Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Page 16
IVHS boys bring fresh faces, strong
outside shooting to holiday tourney
Steve Morton, girls’ varsity head basketball coach, gives the Illinois Valley Cougars
a pep talk during Friday’s (Dec. 5) practice. The Lady Cougars hope experience pays
off as they host the I.V. Holiday Tournament Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13.
Lady Cougars have experience to spare
Team speed is key to a bid for Skyline Conference championship
By STEVE FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
“Are you experi-
enced?”
Jimmy Hendrix’s fa-
mous question can easily
be answered by Illinois
Valley’s girls basketball
team with a resounding
“Yes.”
With four seniors,
three juniors, three sopho-
mores and a freshman
sprinkled in for good luck,
the Cougars have a recipe
for a successful season.
The Cougars were 5-
18 overall last year, 4-10
in the Skyline Conference.
They finished in sixth
place in Skyline, some-
thing coach Steven Morton
said he can improve on this
year.
“We have very little
height but we have a lot of
speed,” Morton said.
“We’re probably the short-
est team in the Skyline but
we’re also the fastest.
We’ll be a little quicker
than they think.”
Cougars’ returning
senior Kim Hamilton is
going to be a conference
leader and a powerful
player underneath the rim
this year.
“Kim Hamilton will
probably be our biggest
threat because of her size
and strength,” Morton said.
“Pound for pound she is
probably the strongest girl
on the team.”
Returning v arsit y
player Kelsi Snook, a 5-
foot-9 senior, is also going
to be another big threat
inside the paint. Sopho-
more Sarah Houston (5-9)
and junior returning varsity
player Serena Barry (5-9)
also will play down low.
“I just have more
depth all around than I
have ever had, ” Morton
said.
Other returning varsity
players include Meghan
Jackson (5-2, guard),
Lacey Madden (5-9,
guard), Erika Riley (5-8,
guard), Kirsten Wood (5-5,
guard), Emily Dudley (5-2,
guard).
Senior Nicole Hen-
drickson (5-7, guard) will
see her first season on the
varsity team along with
Sheena Cole, (5-7 guard/
post), the team’s sole var-
North Valley, Phoenix
and Henley will most
likely battle for the top
three spots in the Skyline
Conference, Morton said.
The top five teams will
compete in conference
playoffs at the end of the
season.
“Our goal is to finish
in the league playoffs. We
Cougars boys and girls host
holiday hoops tournament
Illinois Valley High School’s boys and girls var-
sity basketball teams will host the annual I.V. Holiday
Tournament Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12 and 13.
There will be four girls teams and four boys teams
competing. Game times are as follows:
Friday, Dec. 12
2 p.m. - Glide girls vs. Gold Beach girls
4 p.m. - Glide boys vs. Cascade Christian boys
6 p.m. - Cascade Christian girls vs. IVHS girls
7:30 p.m. - Gold Beach boys vs. IVHS boys
Saturday, Dec. 13
2 p.m. - Loser of game 1 and game 3
4 p.m. - Loser of game 2 and game 4
Championship games
6 p.m. - Winner of game 1 and game 3
7:30 p.m. - Winner of game 2 and game 4
sity freshman.
Look for Coach Mor-
ton to play an up-tempo
game from the tip-off.
“My philosophy is to
push it and try to get early
stuff,” Morton said. “If we
don’t get points early, we
take our time.
“Our big thing this
year is to make sure we
execute in the half court.
We get the ball up court
real well. We just have to
make sure we execute.”
On defense, the Cou-
gars have the speed and
experience to run a man-
to-man defense.
“Good teams run mul-
tiple defenses, and we have
never done that,” Morton
said. “I never feel like
we’ve had that ability until
this year.”
want to finish fourth,” he
said. “Obviously we would
love to win Skyline but
that’s our realistic goal.”
Andi Eichmann, Mor-
ton’s new assistant coach -
- who played varsity bas-
ketball for the Cougars last
year -- brings even more
experience to the team.
“He (Eichmann) is
excited to be here. He is
real enthusiastic and is go-
ing to add a lot with his
knowledge of basketball,”
Morton said. “He’s proba-
bly the most knowledge-
able assistant I’ve had.”
