Hey all, just a short recap for now and not sure when I will get something up more on this game but I will. Girls played hard and had a good game but couldn't quite pull it out. It's off to Disneyland on Wednesday so I doubt I will write tonight or tomorrow. It's been a long, but enjoyable, four days so far!



VAN NUYS, Calif. -- Syree Gerner had 23 points and McKenzie Redberg added 15 but the Corvallis High girls basketball team dropped a tough 76-69 double-overtime decision to Oaks Christian (Calif.) in the title game of the Winter Slam Jam tournament at Van Nuys High School on Tuesday night.

The Spartans led by seven late in the fourth quarter but Oaks Christian was able to tie the game with 9 seconds left in regulation. Oaks Christian had the ball and a chance to win in the first overtime but didn't get a shot off.

Finally, thanks to the play of tournament MVP Katie Brooks, Oaks Christian was able to pull away in the second overtime.

Brooks led all scorers with 37 points, including 18 in the two overtime periods.

CHS led 10-0 and was up 37-22 at the half, but Oaks Christian used a 23-11 advantage in the third quarter to get back in the game.

Gerner, Redberg and Gabe Johnson were named to the all-tournament team.

Katie Schrock added 13 points for the Spartans, who fall to 6-2 and will open Mid-Willamette Conference play on Jan. 6 at home against Woodburn.

Oaks Christian 76, Corvallis 69 (2OT)
CORVALLIS 16 21 11 10 7 4 -- 69
OAKS CHRISTIAN 9 13 23 13 7 11 -- 76

Corvallis: Syree Gerner 23, M. Redberg 15, Schrock 13, Johnson 6, Adams 5, Kay. Laney 4, W. Redberg 2, Kar. Laney 1

Oaks Christian: Katie Brooks 37, Owusu 14, Barrett 12, Roce 5, Au-Speakes 4, Landa 4, Cooper

Headed to the championship game

After playing two teams they could dominate, the Corvallis High girls basketball team was up to the challenge against a physical Sierra Canyon team on Monday at the Winter Slam Jam Tournament.

And while Sierra Canyon made an initial statement by taking a 10-6 lead four minutes into the game.

But that was about it for Sierra Canyon as the Spartans cranked up the defense and held Sierra Canyon to seven points over the final 12 minutes of the first half.

The result was a solid 61-40 win for the Spartans that put them into the championship game against either Oaks Christian or North Hollywood. That game will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

"It was much more competitive and we had to play a lot more aggressive and the team was a lot better than before," sophomore Syree Gerner said.

Gerner led the Spartans (6-1) with 14 points while McKenzie Redberg added 13. Katie Schrock, who had to play with glasses after ripping a contact lense earlier in the day, added nine, along with Kayla Laney, who is battling a bad case of allergies.

Sierra Canyon played a physical game and constantly harrassed the Spartans even after rebounds. CHS was up to the task most of the time.

"I think our team actually sort of likes it and we play pretty good against it," Gerner said. "I think people adapted to it and got more used to it and we started to play harder and it was fun."

The Spartans won despite point guard Gabe Johnson in foul trouble most of the game.

The Spartans took a 40-17 lead into the half on back-to-back 3-pointers by Schrock and Redberg. Schrock's three left the net stuck on the rin, and Redberg's brought it back down to its normal position.

Corvallis will have another tough test no matter which team it plays. But the Spartans are ready for all challengers and want to take the tournament title home to Oregon.

Corvallis 61, Sierra Canyon 40
SIERRA CANYON 10 7 13 10 -- 40
CORVALLIS 15 25 13 8 -- 61

Sierra Canyon: Brenda Kramer 13, Sneed 9, Schneider 7, wells 6, Lozano 4, Oni 1, Wannamaker, Norris, Carney, Jones

Corvallis: Syree Gerner 14, M. Redberg 13, Schrock 9, Kay. Laney 9, Adams 8, Johnson 6, Kar. Laney 2, Hendrickson 0, McGowan, W. Redberg

A fun day in California

Hey all, not much time to write but here are some photos from our day at Hollywood and then Venice Beach. Sorry not much from the beach.


Here is the team in front of the Hollywood sign (in the way back).


Jessica McGowan looking cool sporting the new shades!


Gabe Johnson doing some shopping.


Steve Gress and McKenzie Redberg being attacked by Michael Meyers and Jason Vorhies. We love horror movies!


Whitney Redberg, Katie Schrock, Syree Gerner and McKenzie Redberg get ready to take in the sights in Hollywood.


Alaina Adams and Karly Laney at Venice Beach.


The famous Beverly Hills Hotel sign


Stewart Laney and her favorite daughter (sorry Karly!) Kayla Laney.


The Fab five of from left, karly Laney, Kayla Laney, McKenzie Redberg, Leah Seitz and Gabe Johnson pose with their own star.


It's the one and only Josie Williamson being cool like usual. Also pictured are coach Tom Cox, Koby Williamson and coach Joe Williamson.



Alaina Adams, Katie Schrock, Marisa Hendrickson and Karly Laney wait in the parking garage in Hollywood.


The Spartans are back in action at 6 p.m. on Monday so check back to see if they can knock off Sierra Canyon in the semifinals.

An impressive perfromance (or two)

Not even 16 hours of travel was going to slow down the Corvallis HIgh girls basketball team on Saturday.

And you can forget about those two weeks without a game as well.

No, the Spartans are on a mission it seems.

They want to get back to the Spartans of 2007-08. You know that team that would outwork anybody they faced.

And they want to prove to another state just how good they can be.

"We wanted to come out and send a message that we can beat anybody," senior McKenzie Redberg said. "We are here and we want to represent our school and our state."

So far so good as the Spartans (5-1) dispatched two overmatched opponents on Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the Winter Slam Jam at Van Nuys High School in Malibu, Calif.

The Spartans took out their frustrations of the travel day, two weeks of snowouts and two poor performances against Willamette and Hermiston the last time they played against Viewpoint (Calif.)

Corvallis scored the first 32 points of the game and had so thoroughly dominated Viewpoint that a parent walked over to the Corvallis bench during a timeout two minutes into the second quarter and said, "Do you know it's Christmas coach? You could take the press off, it's 32-0."

The parent was quickly dealt with and escorted back to the other side of the gym.

It was a tough situation as coach Joe Williamson was about to tale the press off but he also knew his team couldn't stop playing hard because they needed the floor time to continue to improve.

Of course the fullcourt press was taken off but that did little to slow the Spartans.

Viewpoint hit two free throws to end the scoring drought with 6:04 to play in the quarter. However, it would not score again for more than a half of play as CHS led 71-2 early in the fourth quarter.

"I didn't know what to do," Redberg said afterwards.

No one did, really.

Gabe Johnson had 17 points, Katie Schrock 14 and Karly Laney 13 for Corvallis as every player saw significant minutes and every player but Jessica McGowan scored.

The team left the gym for dinner and came back to face St. Genevieve (Calif.) with a chance to advance to the championship bracket out of pool play.

And while St. Genevieve was able to take an early 4-0 lead after some sluggish play on both ends by the Spartans, it was not a sign of things to come.

The Spartans responded with an 11-0 run and firmly took control of the game, eventually winning 92-33.

All five starters scored in double figures led by Redberg's 20. Kayla Laney added 15 points, Alaina Adams and Johnson 14 each and Schrock 13. Even McGowan got into the scoring column with a free throw as all 10 players scored.

But what was nice to see was the effort the players exhibited throughout the two games. Even with big leads they were not about to slow down.

Case in point, in the third quarter against St. Genevieve the Spartans led by 30, yet Johnson and Redberg had steals on six straight possessions, with Redberg outrunning a St. Genevieve player for the ball and ended up with a layup to put CHS up 66-21.

"What I like about this tournament is we don't know anything about these teams and what to expect, so we have to go out hard no matter what and I think that is good for our team," Redberg said.

It wasn't just the defense that was solid, the offense used good passing and finished with 27 assists on 41 made baskets against St. Genevieve, and had 20 assists on 35 made baskets against Viewpoint.

Next up is a date at 6 p.m. on Monday against Sierra Canyon. Also in the semifinals are Oaks Christian and North Hollywood.

