome and the community is on board and there’s a lot of excitement within the school,” Perrydale coach Chris Gubrud said. “The kids are motivated and it’s a good deal on all fronts. We kind of feel like we belong here.”

This will be the second time this season Perrydale will play Dufur.

The Pirates defeated the Rangers 36-34 in a 1A Special District 4 game Sept. 25.

Bishop Mitchell leading Kennedy football

“We’re both really familiar with each other,” Gubrud said. “I guess it probably comes down to who plays more fundamentally. We know each other really well and I don’t think we’re going to get surprised too much.”

In the last meeting, Dufur lost quarterback Bailey Keever to an injury just before halftime.

He has returned as strong as ever.

In a 74-72 win against Yoncalla in the state quarterfinals last week, Keever rushed for 189 yards and six touchdowns and threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

The challenge for Perrydale’s defensive front – which includes first-team all-league players in linemen Spencer Bibler, Alex Hawes and C.J. Marsters as well as linebacker Keenan Bailey – is going to be to keep Keever under control.

“Well, you try to get your best athletes to have some responsibility with him and keep him contained with your rush,” Gubrud said. “At the same time you have to get pressure on him in the passing game.”

Perrydale has been strong up front all season.

Behind an offensive line that includes all-league seniors Hunter Sagmoen and Kirk Fairchild and junior Jacob Pope, the Pirates have controlled the line of scrimmage and made plenty of space for Bailey, a first-team all-league running back.

Perrydale has eight on first team all-league

The X factor in Saturday’s semifinal is Perrydale junior running back Haylen Janesofsky.

A speedy and prolific back, he didn’t play until October and made a big impact since he returned with a six-touchdown performance in a 62-20 win Oct. 8 against Ione.

Throughout Perrydale’s 10-0 season, the Pirates have thrived on being a team that closes out games.

Even in 42-36 win against Wallowa in the state quarterfinals, the Pirates trailed 30-8 in the third quarter and came back to win in the final minutes.

“Well, first of all it showed that if you’re going to beat us, you’re going to have to beat us for all four quarters,” Gubrud said. “Our kids believe they got to play until the final whistle.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Blog: Travel for some high school teams longer than others

Football state semifinals

4A: No. 3 Cascade vs. No. 4 Banks, at Hillsboro Stadium, 3:30 p.m.

3A: Vale vs. Scio, at Hermiston High School, 11 a.m.

3A: Blanchet vs. Santiam Christian, at Cottage Grove High School, 11 a.m.

2A: Stanfield vs. Kennedy, at Liberty High School, Hillsboro, 5 p.m.

2A: Regis vs. Heppner, at Liberty High School, Hillsboro, noon

1A: No. 6 Dufur vs. No. 5 Perrydale, at Hillsboro Stadium, noon

Cascade wide receiver Michael Biddington (81) runs after a catch against Philomath during the quarterfinals of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs, Friday, November 13, 2015, at Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Ore. Cascade won the game 35-34.

Class 4A playoffs

No. 3 Cascade vs. No. 4 Banks, 3:30 p.m.

Where: Hillsboro Stadium

Another shot: No. 9 seed Cascade (10-1) is in the state semifinals for second time in four years and the eighth time in school history. But the program has only won a state semifinal game one time, that coming in 1980, when the team won its only state championship.

An opportunistic defense: The defense of No. 4 seed Banks (9-1) has thrived on winning the turnover battles this season. The Braves have intercepted 15 passes and recovered 11 fumbles, compared to throwing six interceptions and losing five fumbles.

A challenge for Cascade: The Cougars’ defense has a challenge with Banks’ running game. The Braves average 194 yards rushing per game. Banks senior running back Donny McClean has rushed for 1,394 yards and 23 touchdowns on 176 carries.

Class 3A playoffs

Vale vs. Scio, 11 a.m.

Where: Hermiston High School

Chance to prove itself: No. 1 seed Scio (11-0) has been dominant all season. About half of the games have ended with a rolling clock by leading their opponents by 45 points. But this is different. No. 4 seed Vale (9-1) won the state championship a year ago and has yet to lose to an Oregon team this season. Scio has shown vulnerabilities in the first two rounds of the state playoffs and this game will be a challenge for the Loggers.

Blanchet vs. Santiam Christian, 11 a.m.

Where: Cottage Grove High School

Eagles undefeated against Cavaliers: No. 2 seed Santiam Christian (10-1) has never lost to No. 3 seed Blanchet (10-1). Between 2010 and 2013 the teams were in the PacWest Conference and in their four games Santiam Christian won every time. Both of these teams lost in the state semifinals a year ago.

Kennedy’s Christian Reyes tries to block a pass to Regis’s Sam Nieslanik in a Tri-River Conference game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, in Mount Angel.

Class 2A playoffs

Stanfield vs. Kennedy, 5 p.m.

Where: Liberty High School, Hillsboro

Upset-minded Stanfield: The No. 9 seed Tigers (10-1) were overlooked for most of the season after a 50-6 loss to Heppner in a Columbia Basin game. Stanfield is officially road tested in the playoffs with a 56-26 win against Vernonia and a 27-26 overtime win against No. 1 seed Central Linn in last week’s quarterfinals behind 224 yards of total offense and four touchdowns by quarterback Dylan Grogan and a defensive stop in overtime. No. 4 seed Kennedy (9-1) has held opponents to a 2A best 12 points per game this season and is coming off a 42-28 win against defending state champion Burns.

Regis vs. Heppner, noon

Where: Liberty High School, Hillsboro

A multi-dimensional threat : No. 2 seed Heppner (11-0) was the state runner-up a year ago and has an offense that has the most prolific offense in Class 2A, scoring 553 points. Kaden Clark has passed for 1,059 yards and 17 touchdowns with one interception, CJ Kindle has rushed for 878 yards and 15 touchdowns and 546 yards and six touchdowns receiving, Tommy Bredfield has rushed for 574 yards and eight touchdowns and Logan Grieb has 429 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. No. 3 seed Regis (8-3) has held opponents to an average of 11.4 points during its current five-game winning streak and has proven adept at stopping offenses that no one else can.

Class 1A playoffs

No. 6 Dufur vs. No. 5 Perrydale, noon

Where: Hillsboro Stadium

Perennial state powers: No one doubts that these teams may have been seeded low in the state playoffs – Perrydale is a No. 6 seed and Dufur is a No. 7 seed – but they are both among the elite eight-man football programs in the state. Dufur has won six state championships under coach Jack Henderson, the most recent coming in 2006. Perrydale has been in the state championship game four times since 2002, including winning a state championship in 2004.

Cascade running back Garrett Coffey (30) celebrates his teams victory against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 42-21.

Cascade running back Garrett Coffey (30) carries the ball against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 42-21.

Cascade running back Garrett Coffey (30) carries the ball against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore.

Cascade quarterback John Schirmer (11) celebrates his teams victory against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 42-21.

HILLSBORO – The Cougars changed it up, and Banks couldn’t keep up.

Cascade High School’s No. 3-ranked football team went to the air early, got the No. 4-ranked Braves out of their defensive game plan and the Cougars won 42-21 Saturday in the semifinals of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs at Hillsboro Stadium.

Cascade had been run heavy in its first three postseason games with great success, but Saturday the Cougars got senior quarterback John Schirmer going early and he was 11 of 12 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

“John started making plays, and you keep doing what’s working for you, and we got to mix some things up a little bit with our formations, and I think we surprised them with some of the stuff that they did,” Cascade coach Steve Turner said.

“It was a numbers game, and they had five guys to try to tackle Garrett (Coffey) and we got him going with that single back stuff.”

Coffey, the senior running back who had 99 carries in Cascade’s past two games, rushed for 241 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries.

No. 9 seed Cascade (11-1) advances to the Class 4A state championship game this Saturday and will play No. 3 seed Scappoose, the team Cascade beat 47-34 in the season opener.

“I’m pumped,” Schirmer said. “I’ve been looking forward to playing them again, actually, even though we got the win. I just know a couple of guys over there and I think it would be a great end to the season.”

On the second play of Cascade’s second drive, Schirmer hit receiver Cameron Molan down the left sideline, and Molan went 82 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter.

Coffey jumped over the line from one yard out on fourth down on the second play of the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.

Cascade quarterback John Schirmer (11) throws the ball against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 42-21.

Banks went on a long drive and Jaron Malcom’s 4-yard run cut Cascade’s lead to 14-7.

But seven plays later Schirmer hit Coffey for an 18-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead.

Cascade had a chance to put the game out of reach at halftime after James Baxter intercepted a pass and the Cougars got the ball to Banks’ 5-yard line, but with 13 seconds left Schirmer was intercepted by Banks’ James Malcom.

Banks’ offense was predicated on running the ball sideline-to-sideline, and it forced the Cougars to stretch out their defense.

“They like to use the whole field,” Coffey said. “We practiced on it all week. We knew that our … edge, it was a little weak in the last couple weeks and we thought they would probably come out and try to take advantage of that. We worked on it all week and that’s what we knew that we needed to get better at that. Every week we go into knowing we need to get better at something.”

