McKenzie Sports Report – February 19
McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week
The McKenzie Varsity Winter sports season has concluded and there are no basketball contests scheduled.
McKenzie Boys Basketball Closes Out
Season With Forfeit Win Over Siletz
The McKenzie Eagle Boys Varsity Basketball team wrapped up its 2025-26 Mt. West League season with a 2-0 forfeit win over Siletz Valley, last Tuesday, February 10. The Eagles, coached by Head Coach Neil Barrett and assisted by David Duncan, finished the Regular season with a 2-5 Mt. West League record and 7-14 overall. McKenzie finished in 7th place in the final MWL Regular Season standings and ranked 60th out of 74 OSAA Class 1A teams.
The Eagles did not qualify for the 2026 Mt. West League Tournament held this week to determine the League’s three representatives to the State Tournament. Three Eagle seniors graduate from this year’s team, Will Meister, Noah Borden, and Jacob Peek.
McKenzie Girls Win Final Season Game,
45-32 Victory Over Siletz Valley
The McKenzie Varsity Girls Basketball team finished their regular season on a high note last Tuesday, February 10, with a decisive 45-32 victory over visiting Siletz Valley. With the win, McKenzie’s first counting MWL victory, the Eagles also broke a twelve game losing streak.
McKenzie Head Coach David Duncan’s (assisted by Miyanna Hayes) Eagle team finished their 2025-26 season with a Mt. West League record of 1-6 and 3-16 overall. Eddyville Charter, Siletz Valley, and McKenzie all finished with identical MWL 1-6 records, tied for sixth place. McKenzie also finished with an OSAA Class 1A ranking of 65th out of 67 teams this season. The Eagles lose two senior players to graduation, Mackenzie Wickizer and Grace Weiss.
Donkey Basketball Fills The Eagle Gym
With Thrills, Spills and Laughs
Donkey Basketball returned to McKenzie Hardwood last Friday night and the furry critters (and those who threw their legs over each) were a resounding hit! The Eagle gymnasium filled up with Donkey fans ready for a good time watching alums from past heroics battle their current Varsity basketball counters in a “highly skilled” and competitive game. The event, hosted by the McKenzie Athletic Department as a fundraiser, was a great success on all accounts, as the riders and their mounts put on a great show.
In the end the Alumni won the scoreboard, but the Community coming together for fun and laughter was the real winner. The Alumni of McKenzie were represented by Cricket McCloud, Class of 1996, Ryan Rux (2005), Nicole Price and Kyle Reese (2007), Ethan Rux (2011), Miyanna Hayes and Chance Hamlow (2017), River Bloomer (2020), Trent Peek Van Sickle (2023), and Bekah Short and Noah Prado (2025).
The McKenzie Varsity team riders, all first time hands at the game of Donkey Ball, were Jacob Norlund, Liliana Jones, Mackenzie Wickizer, Will Meister, Amir Enfield, Avrey Thoms, Rhys Hamlow, Cyrus Bennett, Ally Peek, Jacob Peek, Elle Epping, Noah O’Daol, Allen Acevedo, Liam Acevedo, and Claire Weiss.
Most importantly, “Pooper Scoopers” Jaxon Jones, Averies Jones, Ayla Bennett, and Eleanor Tompkins represented the Eagles. Thanks go out to Donkey Sports, Inc., out of Entiat, WA for providing the clean, well cared for and well trained donkeys. Special thanks go out to Donkey Sports handler and game referee David Fenton.
Mt. West League Tournament Begins
MWL Teams Vie For State Berths
The Mt. West League 2025-26 Boys and Girls Basketball Regular Season is concluded and Tournament play starts this week. For the qualifying teams, three berths to the 2026 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Basketball State Championships are on the line. First action play starts on Tuesday, February 17, with the Mohawk Boys and Girls teams traveling to Alsea.
The Alsea girls (6-1) finished second in the final MWL Regular season standings and will host Mohawk (5-2), the third place team. The Triangle Lake girls (4-3) finished fourth and host the fifth place Crow girls (3-4) on Tuesday. The Alsea Boys (4-3) team finished in a third place tie with Triangle Lake (4-3) and will host Mohawk (3-4) the fifth place team. That game will commence on Tuesday. Triangle Lake will travel to second place Mapleton (5-2) on Wednesday, February 18.
The Mt. West League Regular Season Champions Mapleton Girls (7-0) and Eddyville Charter Boys (7-0) both earned byes until the final games played at Harrisburg High School on Saturday, February 21. At Harrisburg, three teams from each, boys and girls, will earn the three seeds or berths to the Round 1 of the 2026 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union State Championships. Each of those teams will be further seeded, 1 through 32, according to their final OSAA State rankings, which will also determine whether the teams travel or host those games.
Round 1 game winners played on February 24, 25 will advance to Round 2, played on Feb. 27,28. The standing eight teams from Round 2 play will advance to the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals, held in Baker City, March 4-7.