Corvallis 79, Viewpoint (Calif.) 12
VIEWPOINT 0 2 0 10 -- 12
CORVALLIS 23 26 19 11 -- 79
Viewpoint: Troxler 7, Winters 3, Keane 2, Trainer, Kessler, Alters, Davis, Hsu, Reeb, Rose, Sage
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 17, Schrock 14, Kar. Laney 13, M. Redberg 9, Gerner 8, Kay. Laney 7, Adams 6, Hendrickson 3, W. Redberg 2
Corvallis 92, St. Genevieve 33
ST. GENEVIEVE 12 8 3 10 -- 33
CORVALLIS 24 19 30 19 -- 92
St. Genevieve: Michele Espinueva 9, Megan 9, Cadiz 7, Manasco 5, Alvarez 2, Alvaringo 1, DeGuia, Martinez
Corvallis: McKenzie Redberg 20, Kay. Laney 14, Johnson 14, Adams 14, Schrock 13, Gerner 7, W. Redberg 4, Hendrickson 2, Kar. Laney 2, McGowan 1

A very, very, very, very long day of traveling

Let's hope the rest of the trip goes a little bit better than Friday.

Members of the Corvallis High girls basketball team had quite a long day of traveling as the plane that was taking 10 of the players, three coaches and numerous parents spent way too much time in the San Jose airport after having their flight to LAX delayed.

The team was on it's way for four games at a tournament in Malibu, Calif.

At first, the team thought they would have to spend close to five hours delayed in San Jose, but then Lindsay Schnell and Nova Sweet (special thanks goes to Southwest Airlines employee Cindy for helping out) were able to get the team on an earlier flight.

Or so they thought.

The flight they were switched to was then delayed and more time was needed to be killed.

So the players gathered in a circle and played the sign game that was taught by Tom Cox. That was enough to keep the team occupied during the looooonnnnnggg delay.

It was a fun plane ride for me from PDX to San Jose, as I was able to sit with former Crescent Valley High standout Elizabeth Doran, who is one of my all-time favorite players to watch and a 2005 graduate of CV. She is a senior at Santa Clara and a starter on the women's basketball team.

Doran was going to be just a little late to her practice Friday night as her flight arrived at close to 6 p.m., the same time she was supposed to be at practice. Good thing the campus is 10 minutes away from the airport.

It was fun catching up with Doran, who will graduate this spring. And she wished the team good luck in the tournament as well as the season, except, of course, when they player the Raiders.

While the team was stuck in San Jose, coach Joe Williamson and his family made it to LAX pretty much on time, as they left about an hour earlier than the rest of the team. Earlier, Katie Schrock and her family flew out from Portland and spent the day at their desired destination.

The players remained in good spirits, thanks in large part to Tom's game. You could hear Leah Seitz's and Karly Laney's voices and giggles as the game raged on 40 feet away.

We were finally able to board our flight at around 9:50 p.m. and we touched down at LAX at around 10:50 p.m.

Then, to make matters worse, our luggage never made it on our flight. So after waiting around a while, it was decided to send the players to the hotel while most of the adults stuck around to wait for the original flight to land, hoping the luggage was on that flight.

Fortunately, it was. The players arrived at the motel around 12:40 and waited for the other van to arrive with their luggage before settling in for must have felt like a much-needed night's rest.

The first game Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m., that is if we aren't delayed any more.

Check back here for updates as I have time to provide them. I'm hoping to have them up as soon as I can!

No moral victories

It was like something out of a dream.

Let’s rephrase that.

It was like something out of a nightmare for the Corvallis High girls basketball team on Saturday.

The Spartans were coming off a disappointing 46-44 loss to second-ranked Willamette on Friday in the opening game of the Sherwood Yuletide tournament.

The Spartans had not played their best, yet still had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possesion.

But it was not meant to be as Gabe Johnson’s driving layup failed to drop.

So the players were ready to regroup on Saturday against a Hermiston team that looked nothing like the one that knocked the Spartans off in the quarterfinals of the 5A state tournament last year and reached the state title game.

It looked like it might be just what the team needed to get over the loss to Willamette.

After a quick start, though, the Spartans found themselves up just 21-17 with six minutes to play in the first half.

But a typical 12-0 Spartans run pushed the lead to 33-17 and it looked like it could turn into another blowout as CHS led 40-26 lead at the half.

It was even better at 44-26 after a Katie Schrok 3-pointer with 5:51 to go in the third quarter.

But then something strange happened.

Something extremely strange, that is.

All of a sudden the Spartans could not score.

They left Hermiston players open.

And they didn’t block out very well.

It almost looked like they were in slow motion.

Little by little Hermiston clawed its way back into the game.

First the Bulldogs cut the deficit to single digits thanks to a 3-pointer by Hannah Whitsett with 3:14 left in the quarter that made it a 10-1 run.

Then they were within three after a three-point play with 53 seconds left in the quarter.

Then it was one after an improbable and unbelievable 18-1 run.

The Spartans managed just two free throws in the final 5:51 of the quarter and led 46-44.

Ironically that was the final score of the Willamette game a day earlier.

It looked like the Spartans had weathered the storm by scoring the eight of the first nine points of the fourth quarter to appear to regain control at 54-46 with 6:05 to play.

But back came Hermiston. While the Bulldogs were making shots, the Spartans were missing from the floor and the free-throw line.

All of a sudden a Hermiston basket with 17 seconds left and the lead was a single point.

This can't be happening.

But it was.

The Spartans got the ball in to Johnson. The officials finally called a foul on Hermiston after Johnson was hit several times, including once by a girl who used a two-handed shove in an attempt to put Johnson on the line (that wasn’t the player called for a foul, however).

Johnson, who was just 7 of 14 from the line up to that point, calmly sank both free throws and the Spartans were able to hold on.

The locker room was anything but happy with the win.

These days, as coach Joe Williamson said, there are no moral wins.

No, winning by three against a team you are capable of beating by 20-30 points, is anything but a win.

That was the feeling on Saturday, and it remained the feeling for Alaina Adams after church on Sunday.

For whatever reason, the Spartans played nothing like what they are capable of playing.

The film session that was scheduled for Monday, would be anything but pleasant to watch.

(Maybe the snow that canceled school would cancel practice, but I doubt any player wanted to miss).

The Spartans will need to learn from the weekend if they hope to reach their ultimate goal.

They need to get back to out-working teams. That is what got the players to where they were at the end of the season a year ago. It's what it will take to win the Mid-Willamette Conference and advance to the state tournament.

The Spartans may very well see this same Hermiston team with a trip to the Chiles Center on the line. Letting the Bulldogs believe they can hang with them was not what Williamson and the staff wanted to see.

The first chance to get back on track comes Tuesday with a home game against Marshfield.

That is, if the snow everyone seemed excited for so they didn’t have to go to school on Tuesday, allows.

Corvallis 58, Hermiston 55
CORVALLIS 16 24 6 12 — 58
HERMISTON 9 17 18 11 — 55
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 18, Adams 11, M. Redberg 11, Schrock 9, Kay. Laney 5, Kar. Laney 2, Gerner 2, Hendrickson, W. Redberg
Hermiston: Hannah Whitset 21, Pedro 8, Barnitz 8, Moss 5, Schmidt 4, Crossley 3, Walchli 2, Barnett 2, Hays 2, Webb, Davis

In need of a little confidence

For as far as the Corvallis High girls basketball team has come over the past 18 months, there are still moments where doubt can creep in.

Being told you are a good team and believing it can be two different things when you are on the basketball court, especially when you face an equally talented team.

While the No. 3-ranked Spartans made a statement to themselves in some ways with Tuesday night's 69-39 blowout of Wilsonville, doubt may still have been lingering as they headed into Friday afternoon's showdown with No. 2 Willamette at the Sherwood Yuletide tournament.

That lack of confidence was evident during stretches of Friday's game. And when the dust had settled, the Spartans were on the short end of a 46-44 score.

"I don't think anyone will admit it, but I think we are still mentally thinking it's Willamette," senior Kayla Laney said. "Obvioulsy we can beat them; I know we can beat them."

Senior point guard Gabe Johnson agreed.

"I just think sometimes we might doubt ourselves," she said. "We've never really become like a team before, like a top state team. It's the first time for us and we're all getting used to it."

Corvallis and Willamette played a number of close games during summer league action.

Friday was no different.

Corvallis led 14-13 after the first quarter and 20-19 at the half, despite missing all six free-throw attempts, including the front end of two one-and-ones. As coach Joe Williamson said at the half, you hit six of those and you lead by seven, instead of one, at the half.

The Spartans were just 5 of 13 from the line for the game.

"Free throws made the difference," Laney said. "If we would have made our free throws we would have beat them by at least 10 or more."

Despite the apparent lack of confidence at times during the game, the Spartans still had a chance to win the game.

Willamette held a 44-35 lead with 5:06 to play but the Spartans managed to fight back. Alaina Adams had a basket and McKenzie Redberg followed with a steal and layup. Redberg then scored off a steal by Katie Schrock to make it 44-41 with 3:04 left.