Banks cut Cascade’s lead to 21-14 and 28-21 on short touchdown runs by Milo Applebee and Donny McClean.

Coffey’s third touchdown run of the game put the Cougars up 34-21 with 7:25 remaining.

The Braves moved down the field and were in the red zone, but with 3:27 left Schirmer intercepted a pass from Jake Evans on Banks’ 14-yard line.

With 43 seconds left Schirmer turned a quarterback sneak into a 10-yard touchdown run.

Cascade is in the state championship game for the first time since 1980.

“I say it’s just another stepping stone,” Schirmer said. “We just wanted to get to the state championship and we just had to get over Banks. I would say it’s just another step closer to what we want, to our goal.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Cascade wide receiver Cameron Molan (8) brakes away for his second touchdown of the game against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore.

Cascade 42, Banks 21

FIRST QUARTER

Cascade— John Schirmer 83 pass to Cameron Molan (Bjorklund kick good) 3:34.

SECOND QUARTER

Cascade— Garrett Coffey 1 run (Bjorklund kick good) 11:16.

Banks— Jason Malcom 4 run (Cameron kick good) 5:19.

Cascade— John Schirmer 18 pass to Cameron Molan (Bjorklund kick good) 2:15.

THIRD QUARTER

Banks— Milo Applebee 3 run (Cameron kick good) 8:00.

Cascade— Garrett Coffey 10 run (Bjorklund kick good) 3:24.

Banks— Donny McClean 2 run (Cameron kick good) 0:58.

FOURTH QUARTER

Cascade— Garrett Coffey 13 run (Bjorklund kick good) 7:25.

Cascade— John Schirmer 10 run (Bjorklund kick good) 0:42.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing— Cascade: Garrett Coffey 36-241; Banks: Donny McClean 19-83.

Passing— Cascade: John Schirmer 11-12-235 2 TD 1 INT; Banks: Jake Evans 10-15-152 0 TD 1 INT.

Receiving— Cascade: Cameron Molan 5-140; Banks: Jaron Malcom 4-19.

McKay High School hopes to replace its current grass football field with turf by the fall of 2017.

If you’re going to start something, you may as well make a splash while doing it.

For the first time since 2010, a group of parents, community members and supporters have come together to form an athletic booster club for McKay High School.

And a big goal for the newly formed organization is to raise funds to put in a much-needed turf field at the school.

McKay has one of two remaining grass football fields in Class 6A.

“There’s a lot of maybe negativity from the past with McKay, so we are wanting to help showcase the great place that McKay is,” said McKay Athletic Booster Club president Becky Bryant. “We think it’s a whole package. We want to help the teams. Do they look as good? Do they have a nice field to play on?”

McNary put in a turf field prior to this season, and much of the enthusiasm that school had in its turf project is carrying over to a similar project at McKay.

McNary Athletic Booster Club president Danielle Bethell is one of the driving forces in getting McKay’s booster club organized and going in the right direction.

“I definitely see a lot of support from the alumni at least my generation and older,” said Bethell, a McKay graduate. “There are some folks who want to come back.”

The booster club will put together a committee for the project.

The earliest a turf project could be expected at McKay would be for the fall of 2017.

Bethell said she already had some donors lined up to get fundraising started.

“The turf field is a huge part of our goal,” Bryant said. “We are actually going to come out of the gate running for that goal because we just think it will equalize the school in many ways and we think it will equalize the athletes.”

McKay is at a disadvantage to many of the 6A schools in Salem in terms of athletic facilities.

A turf field would be a good, and much-needed start.

“I think any opportunity we can to improve our athletic facilities at McKay High School would be very beneficial,” McKay football coach Brett Rhodes said. “Selfishly with football, a turf football field would be nice. That would allow us to practice and compete on it year round.

“You look at McKay athletic facilities in general, not having a wrestling room, a lack of gym space, those are in desperate need of improvements as well and maybe having a turf field would be a good start in that direction.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

McKay boosters

To get involved, contact McKay booster club president Becky Bryant at mckayabc@gmail.com; The booster club has set up a page at https://www.gofundme.com/k4bqszjw

Cascade running back Garrett Coffey (30) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a touchdown against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 42-21.

Class 4A

No. 3 Cascade vs. No. 2 Scappoose, noon Saturday

Where: Hillsboro Stadium

Championship game experience: Cascade is in the state championship game for the second time, the first was in 1980 when the Karl Elliott-led Cougars won the AA state championship. Fourth-year Cascade coach Steve Turner guided Mountain View to the 5A state championship in 2011. Scappoose is in the state championship game for the first time since 2002 when the program won its third consecutive state championship, and the Indians are still guided by the coach, Sean McNabb, who led the team to those three state championships.

Rematch: In the season opener on Sept. 4 Cascade beat Scappoose 47-34 behind 296 yards and four touchdowns rushing on 52 carries from senior running back Garrett Coffey. But Cascade’s defense had to stand tall after Scappoose rallied to tie the game at 34 with 7:34 left, including Tristan Combs returning a fumble with 28 seconds left to seal the win.

A defensive challenge: No. 9 seed Cascade (11-1) is facing one of the most prolific offenses in the state in No. 3 seed Scappoose (10-1), which has scored a 4A-best 534 points, and done so in impressive ways. Senior quarterback Robert Lohman has completed 67 percent (156 of 234) of his passes for 2,641 yards and 32 touchdowns against three interceptions and has rushed for 388 yards and eight touchdowns on 91 carries. Scappoose senior running back Braden Clark has rushed for 1,406 yards and 14 touchdowns and Jarrett White has rushed for 291 yards and seven touchdowns. Scappoose senior running back Brennan McNabb has caught 69 passes for 1,311 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Kennedy’s Jacob Lopez (11) runs against Stanfield in its OSAA 2A semifinal game on Nov. 21.

Class 3A

Vale vs. Santiam Christian, 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Hermiston High School

Last champion standing: No. 2 seed Vale (10-1) is the only of last year’s state champions still with a chance to win a second straight championship. The Vikings’ 42-14 win against Scio in the state semifinals, behind 267 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries, was proof that the team is favorite to win the championship again. Vale hasn’t lost to an Oregon opponent since 2013. The Vikings have won 11 state championships.

Championship experience: No. 4 seed Santiam Christian (11-1) is in the state championship game for the first time since 2011 when it won the school’s only state championship. But the Eagles have plenty of big-game experience at the helm. Santiam Christian coach Matt Bain was a star running back on Salem Academy’s 1988 and 1989 Class A state championship teams. Defensive coordinator Frank Bain was Salem Academy’s coach for five years ending with those two state championships in 1988 and 1989.

Class 2A

Kennedy vs. Heppner, 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Hermiston High School

Trying to finally get one: No. 4 seed Kennedy (10-1) is in the state championship game for the fourth time in school history, the most recent in 2009. But the Trojans have never won a state championship in football and this may be the team’s best shot yet.

Favorite all season: No. 2 seed Heppner (12-0) lost 49-0 to Burns in last year’s state championship game and has been a dominant team this year. The Mustangs have scored a 2A-best 579 points this season. Heppner has five players who have rushed for more than 300 yards this season: C.J. Kindle (878 yards, 15 TDs), Tommy Bredfield (574 yards, eight TDs), Logan Grieb (477 yards, six TDs), Kaden Clark (374 yards, 10 TDs) and Weston Putman (300 yards, five TDs).

Cascade wide receiver Cameron Molan (8) breaks away for a touchdown against Banks during the OSAA Class 4A state semifinals, Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 42-21.

Cameron Molan doesn’t think he’s the speed guy.

His play indicates otherwise.

On the few times the Cascade High School senior receiver had a pass come his way, the 6-foot-1 Molan made opponents pay.

In the first quarter of Cascade’s win against Banks in the state semifinals, Molan took a pass from John Schirmer 20 yards down the field. He turned and made the defensive backs look silly on his way to an 83-yard touchdown.

“Cam is a great player,” said senior defensive lineman Aiden Littau. “I love him.”

When No. 9-seed Cascade (11-1) plays No. 3 seed Scappoose (10-1) for the OSAA Class 4A state championship at noon Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium, most people will look for Cascade senior running back Garrett Coffey to run the ball a lot.

In Cascade’s run-heavy offense – it’s not unusual for the Cougars to run the ball 40 to 60 times a game – Molan can be overlooked by defenses.

“He gets lost in the game because we do run the ball so much, so he’s sneaky good,” Cascade coach Steve Turner said. “When they least expect him, that’s when he makes the big plays, and then he wakes everybody up that hey I’m out here.

“We know he’s a really good receiver and we know what we can do.”

Cascade is playing Scappoose for the second time this season – the Cougars won 47-34 in the season opener.

To say that there is familiarity between the teams would be putting it lightly.

“In the past two years we’ve played them three times, this will be our fourth,” defensive lineman Dom Federico said. “And a lot of the guys for them, they’ve started multiple years, now same with us. We’re really familiar with each other, I think. That will make a good matchup as well.”

