McKenzie Boys Basketball Wrap-up Season With A Win!

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

McKenzie Varsity Winter Sports have concluded. There are no contests scheduled.

McKenzie Boys Basketball Wrap-up Season With A Win!

The McKenzie Varsity Boys Basketball season has ended with the start of a win streak! The Eagles defeated the visiting Alsea Wolverines last Wednesday, February 14, 46-37, and on top of that, the celebration included Eagle Senior night. Seniors Salomon Acevedo, Thomas Hayes, and Griffin Withalm, and their teammates played with a heart on Valentine's Day and secured what's proven to be a rare event this season, a victory. But victory it was and McKenzie Head Coach Neal Barrett's team can claim a win streak as they start looking ahead to next season's campaign. A High Point indeed! Optimistically gazing toward the future, a freshman, Rhys Hamlow led the home charge with a double-double effort, 10 points, and 11 rebounds and he added an assist and 2 steals. Acevedo's last Eagle hoops game was also a good one, as the senior finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. Withalm's last game as an Eagle was productive with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and a blocked shot. And Hayes final game in the paint had him finish with 4 points and 6 rebounds. Sophomore underclassmen Allen Acevedo finished the night with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block and Will Meister scored 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Junior Aytan Brown had 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals, and freshman Masonn Burton scored 4 points, grabbed 5 boards, and had 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot. The Eagles committed 19 turnovers and shot 28% from the field (16 shots made-61 shots attempted). McKenzie concludes the 2023-24 hoops season with a 2-12 Mt. West League record, tied for seventh with Mohawk. The Eagles also finished with a 3-19 overall record and a final OSAA State Class 1A ranking of 81 out of 82 teams.

Wolverines Heart-Break Eagles On Senior Night

Alsea Mangles McKenzie 51-12

Well, the McKenzie Varsity Girls Basketball 2023-24 season is in the books. McKenzie finished their swing through the Mt. West League with a 2-12 record and a 2-20 overall record. McKenzie finished in seventh place in the MWL and posted a final OSAA Class 1A ranking of 72 out of 73 teams. The Eagles played host to the Alsea Wolverines last Wednesday, February 14, and also celebrated Senior Night and Valentine's Day, honoring the young team's two departing seniors, Jane Dellinger and Riley Morales, and their families. First-year McKenzie Girls Head Coach Heather Holte's team was long on youth this season and short on hoops experience and probably would have profited playing a junior varsity schedule this season. Unfortunately, the Mt. West League's other teams (except Mohawk) don't support many JV-level games and McKenzie's roster isn't large enough to play both levels. That being said, this year's experience and growth will be the foundation for next year's opportunity. Off-season time in the gym would be advisable to build on the skill learning started this year.

Mt. West League Tourney Decides State Berths

The Mt. West League held its 2024 Mt. West League Championship Tournament this past Saturday, February 17, at Junction City High School. Three MWL Boys teams and three MWL Girls teams qualified for the League's OSAA 2024 State Class 1A Basketball Championship First Round. Twenty-four Class 1A teams automatically earn a berth based on their League's tournaments and an additional eight teams, based on their final season ranking, fill out the balance of the 32-team First Round field. All First Round teams are matched according to that final OSAA State ranking with the top-ranked team meeting the 32nd-ranked team, the second-ranked team meeting the 31st-ranked team, and so on. The Mapleton Boys (14-0, 23-2) team won the Mt. West League Tournament Championship at Junction City on Saturday with a 63-34 rout of Triangle Lake (12-2, 13-8). The Sailors earned the number one MWL seed and the Lakers settled for number two. Crow/City First Christian Academy (10-14, 14-10) clobbered Siletz Valley (7-7, 7-14) 52-32, to earn the third MWL seed to State. Mohawk's Girls

(12-2, 17-8) took home the MWL Championship trophy and top First Round seed with a close 30-27 victory over Mapleton (10-4, 15-11), which earned the second seed. Alsea (9-5, 10-16) and Triangle Lake (9-5, 13-9) finished the MWL Regular Season in a perfect tie and met on Thursday, February 15, at Monroe High School, to determine which team would advance to the MWL Tournament. Alsea defeated the Lakers,

35-26, but fell to Eddyville Charter (10-4, 14-10) on Saturday at Junction City to end the Wolverines season. Eddyville Charter advances to the First Round as the MWL third seed.

First-Round State Basketball Brackets Set

The 2024 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Class 1A State Basketball Championships are set to begin with First Round play. The 32-team field has been determined for both the Boys Bracket and the Girls Bracket. Mapleton, the MWL Regular Season and Tournament Boys Champion earned a 16th seeding in the First Round and will host the third-place team out of the Mountain Valley League, Bonanza (10-3, 16-7, 17th seed). The Sailors tip-off versus the Antlers on Tuesday, February 20, at 6:00 pm. MWL's second seed Triangle Lake is seeded 28th in the First Round and will travel to Big Sky League Champion Dufur (14-0, 21-2), the OSAA 5th-seeded team. Crow/City First Christian Academy is the lowest seed, 32nd in the First Round, and will face the State's top-ranked team, Crane (6-0, 24-1), the High Desert Champion, at Crane. Triangle Lake and Crow will also play on Tuesday at 6:00 pm. Mohawk, the MWL Girls Champion, earned a First Round host game and as the 16th seed in the First Round, will meet 17th seed Big Sky League third place Trout Lake/Glenwood Mustangs (12-1, 20-4). That game will commence on Wednesday, February 21, at 6:00 pm. Mapleton, the MWL second seed, has been assigned the 31st seed in the First Round and will travel to Skyline League Champion North Douglas (11-0, 23-3), the State's second-ranked team. And Eddyville Charter the 32nd-seeded team in the First Round will travel down to the High Desert League to tangle with the number one team in the State, the Crane Mustangs (4-0, 25-0).