After Willamette hit two free throws to make it 46-41, Johnson hit a 3 from the corner with 9 seconds left. Another missed free throw by Willamette gave CHS a chance to tie the game.

Laney grabbed the rebound of the missed free throw and got the ball to Johnson, who drove the lane but saw her layup attempt miss allowing Willamette to escape with the win.

"We shouldn't have been down nine," WIlliamson said. "But it happens. We called timeout and talked about what we had to do to get back in it and the girls really worked hard that last (five) minutes to make it a game where we could have won it."

Added Johnson: "It shows that we don't give up. We work as hard as we can until the buzzer rings and the game is over."

Corvallis led 20-19 at the half but had a hard time containing Willamette's Sunny Greinacher in the third as the Wolverines took a 35-32 lead. The Wolverines' 6-foot-4 post scored 11 of her game-high 20 points in the quarter. She had nine in the first half but missed some time after picking up her third foul.

"Mentally, what coach would say is we had a brain fart, if you will," Laney said. "We didn't have helpside a couple of times. We let the ball in too deep a couple of times. The little things are what made the big things enough (and why) we lost by two."

Johnson said the score is one indicator of how the game went, but not the only thing that the players should take away from the game.

"The score doesn't matter," she said. "I think a score should be how hard you play and if you can stay in it and (if you can) stay in it and win it then it just shows how much passion (you have) for the game."

Laney had a similar thought and tried to put the game and late comeback in perspective.

"I think we've grown a lot as a team and just to be able to do that especially since in the past few games we've blown teams out of the water," she said. "I'm glad we were able to physically and mentally be able to come back like that. It shows a lot of growth."

But it still has to be frustrating to know you are so close to winning but to come up short again.

"We had a toughshooting night," Williamson said. "If we could have shot the ball even remotely to what we're capable of, things would have been different.

"They're a good team, we're a good team and it was a good game."

So what happens next?

The Spartans will be able to answer that question on Saturday when they take on Hermiston.

"We're definately going to take it out on the other team," Johnson said.

Willamette 46, Corvallis 44
WILLAMETTE 13 6 16 11 -- 46
CORVALLIS 14 6 12 12 -- 44
Willamette: Sunny Greinacher 20, Bruns 14, Smith 6, Mahaffie 4, Collins 2, Garner, Harper, Crane, Munson, Robertson
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 15, Adams 8, M. Redberg 8, Schrock 7, Kay. Laney 4, Kar. Laney 2, Gerner, W. Redberg

Taking out their frustrations

Several players left practice Monday night feeling a bit frustrated with the way the previous two hours had gone.

It was not the most productive and fun time over the four-plus weeks the girls had been together.

Coach Joe Williamson had yelled a bit more than usual and wasn't around at the end as the players shot free throws and ran for misses.

They even had a homework assignment for that night from basketball. They had to write down why making excuses wasn't the right thing to do whenever Williamson tried to coach them.

"We just talked about maybe not making excuses for everything that I try to correct and coach them on," Williamson said Tuesday night. "It's not always unplanned to not have a smooth practice before a game, let's put it that way."

The experience proved to turn out positive for most. In fact, many of the notecards turned into much longer papers.

"While you are writing why excuses aren't good, you're like, 'This is what I need to do to be better,' " junior Katie Schrock said. "It's going to be a better season if we all step up and know what we're doing wrong, fix it and play even harder."

The lesson seemed to pay dividends right away.

The Spartans took that frustration out on Wilsonville, a team that finished third in the state tournament a season ago.

Behind Schrock's 26 points, 18 of which came on 3-pointers, the Spartans rolled to a 69-39 road win that makes them 2-0.

The Spartans had plenty of motivation on Tuesday night.

"I think that a lot of us were kind of fired up about having a bad practice," senior Karly Laney said. "It just kind of brings the whole entire team down. I know I was upset, I knew Z was upset and we talked before the game and said, 'Let's just show the coaches that we had an off practice and prove it with the game.' "

The Spartans certainly proved they are a team to be reckoned with. The Wildcats barely had a chance to get started. And after Wilsonville missed two free throws 43 seconds into the game, the Spartans put on the pressure and scored eight points in 50 seconds to seize the advantage they needed.

Four players -- Schrock, Gabe Johnson, McKenzie Redberg and Alaina Adams -- had baskets in that 8-0 run, and when Kayla Laney scored at 4:27, the Spartans had five baskets by five different players and a 10-2 lead.

"They came out very aggressive," Williamson said. "We talked to them about coming out aggressive and taking it to them. Throw the first punch and keep punching."

That's exactly what the Spartans did.

Still, the Wildcats were within striking distance with 4:50 left in the first half, down just 24-17.

But the Spartans used a 14-1 spurt, with Karly Laney scoring six points and Schrock and Redberg each hitting 3s during the stretch to make it a 38-18 lead at the half.

"It was really nice," Schrock said of the run. "When we came in the huddle with like 2:38 left on the clock, Joe was like, "If you step on it right now you could just blow them out and come into the second half and go even harder, and there's no looking back.' That's kind of what we did."

The Spartans remained focused at the half.


"It was good but when we walked into the locker room none of us really knew what the score was or anything," Karly Laney said. "We just kind of knew that we were ahead by more than 10 I guess."

Both teams had a hard time scoring at the start of the third quarter, and Wilsonville managed to cut the deficit to 41-24 with 4:53 left in the third.

But then came another Spartans run, this time it was 13-0 before a 3-pointer at the buzzer ended that streak. Again, five players scored in the run with Adams, Johnson, Schrock, Syree Gerner and Karly Laney scoring.

"Last year we were learning just about competing and learning to win and this year I think we're learning how to put pressure on people and keep the pressure on them and try to extend the lead," Williamson said.

Schrock's 3 with 15 seconds left in the third put CHS up 53-24. She then hit back-to-back 3s to open the fourth quarter, and put CHS up 64-30 with 5:37 left with her sixth 3 of the game.

"I knew she was taking a lot (of shots)," Karly Laney said of Schrock. "Usually I was screening for her so my back was to her and I heard everybody scream and I'm like, 'She made it.' She lit it up second half."

It's the second straight game that Schrock has led the Spartans in scoring. She and Johnson each had 13 in a win over West Salem last week. The uptempo game the Spartans displayed on Tuesday was right up Schrock's alley.

"I don't like slow games at all," she said. "It doesn't take me out, but I just feel like everything is in slow motion, so when it's going faster I feel like I can play without thinking."

While the offensive night was obviously solid, so too was the defense for the most part. Again, the Corvallis posts were undersized with Wilsonville boasting posts that were 6-foot (Kellie Krueger) and 6-3 (Ashley Walters). Throw in 5-11 Megan Arnoldy and the Wildcats definately held the size advantage.

"The big thing was the posts were very good and they could have played better but something was off and they weren't clicking which gave us a step ahead," Karly Laney said. "(Our) wings were playing great D and they couldn't get the ball into the posts. We just worked as a unit on defense.

"The posts were fronting the other posts pretty good. There were a couple points where we could have been in front of the posts better. I think we had good help side but one thing we were having a hard time was the transition of help help side. We had a little problem with that. Also getting back on D a couple of times, the other posts would switch up who would take the ball out and we would get confused and the other post had an easy breakaway.

"For the most part I think we played very good defense."

The Spartans will need to play with that same intensity and passion on Friday when they square off against No. 2-ranked Willamette at 3:30 p.m. in the Sherwood tournament. The teams have had some spirited games over the summer and Willamette has a transfer post that could make a difference.

"I'm pretty pumped for Willamette," Karly Laney said. "Definately think that we can compete with Willamette. I think that it will be a very good game and a tough game. We're just going to have to stick with it and keep our minds in the game and not let fouls or shots or anything get in the way."

However, the outcome won't be a deal-breaker either way.

"I think if we win it doesn't make us any better than we are right now and if we lose it doesn't make us any worse," Williamson said. "I know the girls are competitive and want to win the game. I'm competitive and love a challenge and this is definately a challenge. Win or lose we still have to beat that team maybe at state. It's more a matter that we are getting better. I'm not going to lie, I want to beat them."

Corvallis 69, Wilsonville 39
CORVALLIS 16 22 15 16 -- 69
WILSONVILLE 9 9 9 12 -- 39
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 26, Adams 9, Kar. Laney 8, M. Redberg 8, Gerner 8, Johnson 7, Kay. Laney 2, Clark 1, Hendrickson, McGowan, W. Redberg
Wilsonville: Kellie Krueger 11, Arnoldy 10, Clark 9, Walters 3, Riewald 2, Moore 2, Bullock 2, Cohn, Rhodes, Easterly, Alberts, Britsch
JV: Wilsonville 61, Corvallis 58
Freshman: Corvallis won

Strong start to the season

All championship caliber teams have to overcome some kind of adversity throughout the course of a season.