The challenge for Cascade’s defense is going to get pressure on Scappoose quarterback Robert Lohman, who has passed for 32 touchdowns and completed 67 percent of his passes, while containing Lohman and Braden Clark, who have combined to rush for 22 touchdowns.

To do that, Cascade has to rely on its eight-man rotation of defensive linemen.

The group has been one of the team’s biggest strengths.

“Especially with our D-line, we have so many good players on the D line that we can rotate and there’s not a drop off,” Littau said. “That’s so nice.

“When I can have Dom come in and there’s not a drop off, that’s super nice because I can sit out for more than just three plays, and I can get rested and he can still kick butt while he’s in there. It’s just nice to be able to trust everyone to get their job done.”

The Cougars are in the state championship game for the first time since 1980.

Cascade’s run of the past four years has brought back to the level of the state’s elite, but getting to play for a state championship is another step.

“It’s kind of what it’s always been about to us,” Molan said. “The finals used to be in December so we’d always say, ‘Go till December,’ but now we just say, ‘Win the last week.’ And right now we’re in the last week so it’s just really important to us because this has been our goal the whole year.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

State championship games

4A: Cascade vs. Scappoose, noon Saturday, at Hillsboro Stadium.

3A: Santiam Christian vs. Vale, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, at Hermiston High School.

2A: Kennedy vs. Heppner, 6 p.m. Saturday, at Hermiston High School.

Cascade celebrates winning the 4A state championship game 37-28 against Scappoose during, Saturday, November 28, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore.

HILLSBORO –The Cougars started slow.

Cascade High School’s football team found itself in a 14-0 deficit to Scappoose after a disastrous first quarter in Saturday’s OSAA Class 4A state championship game at Hillsboro Stadium.

But the Cougars showed everyone they can finish.

Cascade running back Garrett Coffey got on track, quarterback John Schirmer found holes in the secondary and the Cougars defense was suffocating in the third quarter as Cascade rallied to defeat Scappoose 37-28 for the 4A state championship.

“It’s pretty great,” said Cascade cornerback James Baxter. “It’s been an expectation from the get-go. We finally achieved our goal so it feels pretty great.”

Cascade (12-1) won its final nine games of the season and beat Scappoose for the second time this year.

The state championship is the second in the program’s history, the previous coming in 1980.

“Look at all these people over here,” Cascade coach Steve Turner said. “And I’m going to say half of them are ex-players. It means a lot to our community.

“It means a lot to those guys that busted their tails in the 80s for coach (Karl) Elliott. And now we can bring another one home to them. I couldn’t be any happier.”

Coffey, best known as Cascade’s workhorse running back, rushed for 155 yards – by far his least in the playoffs – and scored three touchdowns on 155 yards.

But the Cougars rushed for 219 yards as a team by adding in running on the edges by running back/receiver Hunter Thomas (38 yards and one touchdown on five carries) and Schirmer (24 yards and one touchdown on six carries).

“They had some more guys in the box so we knew that the edges were going to be more open, and Hunter Thomas is a great back,” Coffey said. “He’s our speed guy. He’s our fast guy.

“We took advantage of that and saw the edges were open, so we gave it to him. And he came up huge. And then John made some huge passes when he needed to. The last couple games he’s come up huge.”

Cascade’s offense didn’t do much in the first quarter, though.

The Cougars had two first downs, punted the ball once, turned it over on downs and didn’t have the ball much in the period.

Scappoose quarterback Robert Lohman hit receiver Brennen McNabb on a slant pass for a 2-yard touchdown with 6:01 left in the period then McNabb was left all alone down the right sideline for a 31-yard touchdown pass that Lohman lofted into the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 35 seconds left in the quarter.

“Really I just wanted our team to wake up,” said Schirmer, who was 12 of 20 passing for 232 yards. “We just weren’t awake yet. They just came out and smashed us right in the face.

“I feel like we were just asleep at the beginning, and we just kind of thought in our heads that we were just going to get it, that they were going to give it to us.”

The Cougars found their rhythm on offense in the second quarter between having success running the ball up the middle and mixing that up with throws on the outside.

Coffey ran for an 11-yard touchdown shortly into the second quarter and after stopping Scappoose on fourth down and Coffey’s 4-yard touchdown run with 5:13 left in the half tied the game at 14.

Scappoose started running the ball to the outside and Braden Clark’s 3-yard touchdown run put Cascade in a 21-14 deficit with 1:24 left in the half.

Cascade had one last shot at the end of the first half, but Schirmer’s pass was intercepted by Christian Oslin to end the half.

In the third quarter Cascade was dominant.

Scappoose lost two yards on offense in the third quarter, Coffey ran for a 5-yard touchdown and Schirmer’s 1-yard run on a quarterback sneak put Cascade up for good at 27-21.

“There wasn’t much of a schematic change other than we changed a couple plays, the way we blocked them on offense,” said senior linebacker Malachi Gonzalez, who had 11 tackles. “I think the major change was just inside ourselves, just the excitement.

“We realized we were down 21-14 at halftime and we needed to pick it up. What coach said was that the game is 0-0 and we just need to win by eight points, and we won by nine.”

On the first play of the ensuing drive after Schirmer’s touchdown run, he intercepted a pass from Lohman and returned it to Scappoose’s 23-yard line.

Five plays later Thomas ran for a 5-yard touchdown and a 34-21 lead.

Scappoose finally showed life early in the fourth quarter with a nine-play drive, and Lohman ran for a 1-yard touchdown to cut Cascade’s lead to 34-28 with 9:52 left.

Cascade drained the clock with its next drive, which went 15 plays and ended by Lucas Bjorklund’s 32-yard field goal with 3:21 remaining.

On the first play of Scappoose’s next drive, Cascade’s Cameron Molan intercepted a pass from Lohman and Cascade ran out the clock to win.

“It’s a dream come true, definitely a dream come true,” Coffey said.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Cascade 37, Scappoose 28

FIRST QUARTER

Scappoose— Robert Lohman 2 pass to Brennen McNabb (Jones kick good) 6:07.

Scappoose— Robert Lohman 31 pass to Brennen McNabb (Jones kick good) 0:35.

SECOND QUARTER

Cascade— Garrett Coffey 11 run (Bjorklund kick good) 10:15.

Cascade— Garrett Coffey 4 run (Bjorklund kick good) 5:13.

Scappoose— Braden Clark 2 run (Jones kick good) 1:24.

THIRD QUARTER

Cascade— Garret Coffey 5 run (Bjorklunk kick failed) 6:32.

Cascade— John Schimer 1 run (Bjorklund kick good) 1:43.

FOURTH QUARTER

Cascade— Garret Coffey 5 run (Bjorklunk kick failed) 6:32.

Cascade— John Schimer 1 run (Bjorklund kick good) 1:43.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing—Cascade: Garrett Coffey 40-156; Scappoose: Braden Clark 28-128.

Passing— Cascade: John Schmier 12-20-232 0 TD 1 INT; Scappoose: Robert Lohman 10-26-118 2 TD 2 INT.

Receiving— Cascade: Cameron Molan 4-90; Scappoose: Brenne McNabb 4-57.

Cascade head coach Steve Turner celebrates with the championship trophy after his team won against Scappoose during the OSAA 4A state championship game, Saturday, November 28, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 37-28.

HILLSBORO – When Steve Turner returned to Cascade High School as its football coach in 2012, he had a resume that demanded respect.

It was the homespun manner of the professional wrestling aficionado and occasional acquaintance of Dolly Parton that got everyone to buy in that he is for real.

Turner came back to Cascade wanting to help make the program great again, and its state championship Saturday did just that.

“The very first time I met him, I definitely had an immediate trust,” said senior linebacker Malachi Gonzalez. “I talk with him for 10 minutes every day during lunch. He’s been a great coach, a great role model for everyone.”

After graduating from Willamette – where he was a standout as a defensive player – Turner spent six seasons as an assistant at Cascade under Karl Elliott, including Cascade’s 1980 state championship season.

He spent time at Rainier, North Medford and Mountain View – including coaching Mountain View to the 2011 Class 5A state championship – before coming back to Cascade to take over a program from Elliott that was 3-7 in its previous two seasons

He never advertised that getting Cascade to the state championship level would be easy.

“It was that group of seniors when I first came in that wanted to win, the Cody Crawford’s, the Justin Kruse’s,” Turner said. “They were tired of losing and they wanted somebody to come in and say this is how you do it. And whether or not it was the right way, we did it.

“And it’s the old fashioned way. It’s hard work. It’s not smoke and mirrors. It’s doing all the work that nobody else wants to do. In this society of immediate gratification these kids learned how to persevere and put their teeth to the grindstone. We have some great coaches.”

Turner’s down-to-Earth manner connects with people – be they players, coaches or fans – on a level at which most coaches can only dream.

And it got the players to buy in to a level where they could be state champions.

