Learning a valuable lesson

Karly Laney’s text message may have said it best Tuesday night.

The Corvallis High junior wasn’t able to attend the Crescent Valley-Lebanon game that her coaches and a few of her teammates were.

But as she received a text message with the final score, a surprising 56-51 Lebanon victory that gave CV its first Mid-Willamette Conference loss, she knew just what it meant.

“Yesssss we are tied for first in league!!!!” it said. “But now we have to worry about Lebanon even more.”

Such a true statement. Lebanon’s win means CV and CHS are tied at 4-1 in conference, with Spartans’ lone loss coming against CV. Should both win out and CHS knock off CV, the title would be theirs.

But that is a long way off. And the upset by Lebanon was a great learning experience for the upstart Spartans, who already have two more wins than all of last season at 11-4.

Lebanon’s win showed that on any given night in this conference, the top teams can be beaten. Not only was it the first MWC loss this season for CV, but the first by the Raiders since the conference was formed before the start of last season. CV went 14-0 last year.

Couple that with Dallas’ near comeback against West Albany, and Corvallis knows it has a tough road ahead.

You see, the Spartans are scheduled to face Dallas at home on Friday night, then travel to Lebanon next Wednesday in first-year coach Joe Williamson’s return to his former stomping grounds. Williamson was the co-coach with Mardy Benedict for five seasons at Lebanon.

That’s why Williamson refocused his team at the end of practice on Thursday. He again stressed the importance of playing with the energy and determination needed each night.

He had the full attention of the players.

A loss and the Spartans fall into a jumbled mess in the conference standings as CV and CHS enter Friday with 4-1 records while Lebanon, West Albany and Silverton are 3-2. Dallas (2-3) can jump back into the playoff chase with the win.

Hopefully snow doesn’t cancel any of Friday’s action.