The Corvallis High girls basketball team was no stranger to facing adversity last season. The Spartans played through the loss of point guard Gabe Johnson after she was ejected from a game at a tournament at Lake Oswego over the Christmas break; senior Eva Oriakhi was lost for the season with a knee injury early into the Mid-Willamette Conference season; and first-team all-conference standout McKenzie Redberg suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the 5A state tournament opener against Hermiston and was done for the year.

The Spartans battled back from a big defict against Aloha in the Lake Oswego tournament without Johnson only to come up two points short. They had other players step up in the post to make up for the loss of Oriakhi down low and finished tied for the MWC title. And they won their final two games of the season without Redberg to take home fourth place at the state tournament.

So with a deep and experienced team returning for the 2008-09 season and expectations at an all-time high for the program, it probably shouldn't have come as any surprise that the Spartans would face a little bit of adversity in their season-opener on Thursday night.

And they did to some degree, althought they didn't lose any player to injury and were never seriously threatened after the first quarter.

Still, the Spartans had to play without Redberg again for most of the game as she was saddled with foul trouble almost from the start.

No worries, however, as the Spartans cranked up the defense and again showed depth on offense with three players in double figures and another with eight as they opened the season with a convincing 64-33 pounding of 6A West Salem at Spartan Gym..

"I think that it shows a lot that we can pick our teammate up if someone gets hurt or fouls out, like Z sitting." Johnson said. "We're not dependent on one person, we're dependent on each other so we can all work as a team and pick up one another."

Coach Joe Williamson said the experience of playing without Redberg in the state tournament showed how deep the Spartans are, and how the other players can step up and make an impact.

"Our girls, (they) all know (they) have to be ready to step up and kind of pick up whatever someone else isn't doing, pick up that weight," he said. "Even if someone were to get hurt like Z did (in the tournament) or is having an off half, we know we have the depth to fill in for those girls."

Right from the start Thursday it was Katie Schrock, a junior who has moved into the starting lineup this season, setting the tone for the Spartans. Schrock canned a 3-pointer form the baseline for an early 3-0 lead. She banged home another three from nearly the same spot for a 9-2 lead, and added her third three for a 14-4 lead with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter.

West Salem never got closer.

"Katie is going to have most nights a night like that," Williamson said. "She's a very good shooter, very good offensive player and a better defender this year. What you saw out of Katie, we anticipate that will be a nightly thing."

If it is a nightly performance, the Spartans will be hard to defend. Schrock finished with 13 points, as did Johnson. Alaina Adams added 10 and Kayla Laney had eight.

Laney gave the Spartans a spark with her rebounding prowess and earned the honor of being the firts player to receive Beatriz the Bear, a stuffed bear that is given out to a player of the game (I think, better check on the specifics and I'll get back to you).

The Spartans had a 33-12 lead at the half and kept up the intensity. Karly Laney, who finished with six points, gave the Spartans a 43-15 advantage, the largest of the game until the closing minute, with 4:17 left in the quarter.

"We will rely on our defense and our speed and quickness," Williamson said. "That's why it's nice when girls don't have a good quarter or a good half, that if you play good defense it not only takes points away from the other team on the scoreboard, but it also kind of leads to our points and doesn't have to be one of our scorers getting a breakaway layup or a 15-footer."

Johnson did say that the Spartans need to do a better job of using that quickness on offense.

"I think we need to work on, even though I know we can do it, is just getting back into the whole running the ball," she said. "Like Joe said, we are a fast team and we need to take advantage of that."

West Salem did show some signs of life earlier in the fourth quarter and cut its deficit to 22, but the Spartans answered and closed out strong to earn the win.

"West got a little aggressive," Williamson said. "It seemed like they got a little upset (and looked) at the scoreboard and decided they were going to play us a little aggressive."

Williamson called a timeout and challenged the girls to finish the game strong -- and they did.

If there was any concern, it could be over the new rules that seem to have the officials calling the game closer than last year. Redberg was the only player to be in serious foul trouble early, but several players finished with three or four fouls.

Williamson isn't too concerned.

"It was the first game, you kind of get some of those wrinkles out and (are) trying to get comfortable again with how the refs are going to call it," he explained.. "I actually thought all of our girls did a good job of moving their feet and not reaching. I do not take anything away from what they did tonight. I wouldn't want them to play any different. The fouls they got were, to me, aggressive fouls. I dont think they were being lazy and reaching. We'll take those fouls."

With the first game over, the Spartans can get back to practice and work on improving.

"I'm really glad that we played good the first game so we have momentum for practice and our next game," Johnson said. "Now we kind of know in a real game what we all can do, even though we did, but this was our first real test and I'm really proud and glad that our team did well today."

It will be a big week next week for the Spartans as they head to Wilsonville on Tuesday to face a team that was in the state tournament last year. Then they face Willamette, ranked No. 2 in the coaches poll, just ahead of the Spartans, at the Sherwood tournament on Friday.

"I think next week is going to prove and show a lot in our team and how together we are," Johnson said. "I think that's going to be a big test for us."

Corvallis 64, West Salem 33
WEST SALEM 5 7 11 10 -- 33
CORVALLIS 18 15 16 15 -- 64
West Salem: Kaila Britten 9, Kumm 4, Moye 4, Velez 3, Beyer 3, Nevell 3, Hedrick 2, Watson 2, Coba 2, Stombaugh 1
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 13, Gabe Johnson 3, Adams 10, Kay. Laney 8, Kar, Laney 6, M. redberg 5, Gerner 4, W. Redberg 3, Clark 2, Hendrickson, McGowan

A thrilling finish at the jamboree

For a second or two on Monday night I thought back to Magic Johnson’s rookie year.

Magic’s teammate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, had just scored with his patented hook shot to win a game early in the season and Magic showed his exuberance by mobbing Abdul-Jabbar with a hug.

Abdul-Jabbar later said something to the effect that Magic needed to calm down because it was just one game.

It may have only been an early-season game, but the passion and excitement that Magic played with is part of what made him such a good basketball player.

So when Kayla Laney’s excitement was evident when she hugged Katie Schrock at the end of the postgame handshake line after Schrock buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Corvallis High girls basketball team to a 23-20 win over Sheldon in a jamboree, I thought back to the moment some 28 or so years ago.

Sure the game didn’t count in the standings, but it was still an exciting time for Laney and her teammates.

And it was good to see them celebrate a little, something that took some time to happen last year for a team not used to success.

All-in-all it was a solid night for the Spartans, who open the season for real on Thursday with a home game against 6A opponent West Salem. The Titans played at Crescent Valley on Tuesday night.

“It was really nice to get my jitters out and finally go out on the court with confidence that we are one of the best teams in the state and that we can execute those little plays,” Laney said. “Especially last year, we had a hard time executing those last-minute plays and to do that was really awesome.”

The Spartans played two 12-minute quarters against two teams on Monday.

Coach Joe Williamson was glad the Spartans had a chance to play in the jamboree because of the nerves that always come with first games.

“I think what I like about the jamboree is we get the girls a chance to get out and get the butterflies out which we had a lot of the first game,” he said. “We missed a lot of layins, a lot of open shots. So I like that chance to get it in a non-counting game.”

Despite the tough start, the Spartans still managed a 26-11 victory over Cottage Grove, which is ranked No. 2 in the state at 4A.

Then came a thriller against Sheldon, ranked eighth in the 6A poll.

The Spartans trailed early, then took a 12-11 lead on Gabe Johnson’s 3-pointer.

A free throw by Syree Gerner and Whitney Redberg’s three from the top of the key gave CHS a 16-11 lead.

Laney then followed a missed shot with a rebound bucket and Johnson’s driving bucket made it 20-12 with 4:10 left.

But after doing a good job on the boards early, the Spartans gave up a few offensive rebounds and Sheldon cut into the lead.

Sheldon went to the line with 18 seconds left but missed both free throws. However, the Irish were able to get the rebound and score to tie the game with 12.7 seconds left.

The Spartans called time out to set up the final play.

Schrock, who was on the bench, entered the game and inbounded the ball to Johnson, who gave it right back to her. Schrock’s long-range 3 was perfect and the Spartans celebrated.

“We were up eight points and they make a run and we withstand that and execute a play at the end to win. We actually learned a lot from that game,” Williamson said.

The players noticed a difference between the first game and the second — especially when it came to fouling or being called for fouling. The Spartans were whistled for more than 10 fouls in the first game, but only a couple the second.

“I think we just got into the flow of the game and we got the rhythm of it and started playing as a team and realized that we can’t play sloppy like that,” Laney said.