“The relationship, it’s huge,” Cascade quarterback John Schirmer said. “He’s our coach, without a doubt, but he’s one of like our friends. We know we can trust him with anything, we can go to him for anything, and we just know he has our backs.

“The first thing he ever said to me my freshman year is I’m going to be all over your butt for the next four years so you might as well get used to it. He stayed true, and it’s just the trust that we have in him.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Corazon Barocio scores a goal on a penalty kick during a soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer.

Chris Racine, 13, kicks the ball during a shootout during a youth soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer team, Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Salem Indoor Soccer Center.

Corazon Barocio, 17, scores the game-winning goal during a youth soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer team, Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Salem Indoor Soccer Center in Salem.

As a 6-year-old with cerebral palsy, Sierra Bennett had few activities available.

Finding a sport that she could play was as much of a challenge as finding one in which she felt accepted.

What she found was a bunch of high school boys who love to play the game of soccer with any child who shows up.

Bennett has been as much a presence over the past decade at the youth soccer program for children with physical and mental challenges at the Salem Indoor Soccer Center as North Salem boys soccer coach Rich Swartzentruber, who has brought his teams along to put on the program for the past 17 years.

“It’s awesome,” said Bennett, now a 17-year-old junior at McKay. “It gives me a chance to go and do something after school. There’s not much I can go and do because I am disabled and I have obstacles.

“It’s really good and I really, really like it.”

For most children kicking a ball through a series of cones in a drill isn’t a big deal, but it means a lot to her.

Jaiden Hernandez, 7, dribbles the ball during a youth soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer team, Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at Salem Indoor Soccer Center in Salem, Ore.

In the past 11 years there have been times when Bennett showed up in a wheelchair and in a cast from her waist down after a surgery.

The North Salem players pick the wheelchair up and carry it on the field so she can kick an oversized ball.

There have been times when Bennett plays soccer from her walker.

There are times when she plays without a support device and when she gets so tired from running up and down the field she has to lean on the sideboard for support.

Sometimes she falls down, but she pops back up with a smile on her face and keeps playing.

“I’ve seen her progress through time with the surgeries she’s had and getting more able and working hard and just the determination that she’s had all these years, and other kids, too,” said Swartzentruber, North Salem’s head coach for 23 years.

“But likewise it’s so important for my kids, my players, because it gives them a chance to give something back and it gives them a different perspective of sports.”

To a child in a wheelchair, the act of putting on a yellow or red penny so they can be a part of a team can be a meaningful thing in itself.

The physical skills or abilities of the children who participate in the program doesn’t matter because they’re all treated as equals.

When Corazon Baricio, a senior at McNary scored a goal, he lifted his penny over his head in celebration as he ran back down the field with the ball in his hand, receiving high fives the entire way.

Corazon Barocio, 17, runs the ball back to the center circle while celebrating scoring a goal during a youth soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer team, Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at Salem Indoor Soccer Center in Salem, Ore.

There were smiles because everyone knew he was having fun.

“We just want them to have fun and pass the ball just like regular kids and just play soccer,” North Salem junior Sergio Villazana said.

The program grew out of a TOPSoccer program that Swartzentruber led as part of his association with Capital Futbol Club years ago.

The program’s association with those groups ended long ago, but Swartzentruber wanted to keep the program going.

It runs for six weeks in the fall for an hour at 6 p.m. Wednesday nights, and some years goes on in the spring.

At the end of each season, Swartzentruber hands out certificates to the children and treats them to cookies, juice boxes and oranges.

“And it also comes at a time when he’s in season with his team,” said Vernon Daniel, manager of Salem Indoor Soccer Center. “And he’s a teacher and he’s got papers to grade.”

Not only does the program bring the children with disabilities out of their normal social circles, it brings the North Salem players out of theirs.

Without much prompting, they figure out how to interact with the children as players and coaches on a level they otherwise never would.

“It definitely helps us grow,” said junior Gerardo Gutierrez. “It feels good to give back. It gives them an opportunity to see that there’s good people out there.

Chris Racine, 13, brings the ball into the box to score a goal during a youth soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer team, Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at Salem Indoor Soccer Center in Salem, Ore.

“There was a kid out there and he was asking for our Snapchats. He wanted to get to know us. It’s great to get to know these people.”

Swartzentruber encourages his players to help out with the program but doesn’t require it.

Long after North Salem’s season is over in mid-November, a time when many could be playing club soccer or doing other activities, the players keep showing up.

“Soccer’s over now and it’s not like I have to pry them to come,” Swartzentruber said. “They just say, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, we’re coming.’ A lot of them come, and it’s fun to see them out there because they adapt really quickly to figure out how they ought to play.

“They’re really good at figuring out how they ought to be. That’s kind of nice for me to see that as well. The developmentas they come more and more often they get a different perspective, and they’re really nurturing.”

Any semblance of North Salem’s players trying to appear cool melts away when they start working with the children.

They make over-exaggerated motions in trying to dive to stop goals, and they always fail.

“We know what it means to them,” said North Salem junior Francisco Garibay. “I would have loved it if a high school kid came up to me when I was a little kid and played with me. It feels good to have that attention, you know.”

On a typical night the children and players arrive around 6 p.m., everyone stretchs and jogs for a few minutes of warm-up, they do a kicking drill or two and play two 10-minute halves of soccer.

The program is free and always has been.

Jenny Barocio, from left, and Jaiden Hernandez go after the ball with North Salem senior Danny Gutierrez.

The Salem Indoor Soccer Center donates the use of the field and Swartzentruber and his players volunteer their time .

“When you have a child with a disability, the financial burden that you have for the rest of your life, for your child’s life, is incredible,” Daniel said.

“And for us to just help so they can get out, sometimes it’s a break for the parents that they get an hour where they can mentally just check out and pause and whatever, which is good for the parents because Rich and the kids just take the kids.”

In theory the program is supposed to be for children ages 5 to 18, but age doesn’t matter much. If someone who is slightly older or younger arrives, they’re welcomed .

When siblings or friends of a disabled player show up, they’re encouraged to put on a penny and play along with everyone else.

The participation numbers of the disabled players varies, but this fall there were around five children for every session.

Children who are paralyzed have come and children with asthma have come, but whatever the disability they are made to feel like a member of the team and given every chance to have fun.

“It’s such a good chance for her to get the socialization, but socialization that’s her choice, not these are the people that you’re stuck with all the time so you have to go hang out with them,” said Kathleen Bennett, Sierra’s mother. “This is socialization that she gets to choose, and she decides when she wants to come.

“The kids that have disabilities, much, much of their life is decided for them. Much of their structure is not of their own choosing.”

Soccer is a sport that is easily accessible to any interested youth, but for youths with disabilities it can be a challenge to find a place to play.

Sierra Bennett scores a goal during a youth soccer program with North Salem High School’s boys soccer team, Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at Salem Indoor Soccer Center in Salem, Ore.

Some of the children don’t have the motor skills – or the opportunity – to play a sport such as golf.

But the accessibility of soccer makes it the perfect avenue for ease of entry for any child.

“It’s awesome,” said Christopher Racine, a seventh grader at Claggett Creek Middle School.

Swartzentruber is a gentle-mannered, gray-bearded coach who reminds you of the wise teacher who never judged you but pushed you to try to try harder in class.

His easy-going manner rubs off on his players as they work with the children.

Their interaction with the kids is a big part of why he’s kept the program going as long as he has.

And he tells the same jokes he has for years.

“It’s just as good for my kids as for them,” Swartzentruber said.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Cascade’s Garrett Coffey (30) celebrates after beating Scappoose during the OSAA 4A state championship game, Saturday, November 28, 2015, at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. Cascade won the game 37-28.

The least statistically productive game of the state postseason by Garrett Coffey was the biggest of his career.

Cascade High School’s senior running back rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries in Saturday’s 37-28 win against Scappoose in the OSAA Class 4A state championship game.

But with how much attention Coffey commands with his presence, it opened up the field for Hunter Thomas (five carries, 38 yards, TD) and quarterback John Schirmer (six carries, 24 yards, TD).

This is the rest of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Mid-Valley weekly watch list.

Lucas Bjorklund, Cascade football: The senior was 4-for-5 on extra-point kicks and kicked a 32-yard field goal in Saturday’s 37-28 win against Scappoose in the 4A state championship game.

Daniel Hendrix, Santiam Christian football: The senior was 6 of 13 passing for 135 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 27-20 loss to Vale in the 3A state championship game.

Dylan Arritola, Kennedy football: The senior linebacker had 16 tackles, including eight solos, with 1.5 tackles, including one sack, and recovered a fumble in Kennedy’s 48-0 loss to Heppner in the 2A state championship game.

McNaryÕs Harry Cavell and the Celts take on McMinnville in a Greater Valley Conference game on Friday, Feb. 13, 2015.

These are the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Mid-Valley preseason teams for boys and girls basketball.

Boys basketball

Harry Cavell, senior, guard, McNary: A first-team all-conference player as a junior, the 6-foot-7 guard is one of the most complete basketball players around.

