Sports
B1
Appeal Tribune, www.silvertonappeal.com
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
GARY HOROWITZ/STATESMAN JOURNAL
The Kennedy High School girls basketball team places third in the 2A state tournament.
Kennedy girls place third
in 2A state tournament
GARY HOROWITZ
STATESMAN JOURNAL
The Kennedy High School girls bas-
ketball team thrives on its pressure de-
fense and it was on display Saturday
against Imbler in the OSAA Class 2A
girls third-place game against Imbler at
Pendleton Convention Center.
No. 3 seed Kennedy limited No. 5 seed
Imbler to 22 percent from the field and
forced 19 turnovers en route to a 39-30
victory.
“Our defense is definitely really good
and teams seem to struggle when we
press them,” junior guard Kaylin Cantu
said. “They can’t get through it.”
The Trojans (17-11) flashed offense at
an opportune time and it proved deci-
sive.
Cantu made back-to-back 3-pointers
in a 20-second span that extended the
lead to 29-15 with 2:27 left in the third
quarter. Her first long-range field goal
was the first 3-pointer of the game from
either team.
“I wasn’t gonna take the second one
and then I was wide open so I thought,
why not,” said Cantu, who scored 11
points and had a game-high five steals. “I
just shot it and made it.”
Imbler (16-7) never got closer than
Silverton girls basketball
cruises into quarterfinals
nine points the rest of the way and placed
fifth in the tournament.
Kennedy sophomore forward Kalys-
sa Kleinschmit joined Cantu in double
figures with 10 points. Junior forward
Hannah Arritola added six points, seven
rebounds and four steals.
Kennedy, which lost to fellow Tri-Riv-
er Conference member Western Menno-
nite in the semifinals Friday, was the de-
fending state champion.
A third-place finish despite the gradu-
ation of Lakin Susee, last season’s 2A
Player of the Year, was impressive.
“It feels really good cause a lot of peo-
ple thought we wouldn’t be able to (get
this far)” Cantu said. “They thought we’d
struggle a little so to get third, that’s a lot
for us. We’re really proud of it.”
KENNEDY 39, IMBLER 30
Imbler: Robertson 11, Smith 9, Rudd 6,
McGinness 2, Stirewalt 2, Hassan, Kil-
patrick. Totals: 9 11-19 70.
Kennedy: Cantu 11, Kleinschmit 10,
Arritola 6, Brown 4, Carley 3, Jaeger 2,
Traeger 2, Frey 1, I. Gomez, Y. Gomez,
Garcia, Seiler. Totals: 13 11-17 39
Imbler – 7-8-5-10 – 30
Kennedy – 15-6-12-6 – 39
3-point field goals: Imbler 1 (Robert-
son); Kennedy 2 (Cantu 2)
Santiam boys win first
state title since 1974
GARY HOROWITZ
STATESMAN JOURNAL
MOLLY J. SMITH/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Silverton coach Tal Wold talks to the team at the end of the first quarter against Dallas on
Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Dallas High School. After a close second half, Silverton won the game
35-33, in OSAA Class 5A action. The Foxes, who are the defending state champions, will face
Hillsboro at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis.
PENDLETON – Santiam High School
boys basketball coach J.D. Hill cap-
tured the euphoria of winning the OSAA
Class 2A state championship.
During an on-court celebration with
players and fans, Hill reflected on Sat-
urday’s 57-54 victory over No. 2 seed
Stanfield at Pendleton Convention Cen-
ter.
“That performance we had tonight, it
just blows my mind,” Hill said,
No. 4 seed Santiam (23-4) had only
won one boys state basketball champi-
onship prior to Saturday, and that came
in the Class A Division in 1974.
The Wolverines were making their
first state championship game appear-
ance since 1976, decades before any
player on this season’s roster was born.
But players knew how much this victory
meant historically.
“It’s for the whole community,” said
senior guard Julian Downey, who
scored 15 of his game-high 33 points in
the fourth quarter. “It feels good to
bring a trophy back home.”
Downey, who grew up in Mill City,
played on Silverton’s 5A state champi-
onship team in 2015. He transferred to
Santiam for his senior year when his
family moved back to the area, giving
him the opportunity to play with his
younger brother Jonah in high school
E.J. HARRIS/SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
The Santiam boys basketball team celebrate
after defeating Stanfield 57-54 in the state
2A basketball championship game on
Saturday in Pendleton.
for the first time.
Jonah Downey, a sophomore guard,
scored 21 points in the championship
game.
“I’ve been playing with (Julian) for-
ever, against him one-one-one outside,”
Jonah Downey said. “It’s amazing I
could win it with my brother.”
The Downeys combined for 54 of
Santiam’s 57 points and were selected
first-team all-tournament.
Santiam, which lost in the Tri-River
Conference district championship
game to Western Mennonite, brought
momentum into the title game against
Stanfield. The Wolverines defeated No.
See SANTIAM, Page 2B