Spilyjy Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon December 22, 2005' White Buffalo basketball teams facing a year of transition By Brian Mortenacn ".Spilyay Tymoo : With several new players on both teams, and with the im minent advance to a new clas sification with bigger schools, the theme of this season is transition for Madras High School's boys and girls basket ball teams. . '. The boys White Buffalos ex pected the return of wo start ers and six players with varsity "experience, but were then faced 'with the season-long loss of se jiior Jordan Say, who sustained "a broken collarbone during foot ball season. I'. The Madras girls return two all-Tri-Valley League selections In guard Briana Stacona and Susan Ahern, along with return ing starting post Krista Haugen, but start the season with a new coach, former freshman coach Becky Burchcll (nee Dodson) and a mostly new team. Move to 4A conference Both teams look to be com petitive in their last season in the Class 3A Tri-Valley League be fore they move into Class 5A next year under the newly con figured Oregon School Activi ties Association athletic districts. Beginning next season, pend ing the results of disputes con cerning the transition around the state, Madras would join most of the schools in what is now the Class 4A Intermoun tain Conference, with each of the three Bend schools, Summit, Bend and Mountain View, along with Crook County, The Dalles Wahtonka, Hermiston and Pendleton. Redmond would move into Class 6A, and Hood River Valley would join a 5A league closer to the Portland area. Boys program if The Madras boys program have retooled its approach to account for the small yet ath Jetic athletes it appears to have available in the coming season 93 Dodge Dakota $2,966 (No. 34960B) itg 1992 Ford T-Bird, very sharp car $4,796 (35644) 1998 Camaro, Sporty car $6,995 (35307B) 1998 Mazda Protege, Nice wheels! $4,638 (35387A) 2000 Ford Escorte, Runs good! $4,690 (34697B) 1986 Volvo 240DL, Classic, runs good! ..$795 (33079A) 1996 Buick Century, 91,000 miles $2,195 (35460B) and with the prospect of the school being the smallest in its new leauuc beginning next year, So far, it's resulted in an excit ing approach that features shifts of five players each playing ex haustively aggressive on oftense and fast and opportunistic on offense, looking for transition chances and putting up a lot of three-point shots. So far, it's worked, as, in a non-conference schedule that's included four 4A teams, the White Buffalos have gone 4 3. Averaging 71 .6 points game, the White Buffalos, going into their Dec. 20 action at Burns, had scored more than 80 points three times and made better than 10 three-pointers a game. With its system of subbing five players after short shifts, nearly every player on the ros ter gets lots of playing time but it also puts pressure on the in coming players to maintain the level of play as the group be fore it. It also creates balanced scoring, as five White Buffalos averaged at least eight points a game through their first seven contests. Derrick Metcalf, a junior, averages 14.2 points a game, including two 20-point efforts and had twice hit five three pointers in a game. Jansen I Iarrington, junior and a Warm Springs tribal member, averages 12.29 playing both inside and outside. Marcus Zacarias, a 5-9 senior guard, 9.6 points a game, and the team's other senior, Tyler Ellsbury, averages 8.6 a game. Newcomer Albert Adams has hit a three-pointer in all but one game, including four against Astoria Dec. 10, and averages 8.0. The White Buffalos have five games during the holiday break, with a game at Burns Dec. 20, a home game against LaPine Thurs., Dec. 22, and three games at the Sisters Holiday Tournament. The Madras boys 24NEPIum Madras 475-7560 lhmm 4x4 Club Cab GjpGir open that tournament against Junction City, a Sky-Km team that's started nut 3-2. Anthony Adams has aver aged 5.0 a game as a sophomore, while junior ('arson Ahern av erages 5.6. Newcomers and tribal members Bobby Thurby and Orlando Tewee average 1.5 and 1.3 points, respectively Girls team As expected the Madras girls team, which reached the second round of the 3A state tourna ment and one win short of mak ing the final eight at Corvallis' Gill Coliseum, have been led by Stacona and Ahern. Stacona was the only White Buffalo scoring in double figures going into the team's home game against Burns, the No. 1 team in Class 3A and defending state champion, putting up 14.2 points per game. Ahern averages 9.0 a game, but her long-range shooting made her a hero in the Buffs' game against Molalla, as her buzer-bcating three-pointer from the corner gave Madras a 54-53 win. Only one other Buff, though, averages as much as six points a game, quick 5-2 junior Shirellc Adams. Post Ashley I Iaugen, a sophomore, has put up 5.8 a game, while guards Whitley Ruiz and Alyssa Selam, a sophomore, average 4.5 and 4.4 a game, re spectively. In fact, Stacona and Ahern have accounted for 43 percent of the Buffalos' scoring through their first six games. As a team, they average 50.3 points per game and have allowed oppo nents 51.2. The Buff girls' schedule mir rors the boys, with a game at 1 3 LaPine Thursday and three games at the Sisters Holiday Tournament Dec. 27-29. The Buffs open tournament play against Sisters, which beat Madras, 60-54, in Sisters Dec. 13. Warm Springs, please support the businesses you see in the Spilyay -They give back to the local community! Sales I T" I""" J1, 1988 Ford Ranger $2,662. (No. 35484-C) TP . , QaDs 1?itbud Financing available on approved credit O.A.C. Towing E4 Hours Gorulng L'Jorn OpFlnoo and nadrac If you're not a member of AAA we have applications (24 Hour a day Road Senice) Now is the time to winterize your vehicle! 1 2-month 1 2,000 mile nation wide warranty All work by certified technicians All manufacture warranty maintenance available here with electronic record keeping What this means to you... We can take care of all your Automotive Repair and Maintenance needs! NEW or OLD Vehicles. I (JTj 1 1 turnout I I ami J VISA 755 S.W. 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