Kaiden Flanigan, junior, guard, Sprague: The team’s leading scorer and a second-team all-conference player as a sophomore, he is a dynamic scorer and a tough player to guard.

Gabe Matthews, senior, post, South Salem: A four-year starter, the 6-2 post has been the glue player on the teams that placed third and fourth in the state the past two years.

Everett Minahan, senior, point guard, Dallas: A first-team all-conference player as a junior who led the Mid-Willamette in steals as a junior.

Lance Nelson, senior, wing, Amity: A first-team all-state player as a junior and one of the most versatile and dynamic players in the state regardless of classification.

Sam Nieslanik, senior, forward, Regis: A skilled player in the post who was third-team all-state as a junior.

Tanner Scanlan, junior, guard, North Marion: The team’s leading scorer in the state championship game as a sophomore, he’s an ace from 3-point range.

John Schirmer, senior, guard, Cascade: A first-team all-state player as a junior who can play or defend any position on the court.

Kyle Schwarm, senior, post, Stayton: A standout all-around athlete, he was a first-team all-Oregon West Conference player as a junior.

Brett Traeger, junior, guard, Kennedy: A three-year starter and first-team all-league player last year.

South Salem guard Evina Westbrook shoots a floater of St. Mary’s wing Bendu Yeaney during the championship game of the OSAA class 6A basketball tournament inside the Chiles Center, on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the University of Portland.

Girls basketball

Delaney Henery, junior, guard, West Salem: A second-team all-conference player as a sophomore when she was the team’s leading scorer.

Madi Hull, junior, point guard, Western Mennonite: A second-team all-state player as a sophomore and one of the most knowledgeable players in the state.

Kylie Nash, senior, guard, Central: A first-team all-conference selection as a junior and a three-year starter for the Panthers.

Alia Parsons, senior, wing, Silverton: The Mid-Willamette Conference Player of the Year as a junior who has signed to play in college at Grand Canyon.

Sophia Poole, junior, guard, Blanchet: A first-team all-conference player as a sophomore and three-year starter, she is a threat from the outside.

Shawnie Spink, sophomore, guard, Dayton: The 3A state player of the year as a freshman and one of the top players in the state.

Alyssa St. Peter, senior, wing, Cascade: A first-team all-conference player as a junior who has committed to play in college at George Fox.

Evina Westbrook, junior, point guard, South Salem: One of the top players in the nation, she was a second-team all-state player as a sophomore and has scholarship offers from nearly every major Division I program.

Jordan Woodvine, senior, wing, South Salem: A second-team all-state player as a junior who has signed to play in college at Boise State.

Halle Wright, sophomore, point guard, Cascade: One of the top players in the state, she was a first-team all-state player as a freshman.

Anna Chau (left) Ginger Murnieks (right)

Maddie Fuhrman

One was already an established star in high school cross country striving for new heights; the other two were fresh on the scene.

Silverton High senior Maddie Fuhrman, South Salem freshman Anna Chau and Sprague freshman Ginger Murnieks are the finalists for the All-Mid-Valley girls cross country runners of the year.

The athlete of the year will be announced at the first Mid-Valley Sports Awards banquet June 7 at the Salem Convention Center.

Fuhrman reached new levels this season.

She set a personal record at the 5,000-meter distance of 18:05.2 – her previous PR was 18:49.9 – she won her first Mid-Willamette Conference district championship and placed a personal-best fifth at the OSAA Class 5A state cross country meet.

Already a standout at the youth levels, Chau made an immediate impact on the high school cross country scene.

She was running low 18-minute 5,000-meter races early in the season then brought the wow-factor by winning the Greater Valley Conference district meet in a stunning 17:53.21 and followed that up by placing fourth in the OSAA Class 6A state cross country meet in 18:35.

Not only was Murnieks an unknown in high school cross country, it was unknown if she would run cross country.

Also a starter on Sprague’s girls soccer team, she put down blazing fast times in the six cross country meets – out of the 11 on Sprague’s schedule – in which she competed.

She set a personal record of 18:03.92 in placing second at the Greater Valley Conference district meet then placed 14th at the 6A state meet in 19:03.

Here’s a look at the entire Statesman Journal All-Mid-Valley girls cross country team.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Anna Chau

Anna Chau

School: South Salem

Year: Freshman

District result: Greater Valley Conference champion (17:53.21).

State result: Fourth at Class 6A state meet (18:35).

Brooke Chuhlantseff

Brooke Chuhlantseff

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

District result: Third in Greater Valley Conference (18:47.92).

State result: 15th in Class 6A state meet (19:05).

Maddie Fuhrman

Maddie Fuhrman

School: Silverton

Year: Senior

District result: Mid-Willamette Conference champion (18:38.14).

State result: Fifth in Class 5A state meet (18:54).

Ginger Murnieks

Ginger Murnieks

School: Sprague

Year: Freshman

District result: Second in Greater Valley Conference (18:03.92).

State result: 14th in Class 6A state meet (19:03).

Madison Willhoft

Madison Willhoft

School: North Salem

Year: Sophomore

District result: Fourth in Greater Valley Conference (18:51.57).

State result: 17th in Class 6A state meet (19:09).

Ahmed Muhumed

The influence of Ahmed Muhumed on high school cross country already is great.

The West Salem High School junior rose to new heights this season in winning the OSAA Class 6A state cross country championship, becoming the first runner from a Salem-Keizer public school to win a state championship since 1989.

Muhumed’s influence also can be seen on West Salem teammate Hunter Mosman.

Mosman, a senior, set a personal record at the 5,000-meter distance (16:06) and placed a career-best 32nd at the 6A state cross country meet.

And Muhumed’s influence also was present in Jefferson sophomore Hassan Ibrahim.

Ibrahim transferred to Jefferson from David Douglas before this season. It was at David Douglas, which Muhumed attended as a freshman, where Muhumed encouraged Ibrahim to compete in cross country.

Ibrahim won the 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 championship and placed second at the 3A/2A/1A state meet.

Muhumed, Mosman and Ibrahim are the finalists for the All-Mid-Valley boys cross country runner of the year, which will be announced June 7 at the first Mid-Valley Sports Awards at the Salem Convention Center.

Here’s a look at the entire Statesman Journal All-Mid-Valley boys cross country team.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Jefferson sophomore Hassan Ibrahim placed second in the OSAA Class 3A/2A/1A state cross country meet.

Hassan Ibrahim

School: Jefferson

Year: Sophomore

District result: 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 champion (15:56)

State result: Second at the Class 3A/2A/1A state meet (16:15)

West Salem senior Hunter Mosman

Hunter Mosman

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

District result: Fifth in the Greater Valley Conference (16:11)

State result: 32nd at the Class 6A state meet (16:34)

Ahmed Muhumed

Ahmed Muhumed

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

District result: Greater Valley Conference champion (15:17)

State result: OSAA Class 6A state champion (15:38)

Adrian Parra

Adrian Parra

School: Kennedy

Year: Senior

District result: 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 champion (16:34)

State result: Sixth at the Class 3A/2A/1A state meet (16:40)

Silverton senior Sam Roth

Sam Roth

School: Silverton

Year: Senior

District result: Second in the Mid-Willamette Conference (16:29)

State result: 47th at the Class 5A state meet (17:28)

Tom Jimenez

COACH

Tom Jimenez

School: West Salem

Year: Ninth

Team accomplishments: West Salem’s boys won the Greater Valley Conference championship with 39 points placed third at the state meet and guided Ahmed Muhumed to the OSAA Class 6A state championship, the first state championship in cross country by a runner from a Salem-Keizer Public School since 1989.

Baylie Cameron (right)

Paula Labate

Being a forward gives a player plenty of opportunities to score.

Only a select few forwards are truly great.

Players such as Brooklynn Petterson of Cascade High are creative scorers. Petterson scored 10 goals and had two assists this season on her way to being named first-team Class 4A all-state.

Players such as Paula Labate of West Salem use their speed and skill to blow past defenders. Labate scored 22 goals and had six assists and was named second-team Class 6A all-state.

Players such as Baylie Cameron of Silverton are determined scorers who won’t let anything get in their way on the way to the goal. Cameron scored 21 goals and seven assists this season and is Class 5A all-state.

Petterson, Labate and Cameron are the finalists for the All-Mid-Valley girls soccer players of the year. The award winner will be presented at the June 7 Mid-Valley Sports Awards at the Salem Convention Center.

Here’s a look at the full All-Mid-Valley girls soccer team.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Baylie Cameron

Baylie Cameron

School: Silverton

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Statistics: Cameron scored 21 goals and had seven assists.

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference; first-team Class 5A all-state.

Emily Collier

Emily Collier

School: Blanchet Catholic

Year: Sophomore

Position: Forward

Statistics: Collier scored 17 goals and had 16 assists.

Honors: First-team all-Class 3A/2A/1A Special District 3; 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 Player of the Year.

Alexus Hemphill (left)

Alexus Hemphill

School: Stayton

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Statistics: Hemphill scored 12 goals and had nine assists.

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference.

