S ports
F ebruary 4, 2004
T he C lackamas P rint • 9
AMY CASHMAN C lackamas P rint
Sophomore wing/post Garrett Johnson (21) drives past the Mt. Hood defender during a 77-66 Clackamas victory.
The Cougars have now won six consecutive games and have four games remaining in their league schedule.
Men's ball: Six wins in a row
Frank Jordan
T he C lackamas P rint
The Clackamas men’s basket
ball team ran their winning
streak to six games last week
with wins over division leader
Mt. Hood CC and Umpqua CC.
Last Wednesday, the Cougars
got off to a slow start against
the- Saints from MHCC, falling
behind by as much as 17 points
in the first half. The Cougars
were behind by double digits late
in the half, before getting a
three-pointer from Wes Jensen
to close the deficit to 38-30 at
the halftime break-
The second half was a differ
ent story as the Cougars got
their pressure game into high
gear, forcing several turnovers
and bad shots by the division
leading Saints. Clackamas finally
took the lead when Brandon Gill
converted a rare four-point play
to give the Cougars a 54-53 lead.
Clackamas was able to stave
off Mt. Hood with big plays at
both ends of the court, allowing
the Cougars to pull within a
game in the Southern Division
standings with a 77-65 victory.
Gill finished the game with
19 points, including 13-13 at the
free throw line. The Cougars
were an outstanding 29-32 from
the line for the game. Ammon
Bemis scored 16 points, grabbed
seven rebounds and had three
steals. Jensen finished with 12
points and had a key play late in
the game as he stole a Mt. Hood
pass and fed Bemis for a roaring
dunk.
Alex Swerzbin con
tributed 11 points and a team-
high eight assists in the victory.
“The game was a great effort
by our team,” said Clackamas
Head Coach Clif Wegner. “We
played a great second half and
our free throw shooting made
the difference.” «
Saturday, the Cougars got 20
points from Gill and 14 points
from Bemis in an 86-64 victory
over Umpqua CC in the Randall
Hall gym.
The Cougars ran out to a
quick seven-point lead on the
Timbermen and never let up in
posting their sixth consecutive
victory.
Steve Lemma added 12
points, while Maycol Rivera and
Swerzbin chipped in 10 points
apiece. Jensen pulled down
eight rebounds and reserve point
guard James Couture con
tributed six assists and did not
commit a turnover in his 10
minutes of action.
“We are definitely getting bet
ter and hopefully peaking at the
correct time for postseason
play,” said Wegner. “We need to
defend better in the post and
play better defense without foul-
ing so much. We also need to
improve our ball and player
movement in our zone offense.
The kids are responding to situ
ations and that is important as
we enter the stretch run.”
The Cougars
take on
Chemeketa CC tonight at 7:30
p.m. in the Randall Hall gym.
The Chiefs are currently tied for
second placé in the Southern
Division with Clackamas, so the
importance of the game cannot
be understated.
“We are trying to defend our
league championship arid we are
one game out of first place.
That is plenty of motivation for
us to play huge on Wednesday,”
said Wegner.
Clackamas will go on the road
to Coos Bay this Saturday, play
ing Southwestern Oregon CC, in
the first of a five-games-out-of-
six stretch on the road to con
clude the regular season.
Banged-up wrestlers still perform well last week
Sara Atkeson
T he C lackamas P rint
This past weekend was a busy
one for the Clackamas wrestling
team.
The Cougar wresders partici
pated in scheduled dual meets with
Yakima Valley CC and Highline
CC and a makeup dual with
Southwestern Oregon CC.
“[Ryan Farewell] wrestled the
best match I’ve seen him wrestie in
three years,” said Head Coach
Mike Haluska. “He lost the match
but I think he turned a comer and
realized that he is a good wresder.
Hopefully he starts wrestling like
that every time because it was real
ly impressive.”
Tim Cook tweaked his shoulder
in his first match and was out of
commission for the rest of the
weekend.
“It’s not a serious injury... it’s
not a big deal [to sit out a match]
and it isn’t worth aggravating it this
close to regionals,” said Haluska.
According to Haluska, Terrence
Hundey wrestled three very tough
matches, winning one match and
taking his best shot in the other
two.
Britt Crooks had one of his
best matches of the season, miss
ing the win by a single point.
“It’s hard to keep wrestling
when you’re winning, let alone
these guys' are losing by close
matches and yet they keep going
out on the mat,” said Haluska.
Coming off the injury list last
weekend was Ben Sevigny.
“He wrestied two matches that
he dominated,” said Haluska.
“He lost one match 7-1 and it
was probably the best match I’ve
seen him wresde and one of the
best matches of the weekend.” said
Haluska.
Shawn Siefke wrestled three
very tough opponents, beating two
of them.
“The one he lost could have
gone either way and both wresders wresder,” said Haluska.
knew it. He walked off the mat
Lucas Buyas at 184 pounds,
knowing he could beat this kid at toughed it out in the heavyweight
the regional tourna
bracket and wres-
ment.” said Haluska.
ded a 285-pound
“I don’t know if opponent from
Chris
Kidby
wrestied two match
Southwestern
you can realize
es and seemed to
CC.
how hard that is Oregon
easily dominate both
“I don’t know if
you can realize
opponents in his
to wrestle.”
how hard that is
usual style.
Mike Maginn had
to wrestle, but
a clean sweep on the
you make one
Mike Haluska
mat last weekend.
mistake and get
Head Wrestling Coach
“He
wrestled
under that much
great this weekend
weight
you’re
and won a close one
pinned. He did a
against
Yakima
great job and gave
Valley,” said Haluska.
himself a chance to win,” said
Bridger Sacher served himself a Haluska.
plateful of redemption by beating
He won against a more equally
two wresders that defeated him matched opponent at 195 pounds
earlier in the season.
from Highline with a pin.
“He was ready to wresde them
“We had a good weekend. They
this time and beat 'em pretty easily. reached a turning point realizing
They were both tough opponents that they can win the tough match
but Bridger is just a real good es,” said Haluska.
Ttnight
Chemeketa CC
5:30 pjn.
F^ d . 7
@ Southwestern
Oregon
4:00 p.m.
Feb. 11
© Portland CC
5:30 p.m.
Feb. 14
Linn-Bentcn OC
4:00 p.m.
Feb. 18
© Mt. Hood CC
5:30 p.m.
Feb. 21
© Lane CC
4:00 p.m.
Feb. 23 Southern
Divisor playoffs TEA
( HOME GAMES IN BOLD)