Added McKenzie Redberg: “I think we just moved our feet better and actually sat down (on defense). We got our nerves out and stopped being lazy.”

And it was nice to just play against someone other than the JV team.

“It was actually great because I got my nerves out and (it was nice to) just run something they don’t cheat on every time,” Redberg said of the JV team knowing all the plays.

Now it’s time to focus on a real game.

“I’m excited to play a full game and see what we can do for a full game,” Redberg said. “I’m ready to play.

Added Laney: “I’m pumped.”

The first scrimmage

It may have taken a good part of the first eight-minute quarter, but the varsity players on the Corvallis High girls basketball team began to get into a rythym on Saturday morning.

The varsity played against the junior varsity team and two assistant coaches in a controlled scrimmage with officials. They played a full four quarters in the format of a live game, then played another extended quarter to work more on offenses and defenses.

All-in-all, it was a productive morning for the players and coaches.

But they admitted there is a loooong way to go before the first game against West Salem on Dec. 4.

"We did OK, we definately have to keep on getting better," coach Joe Williamson said. "We are making a few too many mental errors like just dropping passes in our hands, things that we can control, not like a turnover because the defense is forcing us."

Senior post Karly Laney had the same thought.

"I think we played pretty well, but we just need to execute the plays better and also our turnovers, in a real game our turnovers would be killing us," she said. "For the most part we were communicating pretty well."

It was a good opportunity to work on running the offense against a defense that doesn't always know what is going to be run, like it does in practice.

It was nice so the players could, "get out there and see how you can fit a drive in, how to fit your shot in," junior Katie Schrock said.

Schrock had a strong showing working mostly at point guard with the absence of starter Gabe Johnson, who was back East watching her brother's final football game for Yale.

"At first it was really scary for me because i've been playing the last two years as guard and now I had to go in as point guard and it's like, it's been a while," Schrock said. "

Johnson's absence was a positive and a negative.

"Yeah, I mean its good for the other girls but it's not good for our team to not have her here," Williamson said. "We'll be ready to have her back on Monday."

Said Schrock: "(It is good) for me, Z (McKenzie Redberg) and Alaina (Adams) to be able to get out there. We have to get good timing and (used to) playing other positions. Then in a game if something happens we know we can handle it without her. But it would be really nice to have her here."

Having the officials at the game was a new wrinkle from practice as well.

"In practice you don't really call things or things aren't consistent so it's good to have a ref out here especially with the new guidelines and rules that came out so we know how they're going to be called so we can learn how to play with that during season," Schrock said.

It wasn't much fun for Laney, who was whistled for four fouls in the first half, at first. She managed to play solid in the second half and was only called for one more.

"Personally, a lot of the fouls were ticky tack fouls and I played pretty much the same intensity the second half," she said. "They just didn't call them at the end."

It will be a short week of practice with the Thanksgiving break eliminating practice on Thursday and Friday.

"I feel like we're in a good spot," Schrock said.

High expectations

Expectations are going to be high for the Corvallis High girls basketball team this season.

The Spartans placed fourth in the state a year ago and return all but two players from that team, including four starters, tww of which were first-team all-Mid-Willamette Conferece selections.

Some of the players, like the Laney twins, don't want to look at the polls or rankings because they don't want to know what others are saying.

Others don't mind seeing the rankings and expectations, like coach Joe Williamson.

No matter the philosophy, it's always fun to talk about, even if you say it isn't.

"Anybody who says they don't care is clicheing you," Williamson said this past Monday.

Williamson said he doesn't mind being ranked high or having people talk about the expectations.

"It's just more pride in where the program's at," he explains.

And maybe it has something to do with his competitive nature. Williamson wants to win, even when he says he doesn't care. Like earlier this week -- Williamson was telling his team that he didn't care if they finished 5-5 during the nonconference part of the season. It was all about building to the MWC season and earning a trip to the postseason.

Then he changed his tune a bit, saying something close to, "forget what I said, being 0-2 would kill me. I am very competitve. I don't want to lose."

Then the mentioning of a possible 28-0 record was brought up. That would mean a perfect 10-0 nonconference season that comes against a tough slate of games that includes perennial power Willamette and others,as well as a trip to Malibu, Calif., for four games after Christmas. It just might be the most competitive schedule in all of 5A this season.

Then a 14-0 MWC campaign. The Spartans went 11-3 last year in conference play last year, but those three losses came by a total of 10 points. And with the most returners this year, a perfect campaign isn't out of the question. Of course, you have to come ready to play each game.

Then there is the postseason. A first-place finish in conference means a home game against a third- or fourth-place team which has already played a game, for a trip back to the Chiles Center. On paper, the top half of the state tournament bracket looks easier than the bottom (Jefferson and Willamette are on the bottom), but there is still a whole season to play and anything can happen.

Whether they want to look at rankings and polls or not, one thing the players need to do is have th belief that they are good enough to be mentioned as possible state champions, or a team that has the capability of making a lot of noise come the postseason.

"Play like a team that is supposed to win state," Williamson has encouraged them.

A year ago, I thought a state tournament appearance was a pipe dream. I just hoped they made the playoffs. It's a good thing I wasn't playing.

There is a long way to go and Williamson and the players know it. The first two weeks are just about over and the Spartans are less than two weeks away from their first game, at home against West Salem on Dec. 4.

Back to the court

Gabe Johnson was so excited that she could barely sit still as she waited for the first day of basketball practice.

Without school on Monday, the wait until 3:30 p.m. may have seemed even longer.

But for Johnson and the rest of the girls who hope to make up the varsity team for Corvallis High in 2008-09, the time finally came.

Whle it was time to reunite with teammates and introduce themselves to some new ones, it was also a time to put the success and good times of a memorable 2007-08 season behind them.

Sure, the Spartans surprised many in the basketball world with a share of the Mid-Willamette Conference title and a fourth-place finish in the OSAA 5A state tournament.

Johnson was honored as the co-player of the year and teammate McKenzie Redberg was a first-team all-conference selection. And Alaina Adams earned second-team honors and Katie Schrock was an honorable mention.

But none of that mattered starting Monday. Last year is just that -- last year.

Head coach Joe Williamson talked to the team as practice began and let them know he felt a bit nervous as he pulled into the parking lot and headed into the gym.

"I had nerves and butterflies, and I'm the coach," he told the players before they stretched and worked on some drills.

"It's a different season for all of you," he added. "Nothing is the same. It's not the same as last year. We must earn everything."

Ah, a true statement.

Many people are predicting the Spartans to be in the top four in state. With those expectations can come more pressure to succeed.

"We all know what we can do and we can all get better at what we do and we can learn more," Johnson said. "It's going to be a different experience because it is a new season.

Putting the past in the past isn't always an easy thing to do, however.

"It's a tough thing because we know what we're not supposed to do and what we should do," Johnson admitted. "At the same time, we will do what we can and get as far as we can."

Practice, from my perspective, looked pretty good. I loved seeing how much the girls had seemed to have improved since last season. The energy level was up for most of the girls.

"Like I told you, everyone looked spunky and all happy," Johnson said. "I think a lot of people right now are confident and just getting their spot and getting back into basketball."

So how will Johnson and her teammates feel come Tuesday morning after a two-hour practice?

"Ahhh," she said, "hopefully not sore."

Even if they are a bit sore, the Spatans have time to get in game shape. The opening game isn't until Dec. 4 when they host West Salem. That's 24 more days. I know I can't wait.

A season to remember

It was almost 8 a.m. that Saturday when as I was driving down Rosa Park Way and reality began to set in.

I was on my way to the final game of the season for the Corvallis High girls basketball team.

The emotions began to well up a bit. It had been, to use a corny cliche, a magical ride. An unbelievable year that saw the Spartans playing basketball on "Championship Saturday."

Sure, they weren't playing for the "Championship" but they had a chance to place fourth in the state and equal the accomplishments of the success of the 1988 and 1989 Spartans teams, the best finishes by any in program history.

And as if the script could only be written one way, the Spartans played one of their finest games of the season in the last game of the season, knocking off No. 2 Ashland 49-39.

What a ride that is sad to see come to an end. What great accomplishments from the start of the year to the end of the year.

What a great bunch of girls. All very classy and pleasant to be around at all times. They represented the school and their parents exceptionally well at all times. They were humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

And what a great bunch of coaches. They inspired, encouraged and taught not just basketball skills, but life skills. They helped make basketball fun again for the girls, fans and family members.

It began waaaaaaaaay back in November.

When I began this adventure I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just hoped a new coach who didn't know me from anyone would allow me the chance to write freely and chronicle the season. I also hoped the girls were cool with it.

