McKenzie Sports Report - February 23

Eagles Earn Mt. West League Honors

Five McKenzie Varsity Basketball players were recognized at the Mt. West League Tournament last weekend. Senior Hailey Prater was selected for the Mt. West Girls All-League Third team. Teammate and freshman Mya Triplett was chosen for the MWL Girls Honorable Mention team. Senior Trent Peek and freshmen Allen Acevedo and Will Meister were selected for the MWL Boys Honorable Mention team.

Mt. West League Basketball Tournament

State Qualifiers Decided

The Mt. West League held its 2023 MWL Basketball Tournament last Saturday, February 18, at Junction City High School. Four Boys teams and four Girls teams qualified for respective seeded berths in the 2023 OSAA State Basketball First Round playoffs, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, February 21. The Eddyville Charter Girls, who finished the MWL Regular Season in second place, upset first place Crow, 65-42, claimed the MWL Tournament Championship, and earned the League's top seed to State.

Eddyville ranked 16th in the final OSAA rankings will host 17th-ranked Umpqua Valley Christian, the Skyline League's second-place team. Crow, ranked 26th, travels to 7th-ranked and perennial Casco League power St. Paul. Mohawk, 29th ranked and the third place MWL team, defeated fourth place, 30th ranked Triangle Lake Saturday, 40-33. As the MWL third-seeded team, the Mustangs travel to 4th ranked Nixyaawii, which represents the Old Oregon League up near Pendleton.

The Lakers of Triangle Lake take the short trip down South to the Skyline League, where they toe up to the 3rd-ranked North Douglas Warriors. Over on the Boy's side of the Tournament and OSAA brackets, Alsea finished second in the MWL Regular season schedule and the Wolverines followed the Eddyville Girls lead by upsetting the MWL Season Champ Mohawk Mustangs, 40-29. The 16th-ranked Wolverines host 17th ranked, Skyline League foe, Elkton, on Wednesday, February 22.

All OSAA First Round Boys Basketball games will be played on the 22nd. Mohawk ranked 23rd, travels up I-5 to the 10th-ranked, Casco League Crosshill Christian Eagles. MWL third place Triangle Lake, 56-35 winners over Mapleton on Saturday in Junction City, travel to Adrian, from the High Desert League. The Lakers are ranked 29th and the Antelopes' final ranking is 4th. Mapleton ranked 32nd has the distinction to square off on the road with the State's top-ranked team, the Crane Mustangs, out of the High Desert League.

Thirty-two Boys teams and thirty-two girls teams qualified for the First Round OSAA playoffs. The winning sixteen teams advance to the Second Round playoffs, with the Girl's teams scheduled to meet on Friday, February 24, and the Boy's scheduled for games on Saturday, February 25. The final eight teams from each bracket advance to the 2023 OSAA State Championship Quarter-Finals, held at Baker City, with games beginning on March 1, 2023.