January 28, 2016

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball teams travel to Lowell on Tuesday, January 26. The Girls game is scheduled for a 5:30 pm. start and the Boys game follows with tip-off at 7:00 pm. Both Eagle Varsity teams host Mohawk on Friday, January 29. The Girls start at 5:30 pm. and the Boys will follow at 7:00 pm. The Coaches vs.å Cancer Game originally scheduled for January 29 has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 4, when the Eagles host Alsea. The Eagles will host Donkey Basketball on the following Saturday, February 6.

Sailors Keel-Hull Eagles In Mapleton

Mapleton Boys Basketball won its second game of the season last Tuesday, January 19, and the Sailors, with the 51-30 victory over visiting McKenzie sunk the Eagles deeper into the Mt. West League basement. Mapleton's only other win this season was a narrow 38-37 decision over Eddyville on January 8. McKenzie did slip by Eddyville in the two teams' first meeting, prevailing at home against the coastal team, 40-37, to collect their only League victory of the season thus far. With the loss to the Sailors, McKenzie's losing streak was extended to eleven.

Mapleton took control of the game early, establishing a 15-10 first quarter lead. That's when the wheels fell off the Eagle's wagon, as the Sailors outscored the upland visitors 16-4 in the second quarter to celebrate a 30-14 margin at halftime. The Eagles came out of the locker-room after the break with a bit more moxie, but as has been the story for Head Coach David Duncan's team this season, the resurgence was too little, too late. The Eagles outscored the Sailors 9-8 in the third period, but lost the fourth period 12-7 to go down in defeat.

Turnovers and poor shooting again plagued the Eagles as they committed 22 turnovers and made just 12 of 52 shot attempts (23%) from the field. Free-throw shooting was even more anemic as the team made only 3 of 12 from behind the charity stripe for 25%.

Drew Hamlow again led his team both with 12 points and 8 turnovers and the Eagle senior added 3 rebounds. Chanse Hamlow scored 7 points, and had a three of a kind with 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers. Freshman Jermiah McGlasson probably played the most solid performance of the evening, scoring 6 points, hauling in 8 rebounds, stealing the ball 3 times and committing just 1 turnover. Codee Clark scored 2 points and had 2 rebounds, but suffered the team with 5 turnovers. Danny Quirk also added 2 points and an assist, but turned the ball over 3 times. James Rimmer sunk a free-throw for 1 point and had a good night on the boards with 7 rebounds. Rimmer also had 3 steals and 2 turnovers. Matt Brownlee added 2 boards, 3 assists, and a turnover and Cason Cline and Malakai Taylor-Ide each contributed a rebound.

McKenzie Gals Sink Sailors On The Siuslaw

McKenzie surfed the crest of its win over Triangle Lake the previous Friday eve. and overwhelmed host Mapleton 47-16 last Tuesday, January 19. The victory over the Sailors coupled with the 44-39 upset win by Triangle Lake over Lowell, kept McKenzie in the hunt for the Mt. West League title.

Going into Friday's Eddyville game, the Eagles were in a tie for third with Triangle Lake with a 5-2 MWL record, one game behind Siletz Valley and Lowell, locked at 6-1. Given that Eddyville, McKenzie's Friday opponent, has not won a game yet this season, (McKenzie defeated Eddyville earlier 44-3), the Eagles Tuesday, January 26, date with the Red Devils at Lowell looms huge in regards to McKenzie's aspirations.

The Eagles lost their first game with Lowell by a score of 37-50, back in December. Lately, McKenzie seems to have started playing with more focus and tenacity. Eagle fans should seriously consider packing the tiny Red Devil gymnasium and help Head Coach David Duncan's get that win.

Back down on the Siuslaw, McKenzie took control of the game early on, holding the Sailors to 4 points in the first and second quarters while scoring 18 and 8 respectively for a 26-8 lead at halftime. The Eagle defense held the hosts to zero points in the third quarter, while scoring 13 points to go up 39-8 at the end of three periods of play. Both teams scored 8 points in the final period.

For the game, the Eagles shot 33% from the field and made 40% of their free-throw. McKenzie had 13 turnovers.

Senior Jorden Smith and Freshman Jade Hayes shared game high scoring honors as both athletes scored 13 points. Smith had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 turnovers for her very fine effort. Hayes added 1 rebound, 2 assists, stole the ball 5 times and committed 2 turnovers for her nice effort. Hayes freshman teammate Kanyen Kamrath added 6 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, 3 steals and 1 turnover. Paige Lowry and Miyanna Hayes each scored 4 points. Lowry also had 2 boards, an assist and a steal, but the sophomore also committed 4 turnovers. Miyanna Hayes added 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover to her stat line. Idgie Williams scored 3 points, had 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, Hailee Lowry had 2 points and turnovers each, Katelynn Caulley added 2 points and 2 assists, and Anna McNutt had 1 turnover.

McKenzie Collects Win By Forfeit

McKenzie did not have to board a bus and travel to Eddyville on Friday, January 22. The host Eddyville Eagles forfeited the Mt. West League contest due to a lack of eligible players. With the win, McKenzie's MWL record improved to 6-2, a tie with Triangle Lake for third place and a single game behind League leaders, Siletz Valley Early College Academy and Lowell, both knotted at 7-1.

Eddyville Edges Ebbing Eagles

This was not McKenzie Boys Head Coach David Duncan's game plan. But then again, the Finn Rock Eagles have been reeling lately and now are on an even dozen losing slide. Eddyville Charter clipped the visiting Eagle's wings, and hopes, 33-32, and the long ride home from the Coast got a whole lot longer.

Eddyville freshman Trent Kinion led his team offensively, scoring 14 points and senior teammate Neil Faxon added 8 points. Ryan Landers scored 4 points, Kurt Faxon, Gavin Collier, and Justin Howe each added 2 points, and Cameron Davis scored 1 point for Eddyville. The McKenzie Coaching Staff did not make stats available to the media at press time.

Alumni Watch

McKenzie Alum Jordan Wiley, a senior playing basketball for Western Oregon University in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II), averaged 17 points in two games versus Alaska Anchorage last week. The victories, both at Monmouth, moved the 8th ranked (4th ranked by the Media Poll) Wolves (16-2, 9-1) into first place in the GNAC halfway through the season.

Wiley scored 17 points, had 3 rebounds and a steal in the 76-66 victory on January 21. Wiley matched that with another 17 point production in the next game on January 23, hitting 5 shots from behind the 3-point arc. The senior play-maker also led his team with 8 rebounds plus had 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Eagle alum Trey Harbick, currently playing basketball for New Hope Christian College (5-19), had a 17 point game recently. The sophomore also grabbed 8 rebounds in the 59-112 loss to Warner Pacific on January 23.

McKenzie River Reflections