I should have known from the start it was going to be a thrilling ride. The Spartans won their first three games and were having a great time. They had shown so much improvement since the last season and looked like they could vie for a playoff berth. They even were ranked in the top 10.

Then came tough back-to-back losses. The first one came at Sherwood. The Spartans trailed big early but fought back and had a chance to make a game of it in the fourth quarter before Sherwood pulled away. The bus ride home was long and quiet.

Then it was a loss at home to North Eugene that was really tough to swallow. The first three games seemed so long ago and any momentum gained with those victories was gone.

And there were 10 days to go until they could take the court again.

When they did, the Spartans scored a four-point win over 6A McNary to head into the holidays feeling better about themselves.

The Spartans kept that momentum going into the Lake Oswego tournament. While they weren't in the bracketed tournament, the Spartans vowed to win their round-robin tournament and head into the Mid-Willamette Conference season on a high.

The tournament didn't start out well as the Spartans were robbed in a 60-58 loss to Aloha. But while the loss was tough, the Spartans rallied from double figures down without starting point guard Gabe Johnson, who was ejected for a horrific call by the same official who would later call a foul on Syree Gerner that gave Aloha two free throws in the final seconds that gave Aloha the two-point win.

But the players realized they could still compete even with the player who would end up as the MWC player of the year.

They were still frustrated and took out that frustration on Glencoe a few hours later. They then earned an impressive 51-40 win over 6A South Medford the next day and wrapped up the tournament with a 45-22 thrashing of Centennial.

Just like that the Spartans were 7-3 heading into the conference season.

I remember telling the guys at the office that I thought the Spartans could make some noise in the conference and that I thought they could be a pretty good team.

I also remember asking coach Joe Williamson what the goal was for the Spartans in conference play. He said a league title. I sort of laughed and he gave a smile as most coaches would say that. But looking back I realize just how serious Williamson was that day. He saw it, while others still may not have, myself included.

I was talking with assistant coach Lindsay Schnell before the MWC season and she asked me what I thought the Spartans' record would be in the conference. I stated 9-5. I thought they would split with Crescent Valley and Silverton and would be swept by West Albany (for some reason West has always been a team we (the juniors anyway) struggled with). I also thought they would lose a game they probably should have won and my guess was the first Lebanon game. I just thought they would want so much to beat Joe's former team they would struggle.

That equated to a 9-5 MWC mark and I thought they would be fourth and squeak into the playoffs.

I am happy to say that I am a terrible prognosticator, well I may not be that bad but I missed the boat on two of the losses.

The Spartans took care of business in the MWC opener, routing Woodburn to set up a showdown with rival Crescent Valley. After the Raisers took a bog lead in the third quarter, the Spartans put on a marvelous comeback and led by six with 30 seconds left.

But in the blink of an eye, the Raiders scored six straight points to force overtime and then stole the win to continue their recent domination of the Spartans. To say it was a shocked and stunned locker room is an understatement. It was a long night and a tough practice the next morning.

I wasn't sure what to expect the next game, which just so happened to be West Albany at home. The Spartans made a statement and dismantled the Bulldogs as McKenzie Redberg hit four 3-pointers and the Spartans as a team were hot from the outside.

After an easy win at South Albany moved their record to 3-1, the Spartans earned a quality 48-45 win at home over a Silverton team many expected to challenge for the conference title.

That set up the showdown with Lebanon and Joe's return to his old school. The Warriors had been playing well and had a win at Crescent Valley under their belt so the outcome was anybody's guess.

The Spartans controlled their emotions and put on a great defensive effort to jump out to a 20-1 lead and cruised to the 62-21 victory and a 6-1 record.

That was the beginning of a stretch of four games in seven days. They followed that with another easy win over Woodburn then took apart Dallas before facing Crescent Valley in a rematch. The Spartans were in first at 7-1 while CV was at 5-2.

The Spartans controlled the game throughout and ended a 13-game losing streak to the Raiders with a 55-39 victory.

That set up a showdown with West Albany. A Spartans victory and the MWC crown would be all but locked up.

Instead of a night of celebration, the Spartans took a step back as they didn't play their best basketball and despite a thrilling comeback in the fourth quarter, they dropped a 58-54 decision that moved West Albany into a tie for first with the Spartans at 8-2 with four games to play.

The Spartans rebounded with a home win over South Albany before heading to Silverton. The Spartans hung close in a loud environment but in the end the Silver Foxes sent the Spartans home with a 42-39 loss and all of a sudden they were no longer in first place.

Now they needed to win out and hope Silverton could knock off West Albany to force the possibility of a three-way tie.

And while Williamson wasn't feeling all that lucky as he headed the bus to go home that night, that is exactly what happened.

The Spartans went to Dallas and got a win and Silverton crushed the Bulldogs to force a three-way tie with one game to play.

A secret draw for the first seed was done prior to the game but CHS athletic director Bob Holt wouldn't let anyone know. The players knew they still had some business to take care of and it would be no easy task with Lebanon in town wanting a bit of revenge and a playoff berth, which it would get with a win.

The game was thrilling throughout and even a fire alarm in the third quarter couldn't stop the Spartans as they held on for a 55-46 win.


Then came the excitement as the Spartans were informed they had drawn the No. 1 seed and a home game.

The coaches and I then made a monster trip to Klamath Falls and back to film and scout Mazama, the Spartans' second-round opponent. I thought the coaches' willingness to spend close to 11 hours together to scout showed how far they would go to give the players every opportunity to succeed.

The trip paid off as the Spartans shook off a slow start then blitzed the Vikings for a 45-22 win and a trip to the Chiles Center, the mecca of 5A and 6A girls basketball these days.

As we all know now, the tournament proved to be so much more than we could have imagined at the beginning of the season. Despite a close loss to eventual runner-up Hermiston, the Spartans won twice and placed fourth.

That success is what I expected next season so to have it happen a year early was beyond belief. The experience couldn't have happened to a better group of people who sold out for each other and sacrificed time and family to work together for a common goal.

I was just fortunate to go along for the ride. There were some tough moments personally. And if I had to do it all over again, I would never have asked Joe if I could blog about the season. Haha, got you. I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything.

So I say thank you to the coaches and players for accepting me as part of the team and including me so much in all that you did.

And to you faithful readers, thanks for reading and supporting this great group of young ladies and coaches.

While I know expectations are high for next year, my hope is the players improve like they did this year and enjoy the experience. If that happens, the outcome of games and the season will take care of themselves.

TJNTD.

Thank you for taking me along on the journey.

Go SPARTS!!!

Sorry for the delays

I have posted the last two stories from the state tournament and will be working on a year-ender story and a couple of others over the next few days and weeks.

Thank you to all of you who have been faithful readers and have helped me along the way. It was a great ride and one I will always remember!!!

GO SPARTS!!

Spartans enjoy the journey

The Corvallis High girls basketball team had a secret slogan all season.

They wore shirts that read TJNTD, and kept it’s meaning from those outside of the team.

The letters stood for “The journey not the destination.”

The destination turned out to be a fourth-place finish at the OSAA 5A state tournament after knocking off No. 2-ranked Ashland 49-39 at the Chiles Center on Saturday.

The journey, however, was one the players will always remember.

It’s a journey coach Joe Williamson hopes continues next season.

“I told the girls this gives them a lot of motivation to work hard in the offseason and to make ourselves better,” Williamson said Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans rebounded from a 9-16 overall mark and 4-10 Mid-Willamette Conference recordlast season to win a share of the conference crown at 11-3 with West Albany and Silverton this season.

They then received the top seed to the playoffs in a draw, allowing them an opportunity to host a playoff game.

The Spartans knocked off Mazama to advance to the Chiles Center for the first time since 2002.

Corvallis ran into a tough Hermiston team that eventually reached the state title game, dropping a 51-46 decision in the quarterfinals.

The Spartans lost first-team all-conference selection McKenzie Redberg to a knee injury early in the second quarter of that game. Redberg didn’t play the rest of the tournament.

The Spartans rebounded with a 56-38 victory over Crater, then completed the sweep of Southern Oregon Conference teams with Saturday morning’s win for fourth place.

Most of the players couldn’t have imagined they would have been playing for fourth last summer.

“Honestly, when were at that summer tournament and coach said he could see us being league champs, I was wondering what he was thinking,” junior Kayla Laney said. “I mean did you not see us play last year? We played against you?

“Then (Friday) night I was thinking, you know what? We can do this. We can get fourth.”

The Spartans lose just two seniors - Taylor Westly and Eva Oriakhi. Oriakhi missed the last half of the season with a knee injury, so a young team got even more playing time.

That should bode well for next season.