Paula Labate

Paula Labate

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Midfielder/forward

Statistics: Labate scored 22 goals and had six assists.

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference; second-team Class 6A all-state.

Anna Norrenberns

Anna Norrenberns

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference.

Brooklynn Petterson

Brooklynn Petterson

School: Cascade

Year: Sophomore

Position: Forward/midfielder

Statistics: Petterson scored 10 goals and had two assists.

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference; Oregon West Conference Player of the Year; first-team Class 4A all-state.

Lizzy Roth (right)

Lizzy Roth

School: Silverton

Year: Senior

Position: Defender

Statistics: Roth scored five goals and had five assists.

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference.

Emily Schmelling

Emily Schmelling

School: Sprague

Year: Senior

Position: Goalkeeper

Statistics: Schmelling had a 1.71 goals against average and recorded four shutouts.

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference.

Katarina Veliz

Katarina Veliz

School: Blanchet Catholic

Year: Junior

Position: Forward

Statistics: Veliz scored 23 goals and had seven assists.

Honors: First-team all-Class 3A/2A/1A Special District 3.

Danyel Walling

Danyel Walling

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Goalkeeper

Statistics: Walling had 31 saves, held opponents to three goals in conference play and had nine shutouts.

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference.

Halle Wright

Halle Wright

School: Cascade

Year: Sophomore

Position: Defender

Statistics: Wright scored three goals.

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference.

Jaime Rodriguez (left)

COACH

Jaime Rodriguez

School: West Salem

Year: Fourth

Team accomplishments: Rodriguez guided the Titans to an 11-4 record, including 7-1 in the Greater Valley Conference and the team’s fourth consecutive conference championship.

Ivan Navarro

Freddy Navarro

Stuart Aeschliman

It’s amazing how much of a difference certain players can make on an entire team.

Stayton HIgh senior midfielder Ivan Navarro has been one of the most skilled players around for a few years now, but he made a bigger impact this year for the Eagles.

Navarro, a first-team all-state player, scored 18 goals and had 18 assists in leading Stayton to its second straight second-place finish in Class 4A.

West Salem junior midfielder Stuart Aeschliman missed the first three games of the season with a broken thumb, but when he did come back his impact was great.

The first-team all-state selection seemed to spark something in his team when he scored four goals in a 4-0 win against McNary as the team went 6-1-1 after that and propelled the team to a second-place finish in Class 6A.

Stayton senior forward Freddy Navarro was a determined player all season. The second-team all-state player scored an astounding 19 goals and had four assists this season.

Freddy Navarro, Aeschliman and Ivan Navarro are the finalists for the All-Mid-Valley boys soccer player of the year, which will be announced at the June 7 Mid-Valley Sports Awards banquet at the Salem Convention Center.

Here’s a look at the full All-Mid-Valley boys soccer team.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Stuart Aeschliman

Stuart Aeschliman

Team: West Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Forward/midfielder

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference, first-team Class 6A all-state

Andy Ellingson (right)

Andy Ellingson

Team: Woodburn

Year: Junior

Position: Midfielder

Statistics: Ellingson scored eight goals and had three assists

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference

Armando Lopez Ruiz

Armando Lopez Ruiz

Team: South Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Midfielder

Statistics: Lopez Ruiz scored 10 goals and had one assist

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

Charles Marik (right)

Charles Marik

Team: Blanchet Catholic

Year: Senior

Position: Defender

Honors: First-team all-3A/2A/1A Special District 2; 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 Player of the Year

Frankie Martinez

Frankie Martinez

Team: Woodburn

Year: Senior

Position: Midfielder

Statistics: Martinez scored three goals and had six assists

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference; Mid-Willamette Conference Player of the Year; first-team Class 5A all-state

Freddy Navarro

Freddy Navarro

Team: Stayton

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Statistics: Navarro scored 19 goals and had four assists

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference; second-team Class 4A all-state

Ivan Navarro

Ivan Navarro

Team: Stayton

Year: Senior

Position: Midfielder

Statistics: Navarro scored 18 goals and had 17 assists

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference; Oregon West Conference Player of the Year; first-team Class 4A all-state.

Jose Navarro

Jose Navarro

Team: Stayton

Year: Freshman

Position: Goalkeeper

Statistics: Navarro had a .82 goals against average and had seven shutouts

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference

Diego Ortiz (right)

Diego Ortiz

Team: Woodburn

Year: Senior

Position: Defender

Statistics: Ortiz scored five goal and had four assists

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference; second-team Class 5A all-state

Sebasiten Ruelas

Sebastian Ruelas

Team: South Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Forward

Statistics: Ruelas scored nine goals and had three assists

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference; second-team Class 6A all-state

Gustavo Villalvazo

Gustavo Villalvazo

Team: McNary

Year: Senior

Position: Midfielder

Statistics: Villalvazo scored seven goals and had four assists

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

Chris Shields

COACH

Chris Shields

Team: Stayton

Year: 12th.

Team accomplishments: Stayton went 14-1-2, won the Oregon West Conference with a 8-0-2 record and reached the state championship game for the third time in five years and placing second in Class 4A

Honors: Oregon West Conference Coach of the Year.

Ron Richards, athletic director at McKay High School, is taking the same position at McNary High School. Photo submitted June 16, 2010.

McNary athletic director Ron Richards was named a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

He will be honored along with eight others for outstanding contributions to interscholastic athletics at a banquet Dec. 15 in Orlando, Florida.

Richards was the football coach at Butte High School for 11 years and was a college football coach for 16 years, including at Montana.

He spent nine years as athletic director at McKay starting in 2001 and has been the athletic director and assistant principal at McNary since 2010.

In addition, he is the state’s leadership training coordinator and a past president of the Oregon Athletic Directors Association.

West Salem’s Ahmed Muhumed wins the boys varsity race with a time of 15:17 during the Greater Valley Conference District Cross Country meet Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem.

Cross country

West Salem junior Ahmed Muhumed placed 40th at Saturday’s Nike Cross Nationals at Portland’s Glendoveer Golf Course.

Muhumed was third among runners from the northwest in the race in 15:44.30.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Peter Mason

Marlon Tuipulotu (51)

Garrett Coffey

Gabe Matthews

Anthony Johnson

South Salem football players break through the banner before playing Forest Grove on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015.

When the first thought in the mind of an opponent is one player, it’s a good sign that player is pretty good.

In the case of Cascade High senior running back Garrett Coffey, every opponent knew the powerhouse 6-foot-1, 195-pound dynamo would get the football a lot.

The Oregon West Conference Offensive Player of the Year finished the season with 2,548 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns on 367 carries.

When it came to Central junior defensive linemen Marlon Tuipulotu, it didn’t matter how much opponents tried to scheme away from him.

The 6-3, 275-pound Mid-Willamette Conference Defensive Player of the Year still had 78 tackles, including 28 for loss with 13 sacks, and intercepted two passes.

When South Salem senior quarterback Gabe Matthews had the ball – which was a lot – he was going to do something good with it.

The 6-2, 200-pound Greater Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,257 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushed for 460 yards and 11 touchdowns on 86 carries.

Tuipulotu, Matthews and Coffey are the finalists for the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Mid-Valley Football Player of the Year, which will be presented at the June 7 Mid-Valley Sports Awards at the Salem Convention Center.

Here’s a look at the full all-Mid-Valley team.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Offense

Andrew Baker

Andrew Baker

School: Salem Academy

Year: Senior

Position: Quarterback

Statistics: Baker was 162 of 251 (64 percent) passing for 2,539 yards with 32 touchdowns against eight interceptions and rushed for five touchdowns

Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference

Joseph Carey attends practice on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, at South Salem High School.

Joseph Carey

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Receiver

Statistics: Caught 38 passes for 912 yards and 18 touchdowns

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at receiver and cornerback

Garrett Coffey

Garrett Coffey

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Running back

Statistics: Had 367 carries for 2,548 yards and 30 touchdowns

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference; Oregon West Conference Offensive Player of the Year

Anthony Johnson

Anthony Johnson

School: Scio

Year: Senior

Position: Running back

Statistics: Rushed for a state-record 3,487 yards and 48 touchdowns on 206 carries

Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference; PacWest Conference Player of the Year; PacWest Conference Offensive Back/Wide Receiver of the Year

Aiden Littau

Aiden Littau

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Offensive guard

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at offensive guard and defensive line.

Gabe Matthews

Gabe Matthews

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Quarterback

Statistics: Matthews was 146 of 244 (59 percent) passing for 2,257 yards and 35 touchdowns with three interceptions and ran the ball 86 times for 460 yards and 11 touchdowns

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at quarterback, kicker and punter; Greater Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year

Alex McArthur

Alex McArthur

School: Blanchet Catholic

Year: Senior

Position: Offensive line

Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference at offensive line and defensive line.

