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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2020)
MARCH 20, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE C3 Aicher Flores McNary head coach, Kirch had never started a freshman on the varsity team until this season. Freshman point guard Jando Gonzalez started the majority of the year for the Celtics and was given an hon- orable mention nod. Gonzalez averaged 7 ppg and shot 35 percent from the three-point land while run- ning the show for one of the best offenses in the confer- ence. “I asked quite a bit of him, trying to run and control an offense and typically guard the other team’s best guard. I thought he had an incredible year. He is tough, competes hard and never has any excus- es. He played through a dif- fi cult injury for much of the league season without ever complaining. He shot the ball well from three and was able to get into the paint on mul- tiple occasions. With contin- ued strength and experience, he will only get better,” Kirch said. Senior Riley Flores was the only McNary upperclassmen to receive all-league recogni- tion as an honorable mention. Flores was a reliable three- point specialist for the Celt- ics, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. But what per- haps was more impactful was Flores’s leadership on a team with seven sophomores and a freshman. “Riley really matured as a senior and that maturity really showed within our program. He was incredibly positive and accepting of many underclass- man that were on the roster this year. He had a strong in- fl uence on how many of them grew throughout the season, helping to lead to much of our success,” Kirch said. Sophomore Zane Aicher was also a honorable mention selection. As a 5-foot-10 post, Aicher had to deal with a size disad- vantage in every game. But he was still able to solidify him- self as McNary’s most reliable interior defender and one of the team’s top rebounders. “For a guy who has only been playing basketball for three years, its an incredi- ble accomplishment to be mentioned by other coaches. Competitiveness and tough- ness are our fi rst two program values, and nobody represents that more than Zane. He was mentioned as the player that his teammates would most like to play with. He leads by example every day, and were excited to work with him in the offseason to help with his skill development.” Kirch said. Kirch was also named the MVC Coach of the Year. WE TAKE PRIDE in being staff ed better than any other senior living community Come See the Finest in Senior Living CALL (503) 390 -1300 1165 McGee Ct NE Keizer, OR 97303 VillageAtKeizerRidge.com