“Taylor and Eva were amazing and they definitely brought so much to the team,” Laney said. “But we have five returning going-to-be seniors. Most of those seniors have played quite a bit during the games.”

That group of seniors-to-be include MWC player of the year and point guard Gabe Johnson, Redberg, Kayla Laney, Karly Laney and Leah Seitz. Johnson averaged 19.3 points per game in the tournament and was named to the all-tournament second team.

Add in juniors-to-be Katie Schrock, an honorable mention MWC pick, and Alaina Adams, a second-team all-MWC selection, and the Spartans look primed for another strong year. Syree Gerner, who played key minutes as a freshman, will also be back.

Schrock had a standout tournament, hitting five 3-pointers in the second half against Crater, and three more in the first half against Ashland to give the Spartans a spark.

“I think next year we will have a really strong, deep team,” Schrock said. “We have everybody returning but also the swing players who came up to state and got to play in the game at the end and get some experience at the state tournament.”

But Williamson doesn’t want the players to think too far ahead. He knows there is a lot of work to be done.

“I want them to continue to go on the journey, not that there is pressure to do this again or match exactly the same,” he said.

“Next season is a whole different journey. We have to make it our own season and not compare anything. We need to enjoy it. The biggest thing is to not put too much pressure on ourselves. We need to enjoy the journey.”

What an accomplishment: Spartans finish fourth

There was a sense of accomplishment for the Corvallis High girls basketball team early Saturday morning.

A team that won just nine games a season ago, completed a storybook season with a 49-39 victory over Ashland in the Chiles Center.

That win gave the Spartans fourth place in the OSAA 5A state tournament, equalling the fourth-place finishes by the 1988 and 1989 CHS teams back in the old 4A classification.

"It's the icing on the gorgeous wedding cake," CHS senior Taylor Westly said.

Added sophomore Katie Schrock: "It's pretty exciting. We came back from last year when we weren't even remotely close to the state playoffs and here we are fourth. I believe we could have gone all the way. We just needed to get our act together in the first game."

The Spartans finish the season officially at 18-10, with three of those losses coming via forfeit after using an ineligible player in the Lake Oswego tournament in December. On the court, the Spartans won 21 games.

"It's pretty unbelievable," first-year coach Joe Williamson said. "The expectation that we put on them, I think we surpassed them. We had big league goals and to get to the Chiles Center but to go 2-1 ... To beat Crater and Ashland, two very good teams, I couldn't be any more happy or proud of the girls. They played with a lot of heart and desire."

Maybe their finest game came Saturday morning. Ashland (25-4) entered the tournament on a 24-game winning streak and nearly knocked off last year's champion, Willamette, in the quarterfinals.

The Grizzlies also had a good tandem with point guard Allison Gida and 6-foot-3 post Brenna Heater, who scored 36 points in the loss to Willamette.

But the Corvallis posts -- Kayla Laney, Alaina Adams, Karly Laney and Syree Gerner -- did enough to limit Heater's touches and to keep her in check most of the game.

Heater finished with 20 points, but managed just 12 shots, She did convert 7 of 11 from the free-throw line.

"Every look she had she was doubleteamed," Williamson said. "I thought our girls played interior defense better than I could have ever asked for."

Said Kayla Laney: "We played amazing helpside (defense). We had each other's backs."

Ashland took an early 10-4 lead, but the Spartans weren't about to go quietly. After struggling in the first half of their first three playoff games, the Spartans rebounded quickly thanks to back-to-back threes by Schrock and Gabe Johnson.

Corvallis took a 16-14 lead into the second quarter, and gradually increased the lead each quarter.

"I think it was huge because we totally broke their confidence," Kayla Laney said of the first-quarter success. "Because then they realized we wanted it so much better than they did. We knew that if we played tough and if we played Heater pretty tough that they weren't going to be able to score enough. Coach told us exactly what to do to win and we did it."

Corvallis led 29-22 at the half after Schrock's third three of half with 10 seconds to go. Schrock hit five threes in the second half to help the Spartans pull away from Crater on Thursday.

"It was really nice, shots were falling early so people weren't afraid and weren't feeling rushed to take shots so they took shots we knew they could make, Schrock said.

Ashland tried to work the ball inside to Heater in the second half, but for the most part the Spartans were able to control her.

"We came out hard, played good D and bodied the big girl up," Westly said. "She's a big girl, hard to body up and I think we did a really good job with that."

Johnson finished with a game-high 22 points, while Adams added 11 and Schrock nine.

"I'm speechless," Kayla Laney said.

Corvallis 49, Ashland 39
CORVALLIS 16 13 8 12 -- 49
ASHLAND 14 8 6 11 -- 39
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson s22, Adams 11, Schrock 9, Kay. Laney 4, Gerner 2, Seitz 1, Westly, Kar. Laney, Hendrickson, McGowan, W. Redberg
Ashland: Brenna Heater 20, Sievenlist 8, Gida 6, McKinnis 5, Pavlich, Van Vleck, Silbowitz, Zare, Petitt, Delcarlo, Contreras

A second-half turnaround

Maybe it was the 6:30 a.m. wake up call, or maybe it was not realizing the season could end that quickly.

Whatever it was, the Corvallis High girls basketball team struggled through the first half of Thursday's 9 a.m. consolation game of the OSAA 5A tournament at the University of Portland's Chiles Center.

Whatever it was, coach Joe Williamson was going to make darn sure the Spartans knew he wasn't particularly pleased with the way they played the first 16 minutes against Crater.

So he let them have it in the locker room.

"I've only challenged them a couple of times in the locker room this year," Williamson said. "Even in big games or close games I try to stay calm and build confidence and tell them to relax. This game I thought they needed a little bit of ... to get in their heads. To challenge them, chew on them a little bit."

The Spartans heard their coach loud and clear.

In eight minutes they scored more points (19) than they did in the first 16 (15) and turned a 19-15 deficit into a 34-25 lead en route to a 56-38 win over the Comets and a chance to play for fourth place on Saturday.

"I think we really took it heart," senior Taylor Westly said of the halftime talk. "I think we knew it (heading) into the locker room.

"I think that makes it all the more powerful because he is normally quiet or enthusiastic. To have him get on us made us step it up and play our basketball."

The Spartans started the second half with more energy on the defensive end, and Katie Schrock caught fire from 3-point range. Schrock hit back-to-back threes to put the Spartans up 23-22 with 5:30 to play in the third. It was a lead the Spartans would never relinquish.

Kayla Laney hit a jumper and added a free throw before Schrock canned her third three of the quarter and all of a sudden the Spartans were up 29-22 with 3:15 left in the quarter.

"I think we wanted it a lot more," Laney said of the third-quarter run. "We kind of realized how important the game was. It could have been our last game. We didn't want to go out 0-2 in the state tournament."

The Spartans led 34-25 after three but the Comets trimmed the lead to 36-32 with 6:28 to play. But the Spartans responded and Schrock's fifth three of the second half capped a 12-2 run making it 48-34 with 2:51 to play.

Schrock was 5 of 7 from three and the Spartans were 6 of 13 overall.

"They can either make or break a game," Westly said of shooting threes. "Stepping up like that, props to (Katie). To hit five threes, that's no small accomplishment. I think the rest of us worked really hard in Carolina getting the screens and getting her so she was wide open for those."

The Spartans forced Crater into 21 turnovers and disrupted the Comets offense in the second half.

"I also think we played really tough defense as a team," Westly said. "The posts really got them off the boards and stepped it up and rebounded. We all contributed."

Schrock finished with 17 points, as did Gabe Johnson for the Spartans. Kayla Laney added eight points and eight rebounds.

The Spartans have a chance to finish fourth with a win over Ashland on Saturday. They believe that would be the best finish in the program's history.

"I get shivers up and down my body thinking no matter what we take home a trophy," Westly said. "We have a chance to finish higher than any other CHS (girls basketball) team has ever placed in state. That's a great opportunity and win or lose it's something this team will take away and come back here with as seniors."

The Spartans will face a tall test in Ashland, the Southern Oregon Conference champions. Ashland (25-3) is led by 6-foot-3 post Brenna Heater, who had 36 of Ashland's 48 points in an overtime loss to Willamette on Wednesday. She had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 52-45 win over Bend on Thursday.

"Yeah, the big girl is an issue but our big girls are an issue too and they play hard defense," Westly said. "Our guards get up and pressure out there.We will be missing (McKenzie Redberg) in that pressure but I know we'll all step up and put the pressure on the guards and make it more difficult to look into the post."

