Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Page A-3
Boys’ basketball team picks up 2 more wins
Tristan Stocker
IVN Contributing Writer
The Illinois Valley boys’ basketball
team played three games last week
which resulted in two wins and a loss for
the Cougars against Lost River, Myrtle
Point and Days Creek.
The first game of the week Tuesday,
Dec. 12, was a home game against Lost
River - a team whose non-league record
is 4-2 - in which the Cougars suffered a
loss. The final score was 53-60.
“We just had a couple little mistakes
here and there,” said head coach Matt
Knight. “We were also missing Tyi
Brummett who had injured his ankle in
the previous game.”
Elijah Polk was the top scorer in the
game against Lost River with 16 points,
along with Bryce Bruner who scored 15
points and Caleb Hess with 14.
Then Thursday, Dec. 14, the
Cougars hit the road to find themselves
victorious against the Myrtle Point
Bobcats, whose non-league record is
2-5. The final score for that game was a
whopping 62-32.
IVHS
...
Continued from A-1
“At a professional development
meeting, one teacher gave a sample
lesson: ‘Look at this picture and
come up with three questions.’ We
don’t want to say, here’s two lines,
stay between them. We want to say,
here’s a great big area; explore it.”
Student support and advocacy
is another place where Smith has
made new hires. These include
student advocate Sara Creek,
graduation coach Scott Thornhill and
student counselor Jessica Skinner.
Smith explained that both Scott
and Sara are charged with focusing
on increasing course passing rates of
freshmen and sophomores.
Another new hire was Gene
Merrill, filling the newly-created
Three-Rivers-School-District
position of college and career
coordinator.
“We finally had some things start
clicking together,” said Knight regarding
the game against Myrtle Point. “The
last two games, really. Things started
clicking together defensively.”
Leading the team in points that
game was Polk again with 21; Hess had
a 14-10 double-double, which is where
a player earns double digits in both
baskets and rebounds respectively; and
then Bruner and Brummett both had 10
points.
And finally Friday, Dec. 15, the
Cougars destroyed Days Creek (5-2) in
a home game that sent the wolves away
with their tails tucked between their
legs. The final score was 66-55.
Bruner led the team in points
against Days Creek with 16; Polk scored
14; and then Cody Box and Hess both
had 10. The team ended up with a total
of 20 steals.
This week, the Cougars play two
away games - one against New Hope
Christian Tuesday, Dec. 19 and the other
against Klamath Union Friday, Dec. 22 -
and then break for a week before playing
Bonanza the following Friday.
“Gene wrote a grant for about
$200,000,” noted Smith. The grant
is focused on getting kids out into
community doing internships. That
way they see the options from
continued education.”
Smith has also beefed up an
existing course called Senior Forum,
which helps students prepare for
the next step, whether that is a
community or four year college or
a first job. The course, previously
taught by one teacher, is now team-
taught by teacher Megan Brown,
and Gene Merrill. The course also
sometimes includes staff from
College Dreams.
College Dreams, according
to its website, is a nonprofit
organization whose mission is to
increase access to opportunities,
remove barriers and prepare
low-income, first generation and
underrepresented youth to thrive in
school, college and careers.
The Ghost Project is another
of Smith’s innovations. At one point
(Photo by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News)
Freshman guard Alexis Gomez drives the lane against Days Creek Friday, Dec.
15. The ladies currently sit at a 4-4 record after coming off two back to back
losses against Myrtle Point and Days Creek.
in our interview, Smith stood up and
pointed to a large white board on his
office wall, plastered with the photos
of every single student in the school.
Underneath each photo were a series
of hand written X’s.
“Something that’s really, really
important to me is that we know
our kids,” he said. “Teachers come
down and put a mark under a photo
if they have a great relationship
with that kid. This is how you find
‘ghosts.’ Take this kid here (Smith
pointed to a photo). I know this
student lives with his grandmother
and his grandfather. I know what this
student’s schedule is. I know what
sports he plays. I’ve sat and talked
with him. I’m going to put a mark
right there.”
Smith went on to explain that
every single kid in the school already
has good relationships with at least
three staff. That’s Round One.
In Round Two, he plans to make
something similar to baseball trading
cards for kids with fewer marks and
hand them out to teachers and staff
with the goal of encouraging them to
sit down and get to know those kids.
As with our other two Illinois
Valley public schools, chronic
absenteeism is a serious problem
at IVHS. Defined as missing 10
percent or more of school days, the
high school’s rate was 33 percent
last year.
“At this age,” said Smith, “you
can’t just put it (school attendance)
on the parents. I talk to kids about
accountability being the best ability.”
Smith blamed a shift in
local culture, from times when
the logging industry was thriving,
away from seeing schools as
important. But he seemed reluctant
during the interview to discuss
underlying social issues such as
drug addiction and homelessness.
Instead Smith, who coached college
football at Willamette University
before moving over into academic
administration in the Salem school
system, spoke of the drawing power
of sports.
“I’ve spoken to people and
they’ve told me this school used
to be the epicenter of town. When
there was a basketball game, you
couldn’t find a seat. When there
was a football game it was packed
… I would love to get back to that.
I would love for our town to have
pride in our school.”
Smith explained that, while
sports might not relate directly to
academic achievement, participation
in sports is what brings some kids to
school; success in sports gives kids a
sense of self confidence and pride.
“But,” he added: “There are
kids who come here, and school
and learning is down the list a little
bit. They’re here because it’s warm.
They’re here because they get fed.
They’re here because they know I
love them.”
“Smith concluded, “I will never
be able to do enough to feel like,
‘Oh, we’re satisfied.’ That’s why I
wake up at 4 in the morning.”
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