FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Sports
Country Christian
boys stay calm and win
1A state championship
over Nixyaawii
By Brian Addison
Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The sixth ranked Nixy-
aawii Golden Eagles (22-7)
entered the Oregon State
1A championship game as
underdogs after an unlikely
dismantling of the num-
ber one ranked Horizon
Christian Hawks during
semi-fi nal play. Nexy-
aawii’s tournament run fell
short during the champion-
ship game however after
coming up against a strong
second half defensive ef-
fort from eventual champs
Country Christian Cougars
(29-1). The second-ranked
Cougars took the title from
the Golden Eagles by a
fi nal score of 61-53 in front
of an enthusiastic audience
packed to the rafters within
Baker High School’s
Peacock Court, Saturday,
March 7.
Nixyaawii took a 26-19
lead into the halftime
locker room and were able
to hold the lead until the
end of the third period.
“During halftime I told
the boys not to panic,” said
Cougars head coach Doug
Nofziger shortly after the
victory. “I told them we
needed to win the third
quarter, which we did after
cutting the lead to three
of four. And then in the
fourth I told them to just
keep working. I told them
to stay under control and
not to panic and they did a
great job of that.”
The conditioning and su-
perior size of the Cougars,
as they pushed hard on
defensive during the latter
stages of the game, proved
to be the difference. The
defensive pressure began
to wear on the competi-
tors as Nixyaawii began
to show signs of fatigue
after coming up victorious
through the bracket against
higher ranked teams.
The beginning part of the
fourth period was a back-
and-forth battle until de-
fensive clamp-down by the
Cougars ended the hopes
of the Golden Eagles.
The Country Christian
Cougars were led by Luke
Carter fi nishing with 20
points and Ben Grandle’s
clutch shooting adding 13
points.
Nixyaawii’s Ira Ashley
ended with 17 points and
Freddy Campos contrib-
uted 12 in the loss.
First team all-state
honors were awarded to
unanimous selectees Ben
Grandle of Country Chris-
tian and Mason Bloomster
of Horizon Christian.
Nixyaawii’s Hunter Melton
and Elijah Bevis, and
Jordan Syphard of County
Christian rounded out the
fi rst team.
Second team all-state
honors were awarded
to Nicco Bustamante of
Hosanna Christian, Angel
DeAnda of Siletz Val-
ley, Zack Van Loon from
Yoncalla, Jared Davis of
Horizon Christian, and
Avery Nofziger of Country
Christian.
Crosshill Christian was
awarded the Sportsman-
ship Award. Elkton was
recognized for the Band
award. The spirit/entertain-
ment award was given to
Nexyaawii after a rous-
ing and colorful halftime
cultural exhibit displayed
during the halftime of the
girls fi nal.
Brian Addison / The Baker County Press
Nixyaawii Golden Eagle boys basketball team was supported by members of
the Umatilla Confederated Tribes as they pounded out traditional drum beats.
Demascus Christian
girls basketball finishes
undefeated season with
1A state championship
By Brian Addison
Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com
“A real gut-check,” said
Dave Wakefi eld, head
coach for the Demascus
Christian Eagles (30-0)
girls basketball team,
minutes after winning the
1A state basketball title at
Baker High School’s Pea-
cock Court, March 7.
The Eagles take the
title for the second time
in three years after losing
in the title game last year
to Condon/Wheeler. That
title game loss in March,
2014 was the last time the
Eagles tasted defeat.
The competition has
reason for concern consid-
ering the undefeated state
champs boast only one
Senior on a roster of fi ve
Freshman, three Sopho-
mores, and one Junior.
“For us to emerge from
this season with a 30 and
0 record is just amazing
with so many good teams
out there,” Wakefi eld said.
“Country Christian played
very well and they deserve
a trophy too.”
The Country Christian
Cougars pushed the Eagles
to their competitive limits
during a back-and-forth
fi nale to the 1A state
tourney. Country Christian
built a 18-7 lead after the
fi rst period of play behind
a 10-point offensive explo-
sion from Mollie Lewan-
dowski.
The second period saw
the Cougars pushing the
lead to 11-points when the
tide of momentum began
to change. By halftime
the Demascus Christian
offense began to fl ow
bringing them to within
one-point upon entering
the halftime locker room.
First team all-state player
Ana Wakefi eld led the
Eagles to a one point lead
going into the fi nal stanza
and then a back-and-forth
latter stages battle ensued
with Demascus Christian
fi nally putting away the
scrappy Cougars from
Country Christian by a
fi nal score of 51-46,
Hannah Forrer,, Isabella
Crowley, and Wakefi eld
led the well-distributed
offensive attack for De-
mascus Christian with 15
points each.
Country Christian was
led by Lewandowski’s 16
points.
All-state tournament fi rst
team honors were awarded
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Brian Addison / The Baker County Press
Demascus Christian’s Hannah Forrar contests a shot from Country Christian
leading scorer Mollie Lewandowski during the state 1A basketball champion-
ship game.
to unanimous selection
Hannah Forrar and Ana
Wakefi eld from Demascus
Christian, Matney Jamie-
son and Deana Harris of
Condon/Wheeler, and
Quincy Pendergrass of
Adrian. Girls second team
honor went to Dani Baker
and Bella Mast of North
Douglas, Audrey Barden
and Kennedy Nofziger of
Country Christian, and
Laura Holcomb from Elk-
ton. The girls from Elkton
High School were awarded
the Sportsmanship Award.