Downey brothers lift Santiam boys to 2A state crown
By Gary Horowitz, Statesman Journal,
first published March 4, 2017
PENDLETON – Santiam High School
boys basketball coach J.D. Hill captured
the euphoria of winning the OSAA Class
2A state championship.
During an on-court celebration
with players and fans, Hill reflected on
what Saturday’s 57-54 victory over No. 2
seed Stanfield at Pendleton Convention
Center meant.
“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 champion-
ship prior to Saturday, and that came in
the Class A Division in 1974.
The Wolverines were making their first
state championship game appearance 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,
was part of a 5A state championship team
with Silverton in 2015. He transferred to
Santiam for his senior year when his family
moved back to the area, and had the oppor-
tunity to play with his younger brother
Jonah in high school 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-on-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 game. The Wolverines defeated
No. 1 seed Western Mennonite 53-33 in
Friday’s semifinals.
“We had confidence after that game,
but we had as much confidence coming
into the first game (against No. 5 seed
Imbler),” Jonah Downey said. “We knew
if we play our game we could win.”
Stanfield (22-2) took a 44-37 lead into
the fourth quarter, but Santiam did not wilt
under pressure. The lead changed hands
five times in the last 3:50.
After Stanfield’s Dylan Grogan scored
on a drive to put the Tigers up 50-49, Julian
Downey hit a top-of-the key 3-pointer and
was fouled. He completed a four-point play
that gave the Wolverines the lead for good
at 53-50 with 2:20 remaining.
Santiam hit key free throws down
the stretch to seal the win. The Downey
brothers combined to score all 20 of the
Wolverines’ fourth-quarter points.
“They’re such great players,” Hill said.
“They have that little extra, that competi-
tive juice. You can’t teach it. That’s inside
of them and they just stepped up and made
huge plays.”
They had plenty of help in what was
a total team effort.
Senior forward Riley Nicot didn’t
score, but he had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Senior guard/forward Austin Fawcett had
seven rebounds and two blocked shots to
go with his two points.
Courtesy photo by Gary Horowitz, Statesman Journal
Santiam won its first boys basketball state championship since 1974.
“My teammates, they bring me up,”
said Julian Downey, who was 9 of 15 from
the field, including 5 of 9 on 3-pointers.
“I wouldn’t be as hot as I was tonight
without them.”
Downey, the Tri-River Player of the
Year, will always treasure his last high
school game that was played on a court
donated by the Phoenix Suns from their
former home, America West Arena.
After the semifinal win, Downey
noted that “it’s cool to think about how
some legends played on this court.”
Players took turns cutting down the
net, which will be on display at Santiam
along with the championship trophy for
generations of Wolverines to cherish.
“It’s surreal,” Hill said. “It seems like
a dream.”’
ghorowitz@StatesmanJournal.com or
Twitter.com/ghorowitz
Courtesy photo
Julian Downey (left) and Jonah Downey are the sons of Siletz Tribal member Jeremy
Downey and his wife, Meghan. They have a younger brother, Ezra, and a younger
sister, Maizy. Their grandmother is Penny Barclay and their great-grandfather is the
late Roy Downey. Both young men also made the first team 2A all-tournament team.
Attention Siletz Contract Health-eligible
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Siletz News
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April 2017