McKenzie Sports Report - Dec. 21

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball teams are not scheduled for action until after the first of the New Year. Both teams return to Mt. West League play on January 3, at Finn Rock, versus Mohawk.

Yoncalla Tops Clash Of Eagles

McKenzie Hoops Pauses For Winter Break

McKenzie Boys and Girls Basketball wrapped up their pre-season, non-league games with a trip south to the Valley of the Yoncalla Eagles. The game played last Thursday, December 14, will be the last in 2023 as McKenzie play pauses for the entire Winter Break. The Eagles of Finn Rock will pick up again after the New Year, on January 3, with Mt. West League rival, Mohawk, at McKenzie.

Against host Yoncalla, the young McKenzie Varsity Girls team played their most competitive game of the season, losing by just six points, 24-30. The team posted a 0-7 record for the 2023 pre-season and will host Mohawk in both team's Mt. West League opener. The Mustangs have earned a 3-4 pre-season mark, tops in the MWL. No MWL Girls basketball team has a winning record thus far this year, the only Class 1A League in the State with such a distinction. There were no game stats available for the McKenzie/Yoncalla Girls contest.

Griffin Withalm led his McKenzie teammates versus Yoncalla, scoring a team-high 12 points, but the visiting Eagles lost to the host Eagles 53-36. Will Meister added 11 points and Thomas Hayes grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Sophomore forward, Jayden Churchwell, who earned a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, led Yoncalla. Churchwell's teammate Tristan McMullin added 12 points and 7 rebounds and Ian Homes finished in double figures with 10 points.

McKenzie's Withalm also wrapped up his day on the court with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a team-high 6 steals, and 4 turnovers. Meister added a rebound, 1 steal, and a single turnover and Hayes scored 3 points and stole the ball once. Rhys Hamlow chipped in 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and committed 4 turnovers and Hayden Kumle scored 4 points, added 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and also finished with 4 turnovers. Jacob Peek hauled in 4 boards and Noah Borden secured 1 rebound.

The McKenzie Boys team wrapped up its pre-season with a 1-6 overall record and will face a Mohawk team, which currently sits at 0-7, after the New Year. In the boys Mt. West League, only Mapleton (5-2) and Eddyville Charter (2-1) have posted winning pre-season records. Crow/City First Christian Academy sits at 3-3.