Corvallis 56, Crater 38
CRATER 9 10 6 13 -- 38
CORVALLIS 11 4 19 22 -- 56
Crater: Leona Steel 11, Noon 9, Harding 8, Albright 4, Kappel 3, Heard 2, Britton 1, Deschamps, Sullivan, Hills, Smith, Sailing, Bonney
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 17, Gabe Johnson 17, Kay. Laney 8, Westly 7, Seitz 2, Gerner 2, Kar. Laney 2, Adams 1, W. Redberg

Mama said there would be days like theses

If there is one thing Joe Wiliamson expects out of his Corvallis High girls basketball team it is effort.

Williamson couldn't have been happier with the effort his Spartans put forth during Wednesday's OSAA 5A quarterfinal game, however the outcome could have been much better.

Corvallis scrapped and clawed back in the fourth quarter, but a 16-point third-quarter deficit was too much to overcome as Hermiston held on to knock off the Spartans 51-46 at the University of Portland's Chiles Center.

Corvallis (16-10) will take on Crater (14-9) in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Thursday. The winner advances to play for fourth place on Saturday. Crater hung tough with Wilsonville before falling 66-52 in the first quarterfinal of the day.

The Spartans battled hard throughout, but an injury to first-team all-Mid-Willamatte Conference player McKenzie Redberg, 33 turnovers and a tough shooting night doomed Corvallis.

"All in all, you want the effort to be there and to shoot well," Williamson said. "The effort was there but we didn't shoot well. But I'll take the effort first."

Corvallis was just 16 of 46 from the floor and 1 of 12 from three for the game.

The Spartans trailed 25-22 early in the third quarter after Kayla Laney converted a three-point play. But Hermiston went on an 11-2 run to push the lead to 36-24 before making it 43-30 at the end of the quarter. The lead was 46-30 with 6:45 to play before the Spartans started chipping away.

Leah Seitz provided a spark off the bench during a 9-1 run with a couple of steals, a layup, a big rebound and outworked Hermiston standout Shoni Schimmel for a loose ball to give the Spartans possession.

"We needed someone to come in and play inspired basketball for us and she was the spark, on the floor diving, reading passes and getting out for steals," Williamson said. "I was proud of her."

So were her teammates.

"I'm so proud of Leah," point guard Gabe Johnson said. "At the beginning of the season she was having some tough times but she has improved so much and I'm really proud of her."

Seitz had a couple of things on her mind during the game.

"One was Z is out again once again so I have to make up for her and the other was I got injured and I haven't been playing as well since then and I just wanted top prove myself and say I can play well," she said.

Seitz was referring to the South Albany game when Redberg was sick and left at halftime. Seitz played most of Redberg's minutes and scored nine points to hep lead the Spartans to a win.

Despite being down 16 on Wednesday, Seitz said the Spartans never lost hope.

"I think we had the confidence," she said. "All of us were thinking this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so if we don't make the most of it then why are we here? So I think we tried to make the most that we could."

Seitz played more after Redberg was injured early in the second quarter when she and Shimmel fell hard to the floor.

Redberg didn't play the rest of the game. Her absence meant the Spartans had to make some major adjustments.

"As soon as she went down, our whole rotation process (changed) and who we were going to sub in to take Schimmel, now we really have no subs coming in," Williamson said.

Added Johnson: "It was really tough but I knew to trust in the team. I knew people were going to step up and I knew I had to step up."

The Spartans trailed 16-6 after the first quarter, struggling a bit with nerves and the Hermiston pressure. They committed nine turnovers in the first quarter.

"The pressure they put on, it takes a few minutes to adjust to it," Williamson said. "We did a pretty good job for the second half of the first quarter and the second quarter and then all of a sudden we came out in the third and it looked like we hadn't seen it and struggled a bit."

Johnson led the Spartans with 19 points while Alaina Adams added eight and Laney seven. The Spartans outrebounded Hermiston 47-28.

Schimmel led Hermiston with 14 but the Spartans forced her into 6-for-21 shooting, including 1-for-12 from three. The Bulldogs as a team were just 17-for-59 from the floor and 2-for-23 from three.

"For the most part we got back on defense and did a good job with that,"Williamson said. "We made them get in a half-court set and made the shots as difficult as we could."

The Spartans return to the floor early with the 9 a.m. game Thursday. They can still finish fourth with two wins.

"For me, I feel like this game was just like a wakeup call for what we're really at right now and I'm ready to go win those next two games," Seitz said. "If we don't win them, all hell will break lose."


Hermiston 51, Corvallis 46
CORVALLIS 6 13 11 16 -- 46
HERMISTON 16 9 18 8 -- 51
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 19, Adams 8, Kay. Laney 7, Seitz 4, Gerner 4, Westly 2, Schrock 2, Redberg, Kar. Laney
Hermiston: Shoni Schimmel 14, Stacona 8, Rowan 7, McCloud 5, Royer 5, Davis 4, Coombs 4, Whitsett 2, Vonarx 2, Cobb

Headed to the Chiles Center

Note: This is the story that will run in the Saturday GT

Corvallis High girls basketball coach Joe Williamson had a feeling the first quarter of Friday night’s second-round OSAA 5A playoff game was going to be pretty close.

No member of his team had been in a playoff basketball game before, so nerves were sure to be involved.

“We threw a lot of passes away that were three feet over the heads of somebody,” Williamson said. “I kept telling them in timeouts, ‘Wow, we’re going to have to settle down a little bit.’ ”

Fortunately for Williamson and the Spartans, they did.

Behind a pressing, trapping defense that forced Mazama into turnover after turnover after turnover, the Spartans did settle down and scored enough to advance to the state tournament.

Gabe Johnson led the way with 20 points and the Spartans used a big second half to earn a 45-22 victory over the Vikings.

Corvallis will take on Hermiston at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center. The Bulldogs defeated Churchill 56-48 on Friday to advance.

After celebrating with fans, friends and family, the players still weren’t sure what Friday’s win meant.

“No, it still hasn’t sunk in that we’re in the playoffs,” senior Taylor Westly said. “We played a game and I don’t really realize yet what this means.”

Added McKenzie Redberg: “Not yet, but it’s really exciting.”

Corvallis led 10-8 after the first quarter despite turning the ball over four times and missing some easy shots.

However, the Spartans forced Mazama into seven turnovers.

“We played really well, especially with the press,” Redberg said. “They panicked and made a lot of bad decisions.”

The Spartans still struggled in the second quarter, but were able to take an 18-8 lead into the half.

That’s when they calmed down and regrouped.

“Joe said, ‘You know what? This is our gym, our floor. Stop playing like you’re scared. Go out and catch the ball with two hands like you want it,’ ” Westly said. “I think that we all recognized that. We came together and it hit home. We grabbed the ball and took it to them.”

The Spartans forced a five-second count on the inbounds play to open the half, then scored 16 of the first 18 points of the quarter to break the game open.

“The first half was kind of stressful,” Redberg said. “It was the first playoff game and the jitters were flying. We calmed down after the first half. Once we calmed down after the first half, it was good.”

Williamson was most happy with the way his team responded to the adjustments he wanted them to make in the second half.

“What’s best is we went in at halftime, talked about what we needed to fix, and we came out and did those things and they saw the direct result,” Williamson said. “That will pay dividends when we’re at state and we go into the locker room and have to make an adjustment.”

Mazama struggled to hit anything all game and ended with just seven made field goals and were 6 of 12 from the free-throw line.

The Vikings went through a stretch where they managed just four points over nearly two quarters.

They scored on a Darian Grigsby 3-pointer with 1:06 to play in the first quarter to tie the game at 8-8. By the time the Vikings hit their next field goal — at 2:39 remaining in the third quarter — the Spartans led 34-12.

That defense will be needed when the Spartans take on fourth-ranked Hermiston on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs have won 15 in a row and swept through the Intermountain Conference.
None of that mattered late Friday night.

“Wow, I’m so excited,” Williamson said. “I’m excited for (the players). It’s pretty awesome.”

Corvallis will take an official record of 16-9 into the state tournament after forfeiting three games at the Lake Oswego tournament back in December, CHS athletic director Bob Holt said.

The Spartans were forced to forfeit after a player was ejected from a game against Aloha and played the next three games.

The ejection was later over-turned, however, the Spartans had to forfeit the contests for using an ineligible player at the time.

Corvallis 45, Mazama 22
MAZAMA 8 0 8 6 — 22
CORVALLIS 10 8 18 9 — 45
Mazama: Darian Grigsby 8, Jones 6, Saltenberger 6, Garrett 1, Groves 1, Newman, Karther-Miller, Macphee, Hunter, Pinner, Hoskins, Edwards
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 20, Adams 11, M. Redberg 8, Kar. Laney 3, Schrock 2, Westly 2, Kay. Laney 1, Seitz, Hendrickson, McGowan, Gerner, W. Redberg