The Cougars played
their first home game
against St. Mary’s on
Tuesday, Dec. 9 and will
host the I.V. Holiday Tour-
nament Friday and Satur-
day, Dec. 12 and 13.
By STEVE FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
Fresh faces, a solid
core of guards and the abil-
ity to hit outside shots will
give Illinois Valley’s boys
varsity basketball team a
new outlook this year.
“I’m hoping that we’ll
be kind of fast,” said sec-
ond-year head coach Derek
Brimhall. “We’re not too
big, but we’re athletic. Our
outside shooting will help
us win a few games.”
Last year the Cougars
finished with an overall
record of 12-13 and fin-
ished fifth in the Skyline
Conference. They lost in
overtime in the conference
playoffs to Hidden Valley.
Two Cougars will
bring leadership to the
fresh-faced group. Junior
Jon Paul (5-foot-10) and
senior Jon Riley (5-11)
each have varsity game
experience.
Mike Bertsch, a 6-
foot-4 senior and transfer
student from Kelso, Wash.,
played junior varsity last
year and is expected to be
a key rebounder who
Brimhall hopes will con-
tribute 10-points per game.
Other potential starters
include: Matt Gaw (5-9) a
junior guard who trans-
ferred from Encina; senior
Damon Hubbs (5-10,
guard) who was battling a
cold last week but is ex-
pected to do good things;
and sophomore Kalen
Snook (6-4) will see a lot
of time on the floor at cen-
ter.
Filling out the rest of
the crew are junior James
Gerhardt (5-7, guard), and
sophomores John LeClair
(5-8, guard), Dylan
Halvorsen (6-2, forward)
and Jessea Mucha (6-2,
forward).
“Our new guys have to
do a lot of simple things
and do them right,” said
Brimhall. “Hopefully we’ll
get them all to contribute
and get some wins.”
Don’t expect too many
changes in the Cougars’
fundamental style of game
play.
“We’ll have most of
the same (game plans) as
last year with a few gim-
micks here and there,”
Brimhall said. “We’ll use
the same basic philosophy
of tough defense, rebound-
ing and a solid fundamen-
tal offense.”
Illinois Valley’s goal
will be to finish in the top
five in the Skyline Confer-
ence and to earn a trip to
conference playoffs.
The Cougars will have
their toughest games
against Henley, Mazama
and Phoenix.
“We’re not expected to
do much in conference,”
Brimhall said. “But I
would like to end up with a
winning record.”
Jesse Tree, Jeff Win-
ters and Brian Paul will fill
in the rest of the coaching
staff as assistants and
coaches of the junior var-
sity and freshman teams.
Brimhall added that he
learned a lot during his
rookie coaching year last
season.
“I learn stuff every-
day,” he said. “I’ll be more
mature dealing with refe-
rees and players and that
will help the attitude of the
entire program.”
The Cougars opened
the season at the Gold
Beach Tournament Dec. 5
and will travel to Eagle
Point Wednesday, Dec. 10.
The Cougars will have
a chance to defend their
title on Friday and Satur-
day, Dec. 12-13, as they
host the Holiday Tourna-
ment against Gold Beach,
Glide and Cascade Chris-
tian.
CONE TEN POTTERY
Winter Holiday Sale
Friday Dec. 12, 5 - 8 pm
& Saturday Dec. 13, 10 am - 3pm
Glaze your own ornament!
Handcrafted Pottery, Glass, Jewelry,
Woodwork, Mosaic Furniture & more
Complimentary Desserts
by Kate Dwyer
360 Caves Highway
592-4646
Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce
CHRISTMAS PARADE
will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, 3 p.m.
in Downtown Cave Junction
If rain, canceled for the year
Line up at 2 p.m.
at Evergreen Elementary School
Theme: “Peace on Earth”
NOW OPEN!
*Burl Wood Furniture
*Gem Stone Beaded Jewelry
*Hand Blown Glass
*Great Christmas Gifts
Artist Available
Weekends - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(open for viewing)
Weekdays - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
is open
Saturdays:
9:30 a.m.
to
2:30 p.m.
Hours: Mondays - Saturdays
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more information
phone (800) 922-1025
(R)