Brett Miller

Brett Miller

School: Silverton

Year: Senior

Position: Offensive guard

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference at offensive guard, honorable mention at defensive line

Cameron Molan

Cameron Molan

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Receiver

Statistics: Molan caught 45 passes for 859 yards and 14 touchdowns

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference

Ryan Morgan

Ryan Morgan

School: Sprague

Year: Senior

Position: Offensive tackle

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at tackle

Jake Nelson

Jake Nelson

School: Sprague

Year: Senior

Position: Center

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at center and defensive line

Defense

Hunter Bain

Hunter Bain

School: Santiam Christian

Year: Senior

Position: Linebacker

Honors: First-team all-West Valley League at linebacker; West Valley League Defensive Player of the Year

Nate Cantonwine

Nate Cantonwine

School: Blanchet Catholic

Year: Senior

Position: Cornerback

Statistics: Cantonwine had 56 tackles and five interceptions.

Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference at receiver and defensive back

Malachi Gonzalez

Davis Carter

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Linebacker

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

Davis Carter

Malachi Gonzalez

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Defensive lineman

Statistics: Made 58 tackles with one forced fumble and recovered two fumbles

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at defensive line, honorable mention at offensive guard

Gibson Hohberg

Gibson Hohberg

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Safety

Statistics: Returned two fumbles for touchdowns

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at safety, honorable mention at receiver

Matthew Jarding

Matthew Jarding

School: McKay

Year: Junior

Position: Linebacker

Statistics: Made 89 tackles, including 15 for loss and 4.5 sacks

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at linebacker, honorable mention at running back

Peter Mason

School: Central

Year: Junior

Position: Cornerback

Statistics: Mason made 31 tackles, intercepted two passes, defensed seven passes and recovered two fumbles

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference at defensive back and receiver

Bishop Mitchell

Bishop Mitchell

School: Kennedy

Year: Senior

Position: Cornerback

Honors: First-team all-Tri-River Conference at cornerback and running back

Luke Raynak

Luke Raynak

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Defensive line

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at defensive line

Marlon Tuipulotu

Marlon Tuipulotu

School: Central

Year: Junior

Position: Defensive line

Statistics: Tuipulotu had 78 tackles with 28 for loss including 13 sacks and two interceptions

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at defensive line and offensive guard; Oregon West Conference Defensive Player of the Year

Vincent Villarreal

Vincent Villarreal

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Defensive line

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at defensive line and offensive line

Special Teams

Lucas Bjorklund

Lucas Bjorklund

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Kicker

Statistics: Bjorklund was 51 for 59 on extra points and was 2-for-2 on field goals

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at defensive back, second-team at kicker

Chase Lakin

Chase Lakin

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Returner

Statistics: Returned 14 kickoffs for 404 yards and a touchdown

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at returner and receiver

Tanner Scanlan (22)

Tanner Scanlan

School: North Marion

Year: Junior

Position: Punter

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at punter and defensive back

Steve Turner

COACH

Steve Turner

School: Cascade

Year: Fourth

Team accomplishments: Cascade went 12-1, placed second in the Oregon West Conference and won the OSAA Class 4A state championship, the second in the school’s history.

Lakin Susee

Paige Whipple

Great volleyball players lead teams to great heights.

In the cases of West Salem High junior Paige Whipple, Kennedy senior Lakin Susee and St. Paul senior Cameron Stone, they all did that.

Susee, Stone and Whipple are the finalists for the Statesman Journal All-Mid-Valley volleyball player of the year, which will be presented at the June 7 Mid-Valley Sports Awards at the Salem Convention Center.

Stone, a senior libero, led St. Paul to a sixth-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament with 442 digs, 71 kills and 63 aces on her way to being named first-team Class 2A all-state.

Whipple, a junior outside hitter, led West Salem to sixth place at the Class 6A state tournament with 431 kills, 214 digs, 41 aces and 30 blocks and was named first-team Class 6A all-state.

Susee, a senior setter and outside hitter, led Kennedy to a fifth place result at the Class 2A state tournament by producing 467 kills, 426 digs, 353 assists and 66 aces on her way to being a first-team Class 2A all-state selection.

Here’s a look at the whole All-Mid-Valley team.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Rachel Boyer

Rachel Boyer

School: Santiam Christian

Year: Senior

Position: Setter/outside hitter

Honors: First-team all-West Valley League; second-team Class 3A state tournament; first-team Class 3A all-state

Sydney Brown

Sydney Brown

School: Salem Academy

Year: Sophomore

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: In league Brown had 127 kills, 20 aces and 33 digs

Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference; PacWest Conference Player of the Year; third-team Class 3A all-state

Emma Coleman

Emma Coleman

School: St. Paul

Year: Senior

Position: Opposite side hitter/setter

Statistics: Coleman had 195 kills, 198 assists, 130 digs and 74 aces

Honors: First-team all-Tri-River Conference; second-team Class 2A all-state

Kasey Campbell

Kasey Campbell

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: Campbell had 229 digs, 195 kills, 52 aces and 13 assists

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

Vanessa Hayes

Vanessa Hayes

School: McNary

Year: Senior

Position: Middle blocker/outside hitter

Statistics: Hayes had 348 kills, 219 digs and 51 aces

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

West Salem junior Mattie Kelly

Mattie Kelly

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Setter

Statistics: Kelly had 709 assists, 82 digs, 25 aces, 22 kills and 16.5 blocks

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

Kylie Nash

Kylie Nash

School: Central

Year: Senior

Position: Setter

Statistics: Nash had 479 yards, 127 digs, 36 aces and 17 kills

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference

Alyssa St. Peter (right)

Alyssa St. Peter

School: Cascade

Year: Senior

Position: Middle blocker

Statistics: St. Peter had 291 digs, 270 kills, 41 blocks and 28 aces

Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference

Cameron Stone

Cameron Stone

School: St. Paul

Year: Senior

Position: Libero

Statistics: Stone had 442 digs, 74 kills and 63 aces

Honors: First-team all-Tri-River Conference; Tri-River Conference co-Player of the Year; first-team Class 2A state tournament; first-team Class 2A all-state

Lakin Susee

Lakin Susee

School: Kennedy

Year: Senior

Position: Setter/outside hitter

Statistics: Susee had 467 kills, 426 digs, 353 assists, 66 aces and 22 solo blocks

Honors: First-team all-Tri-River Conference; Tri-River Conference co-Player of the Year; first-team Class 2A state tournament; first-team Class 2A all-state

Maddy Von Flue

Maddy Von Flue

School: South Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Libero

Statistics: VonFlue had 468 digs and 48 aces

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference

Paige Whipple (12)

Paige Whipple

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: Whipple had 431 kills, 215 digs, 41 aces, 30 blocks and 20 assists

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference; Greater Valley Conference Player of the Year; first-team Class 6A state tournament; first-team Class 6A all-state

COACH

Katie Herber

Katie Herber

School: West Salem

Year: Fourth.

Team accomplishments: West Salem went 21-5, including winning the Greater Valley Conference with a 15-1 record, the program’s first conference championship since 2007, reached the state tournament for the first time since 2006 and placed sixth.

Honors: Greater Valley Conference Coach of the Year

Junior Zach Bernards plays basketball for Dayton High School in Dayton, Ore. Photographed on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015.

DAYTON – When heavy rains hit earlier this week and Dayton High School closed early due to flooding, the boys basketball team couldn’t practice so all of the players came over to Zach Bernards’ house to play on the indoor basketball court.

“It’s really nice to have, especially when it rains, and we have a nice little floor on it,” said the junior guard.

He’s put in a lot of time on that court.

In the past couple years the 5-foot-11 Bernards has become known as one of the best shooters – and prolific scorers – in the state.

It doesn’t matter where he is on the court, Bernards will take the shot.

“He probably has the most confidence I’ve ever seen,” said senior teammate Zack Spink. “Every shot he takes, he thinks it’s going in. He seems to always make the right decisions. We seem to always win when he has the ball in his hands so we just keep doing that and it’s been working for us.”

Bernards has little brother syndrome.

The youngest brother in a generation full of standout basketball players for Dayton, he has the toughness and determination to succeed.

Eldest brother Ryan graduated in 2007, Travis graduated in 2011 and Nathan graduated in 2013.

Between them and Sergio Rosario, Zach Bernards was always the smallest one on the court growing up and had to figure out how to score if he wanted to play.

West Salem’s Delaney Henery more than a scoring threat

“Serg is actually my adopted brother,” Bernards said. “He played pro. And he’s the one I played against the most lately. Usually every day after he gets off of work we play one-on-one for about an hour and then work out.”

Playing for Dayton is so ingrained in Bernards that he can’t bring himself to say the name of rival Amity, instead calling it by terms like, “That place.”

Bernards has been known for his outside shooting his entire career as a high school player.

He says that he can’t remember making one lay-in his entire freshman year.

In an effort to diversify his game, he put on 20 pounds of muscle so he could slash to the basket more effectively.

It’s helped as he already scored 38 points in a game against Portland Adventist this season.

“I think his problem and his assets are that he thinks that he can do it all,” Dayton coach Ron Hop said.

“And in reality by doing that, he has to take up some scoring roles, but we’ve got to get some passing from him to involve other people so we can have a more balanced attack and teams are not going to prepare for just one guy, they’re going to prepare for all five of them.”

