McKenzie Sports Report - January 2

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Boys Basketball team hosts Alsea on Thursday, January 2. A Boys Junior Varsity game will start at 4:00 pm followed by the Boys Varsity game at 5:30 pm. Alsea is not fielding a Girls Basketball team this season.

The Eagle Basketball teams, boys and girls, travel to Mohawk on Saturday, January 4. A Boys Junior Varsity game will start at 4:00 pm and the Boys Varsity will tip-off at 5:30 pm. The Varsity girl’s game will start at 7:00 pm.

Tuesday, January 7, the McKenzie teams travel to Crow. A Boys Junior Varsity game starts at 4:00 pm, the Boys Varsity game at 5:30 pm and the Girls Varsity game at 7:00 pm.

Eagle Hoops Teams Tip-off Mt. West League Schedule

Pre-season basketball has come and gone with the Old Year and the New Year ushers in the counting games of the 2024-25 schedules.

The Eagle boy’s team opens the Mt. West League at home with the Wolverines of Alsea. This will be a good test for McKenzie Head Coach Neil Barrett's young team. Alsea forged a 5-5 pre-season record and fields a roster of young players similar to the Eagles. The Wolverine's five wins tie with Eddyville Charter for the best in the MWL thus far. Eddyville is the only MWL team with a winning record, 5-4, and Triangle Lake is the only other team not sporting a losing record. The Lakers are 4-4 in the pre-season.

If McKenzie manages to nail an opening MWL win at home, that might build the confidence to make a decent run through the rest of the season. And the Eagles (0-10) seem ready to taste their first victory of the year. It still remains to be seen if the McKenzie Boys can play with the discipline to produce a win, but for those who have watched the Eagles play up to now, it's of note that the physicality is there, the skill level still in the learning stage, and when the team figures out how to implement the Coaching staff's clip board notes during the court action, opportunity for success will increase.

The following Saturday, McKenzie travels to Mohawk, always a tough venue to play in. The Mustangs are young this season as well and have shown it on the court thus far with a 3-6 pre-season. But Mohawk's roster shows some height and if the Eagles don't figure how to box out better under the basket, it will be a long ride home on the short trip. Keep the Mustangs to a one and done shot attempt and more importantly, collect the offensive boards on the other end for put-backs and the Eagles have a chance to finish the week atop the MWL standings.

The Eagle Girls Varsity Basketball team has its work cut out this week. Head Coach Heather Holte takes her team next Saturday to the Mohawk Valley and as with the Boys team, the Mustangs always give you a battle. This is an old rivalry that goes way back and then some, so expect nobody in Mohawk black and orange to show much sympathy for whipping on the Eagles.

The Mustangs put together a 4-4 pre-season record, tied with Mapleton, for best in the MWL. But Mohawk Head Girls Basketball Coach, Tim Yokum, grew up with this rivalry, and played on back-to-back Boys State Championship teams (2002-2003) under Head Coach Bart Rothenberger. Mohawk will put some experience on the court Saturday and the young Eagles will be hard pressed to overcome the relentless defense and scoring skills Coach Yokum's teams always present, if McKenzie insists on a run-and-gun offense. The Eagles will need to utilize the backboard more to improve shooting percentages and not be reluctant to box out for rebounds on both ends of court. Slowing the game down with more discipline will also help the offensive schemes.