Bernards has been a starter since he stepped on the court at Dayton, but he broke out as a sophomore when he was a first-team all-state selection for the 3A state champion Pirates.

Instead of celebrating, he spent most of the summer working on his family’s farm where they grow straw, grass seed, corn, pumpkins and mustard seed.

Christian Russell making an impact in a new place

He played in a few of the bigger AAU tournaments for Team Jones, but also spent a lot of time working on his game as well as working on the farm.

“It’s nice,” Bernards said. “All my brothers worked for my dad. Summers are fun. It gives you a little break off of basketball.”

But basketball is what the Bernards do best.

His competitive demeanor and desire to win has led him to new heights, and he has embraced the role of being a returning state champion.

“I think every day we have to get better, not only myself but the team,” Bernards said.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Junior Zach Bernards plays during basketball practice at Dayton High School in Dayton, Ore., on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015.

Greater Valley Conference

McKay

Coach: Dean Sanderson, fifth year

Last season’s record: 5-19, 3-13 GVC

Key players

Darrell Woods, Sr., W: A returning starter and honorable mention all-conference player as a junior, he has a good outside shooter.

Tristen Wilson, Sr., P: The 6-4 senior is a strong inside presence and a returning starter who was all-conference a year ago.

Demeris Bailey, Sr., PG: A returning starter and a hard worker.

Outlook: The Royal Scots return three seniors who started all of last season and have a lot of quick, athletic players at the perimeter positions. The team has grit, but a host of new players need to gel with its core of experienced players to move up in the conference.

McNary

Coach: Ryan Kirch, fifth year

Last year’s record: 22-4, 15-1 GVC, lost in second round of 6A playoffs

Key players

Harry Cavell, Sr., G: A first-team all-conference player as a junior who is one of the most dynamic players in the state.

Trent Van Cleave, Sr., PG: A returning starter and athletic player in the backcourt who was third-team all-conference as a junior.

Matthew Ismay, Jr., P: An honorable mention all-conference player in the post last year who was the team’s defensive player of the year.

Outlook: The Celtics has a combination of a talented core of experienced players with some young players and have the potential to challenge for the conference championship again.

North Salem

Coach: Jordan Graneto, second year

Last year’s record: 3-21, 3-13 GVC

Key players

Cole Hamilton, Sr., G: A returning starter who signed to play baseball at Western Oregon.

Jimmy Van, Sr., PG: A quick player who is a defensive stopper.

Alex Vasquez, Jr., G: A quick guard who can spot up and shoot from outside.

Outlook: The Vikings have the potential to move up this year behind a core of experienced players and some new faces.

South Salem

Coach: Tyler Allen

Last year’s record: 25-4, 15-1 GVC, fourth place in 6A tournament

Key players

Gabe Matthews, Sr., P: A four-year starter and third-team all-conference player last season who will be the glue in the team coming together.

Joseph Carey, Sr., G: A returning starter who came on strong late last season.

Khalid Thomas, Jr., G: A long and athletic player who showed potential in flashes last season.

Outlook: The team returns one full-time starter, but will contend for another league championship. The Saxons had an influx of talent in 6-11 senior post Christian Russell from West Salem, sophomore guard Gavin Baughman, who started every game for North Salem last year, and freshman Jaden Nielsen Skinner.

Sprague

Coach: B.J. Dobrkovsky, 12th year

Last year’s record: 4-19, 3-13 GVC

Key players

Kaiden Flanigan, Jr., G: A dynamic scorer and three-year starter who was second-team all-conference last year.

Teagan Quitoriano, So., F: A starter as a freshman last season who has the combination of size and athleticism to play any position.

Cole Freeburg, Sr., P: An honorable mention all-conference player and a tough inside player.

Outlook: The Olympians return their full roster from last year – including some stellar young players such as Flanigan and Quitoriano – and add in a few players who give the team the potential to move up significantly in the conference.

West Salem

Coach: Mark Bulgin, third year

Last year’s record: 13-2, 8-8 GVC, lost in first round of 6A playoffs

Key players

Jonathan Terleski, Sr., W: The team’s primary scoring option who does multiple things on offense.

Hunter Johnson, Sr., W: An honorable mention all-conference player as a junior.

Outlook: The Titans will have a largely new roster this season due to graduation, transfers and injuries, but the team has an athletic roster and should compete for a playoff spot.

The rest of the GVC

Forest Grove: If the Grizzlies can stay healthy, the team has the potential to challenge for a top four spot in the conference. Forest Grove returns all-conference players Taylor Jensen and Bailey Evers.

McMinnville: The Grizzlies tied for third in the conference last year at 10-6 and graduated all of its all-conference players.

West Albany: A senior-loaded Bulldogs team tied for third in the conference at 10-6 last season, but returns all-conference players Cooper Getsfrid and J.J. Stewart and has potential.

Area leagues

Mid-Willamette Conference: Silverton won last season’s Class 5A state championship, and behind a roster including 5A state player of the year Sam Roth and Daniel Larinov, is the favorite in the conference, if not the state, again. Dallas came on strong late last season to place third in the league. The Dragons return starters in senior point guard Everett Minahan, a first-team all-conference player, and Harris Broadus and a has a good group of upperclassmen in Mitchell Laizure, Aaron White and Avery Welty that will be strong again. Central returns two physical senior posts in Kevin Cable and Madison Stepp along with a junior class that includes Alec Barba and Peter Mason that should compete for a playoff spot again. Woodburn returns three starting juniors who are returning starters in Andy Ellingson, Luis Salazar and Jose Luis Salazar and has the athletes to be improved.

Oregon West Conference: This is one of the most competitive conference in the state. A Cascade team that placed fifth in the state last season returns conference player of the year John Schirmer and returns an accomplished group of players including Cameron Molan and Garrett Coffey and adds back in Tyler Walker, who suffered a knee injury last season. A North Marion team that was .500 in conference last year went on to place second in the state and returns dynamic scorer Tanner Scanlan, Josiah Ramon along with an experienced roster including Drew Torian, Hunter Martin and Colin Barrow. Philomath, which won the conference last year, returns Cal Stueve and will be competitive again. And Stayton is the darkhorse behind an athletic lineup including seniors Kyle Schwarm, a first-team all-conference player a year ago, Charlie Weeks, Matt Lindemann, Everett St. Clair and Ben Diehl and has the potential to compete for the top spot in the conference.

West Valley League: The league annually produces most of the best teams in the state, as evidenced by Dayton beating Horizon Christian for the 3A state championship last season. Dayton returns all-league players in Zach Bernards, Zack Spinks and Jared Ashley and will contend for the state title again. Horizon Christian returns Jace Prinzing and adds in transfers including Anthony Sprauer from Kennedy. Amity has the potential to contend for the top spot in the league behind first-team all-league players Lance Nelson and Jamie Stull along with height from Clint Hatch, Deryk Stears and Dylan Stearns. Willamina gets back coach Cliff Toney, who formerly coached Willamina from 2000 to 2009, and has an experienced core including four-year starter Brodey Bruckner and multiple-year starters in Tyson Healon, AJ Farmer and Brad Milton.

PacWest Conference: For the first time in nearly a decade Blanchet didn’t win a conference championship last season, though the team placed third in the state, but the Cavaliers have the talent to contend for the state championship this year. Blanchet returns all-state 6-5 forward Ryan Scanlan and all-conference guard Nate Cantonwine along with seniors including Harry Witwer-Dukes, Ben Collier and Ben Bartch and add in a promising freshman guard R.J. Veliz. Salem Academy lost a lot to graduation, but has a roster made up of a lot of athletic players and will contend for the top spot. Gervais, now coached by Adam Vasas who led the girls team to the state playoffs, has a senior heavy but inexperienced team including Jose Esquivel, Sevy Toran and Kopy Zharkoff.

Tri-River Conference: This is one of the top conference in the state. Last season’s conference champion, Regis, has the players to go farther than its third-place finish of last year. The Rams return all-conference players in Sam Nieslanik and Bryce Piete as well as experienced players in Brendon Woodcock, Gibson Brown and Andrew Schmitt. Western Mennonite has placed at the state tournament 10 years in a row and has the potential to again with returners Colby Williams and Daniel Domes. Kennedy will contend for the conference championship with a team including Brett Traeger, Jacob Lopez, Bishop Mitchell, Dylan Arritola and Jack Suing. St Paul has the potential to move up with a team including Carson Smith, Jackson Connor and Tyler Smith.

Casco League: Crosshill Christian has the players to contend with last year’s state champion Country Christian for the top spot in the league. The Eagles return all-league players including Matthew Gille and Ethan Talmage and have the potential to get back to the state tournament for the third-straight season. Perrydale, which drops back down to 1A from 2A, returns all-league players in Haylen Janesofsky and Brant Barnes and will challenge for the top spot in the league. Willamette Valley Christian returns starters in juniors Cahldwell Peetz, Eric vanKlaveren and Roland Navarez.