2B
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL June 24, 2015
G IRLS B ASKETBALL
Continued from 1B
to end the game, and Thiel-
man chipped in nine points.
“We’ve been pretty good
about working together and fi nd-
ing our groove again,” Thielman
said of the long layoff since the
end of the varsity season.
The Lions came into this
summer with more unknowns
than in any recent year. Yoss
was hired in late May to replace
Kerry Clawson, who had retired
after leading Cottage Grove for
the past eight years. Over the
past 14 years, Yoss had been the
head coach of the boys’ fresh-
man and JV teams, in addition
to assisting at the varsity level.
But this is is fi rst time coaching
girls.
“It’s defi nitely different,” he
said. “They seem to try harder
than the boys to do what you
teach them. They’ve sure made
me feel welcome, and they’re
coachable.”
So far, those feelings appear
to be mutual.
“We all love him,” Thiel-
man said. “He’s really good
at encouraging us or letting us
know that even if we didn’t win
or play our best, that we still
played hard.”
Without a dominant post pres-
ence to fi ll the shoes of graduat-
ed senior Conner Borigo, it also
appeared that the Lions would
have to retool their offense with
perimeter players.
“We just now started to put
in some pick-and-roll stuff, and
they’re just starting to know
how to do that, where to go and
what’s going to be open,” said
Yoss. “I think we’re also willing
to defend — and that’s a posi-
tive. Although we didn’t neces-
sarily show it today.”
Based
on
Wednesday’s
games, Thielman seems to be a
focal piece of the new-look Li-
ons. While she is certainly not
unaccustomed to bringing the
ball up the court and initiating
the offense, she’ll be asked to
do a lot of the scoring as well.
Thielman took 13 shots against
Middlefi eld Mens Golf
Date: June 15
Game: 2-3 Best Ball
1, England, McCarty, Tooker,
Gates (-25). 2, Cox, Perkins,
Sparks, Wamsley (-23). 3,
Ingram, Lee, Waterman, Miller
(-21).
Low Gross: 1, Pearson 71. 2,
Cox 73. 3t, Smith 75. 3t, Emery
75.
Low Net: 1, Lee 59. 2t, Water-
man 60. 2t, Pennington 60.
Closest to the Pin: No. 5,
Armor. No. 7, Eyman. No. 14,
Eyman.
Longest Putt: No. 16, Eyman.
Date: June 18
Game: 3-2 Points
photo by Matt Hollander
Tucker Porter drives to the hoop during Cottage Grove's 74-32 win over Creswell on
Saturday at the Junction City summer tournament.
Experts of their own mistakes
Lions improve through
summer league
BY MATT HOLLANDER
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
JUNCTION CITY — Midway
through the second half of Cot-
tage Grove’s 74-32 victory over
Creswell on Saturday, Chance
Hopkins attempted to make an
entry pass to a well-defended
Jordan Hagewood. Even before
Hopkins’ pass was defl ected and
corralled by a Bulldog defender,
several teammates had already
let out a quick, ‘Nope,’ and
started down to the other end of
the court for defense.
After a trying 2014-15 season
of reacting to mistakes, the Li-
ons are now anticipating them
before they happen, and this
type of development has paid
dividends on the scoreboard.
Cottage Grove wrapped up a
vastly improved summer season
by going 7-2 in this weekend’s
tournament at Junction City.
Kory Parent averaged 14 points
per game to lead the Lions.
“Physically we’re bigger and
stronger, but we’ve improved
more mentally,” he said. “We
got beat down by all of the loss-
es last season, but we’ve shown
more toughness on defense.”
The Lions went 15-11 this
summer with seven losses
against 5A and 6A schools.
Cottage Grove averaged 60.5
points per game while allow-
ing 50.6 points per game. Parent
was tops on the team with 17.5
points per game.
Parent said that the team’s im-
provement was apparent from
the fi rst game, a 66-39 victory
over Harrisburg, in part due to
a change in philosophy. He said
the team has moved from a half-
court game to a run-and-gun
style in order to better utilize the
team’s speed and quickness.
Last season the Lions went
5-19, including a 1-9 mark
against Sky-Em opponents. But
several times this summer, Cot-
tage Grove went toe-to-toe with
Junction City — a team that fi n-
ished second in the league last
year and is a likely contender
for this year’s title. While the
Lions fi nished 0-3 against the
Tigers, including two losses
in overtime, Parent said these
games have been good measures
of progress.
Up next: This week, Cottage
Grove is at the Gonzaga Team
Basketball Camp.
1, Eyman, Gates, Waterman,
Hayes 112. 2t, Bodine, Chatigny,
Kelder, Cox 110. 2t, Doleman,
Ordway, Sparks, Vargas 110.
Low Gross: 1, Helms 71. 2,
Zuvich 72. 3t, Bodine 73. 3t,
Cox 73. 3t, Doleman 73.
Low Net: 1, Wamsley 59. 2,
Tooker 60. 3, Waterman 62
Closest to the Pin: No. 5,
Medin. No. 7, Zuvich. No. 14,
Emery.
Longest Putt: No. 17, Neller-
moe.
Now they’re the ones who will
have to step up to score.”
With no team camp this sum-
mer, the Lions won’t offi cially
meet again until the fi rst prac-
tice of the season in November.
Yoss said there will be regular
open gym sessions over the
summer, but he acknowledged
that it’s always challenging to
fi nd a schedule that works for
all the players.
Caring for your Health
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SOUTH VALLEY
ATHLETICS
SUMMER CAMPS
Cheer camp – entering 1st thru 6th grade – $40 –
Registration ends June 26th
Tennis camp – entering K-12th grade
$50 – Registration ends July 16th
Volleyball camp – entering 3rd thru 6th grad
$30 – Registration ends July 16th
Register in the offi ce or online at www.familyid.com
Check our website for more information!
www.southvalleyathletics.org
541-942-3079
Cottage Grove Speedway
Race Summary:
Wild West Modifi ed Shootout
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
A Feature: 1. W5-Jesse Wil-
liamson; 2. 6P-Travis Peery;
3. 4T-Troy Heupel; 4. 98-Alex
Stanford; 5. 33C-Craig Hanson;
6. 5-Braedon Hand; 7. 83L-Scott
Lenz; 8. 49-Troy Foulger; 9.
11-Steven Sturdevant; 10. S-
Collen Winebarger; 11. 27-Mark
Carrell; 12. 99-Brad Martin; 13.
1M-Mark Wauge; 14. 13-Bricen
James; 15. 41-Danny Lauer; 16.
7R-Ryan Gaylord; 17. 24-Curtis
Towns; 18. 30-Jeremy Shank;
19. 54N-Nick Trenchard; 20.
66P-Paul Stone
Race Summary:
Quality RV Repair Hornets
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
A Feature: 1. 23-Brandon
Letson; 2. 48-Mike Swaim; 3.
30-K.C. Scott; 4. 23F-Marcel
Forte; 5. 17-Taunton Swaim; 6.
28-Chris Pierce; 7. 51-Jayson
Nelson; 8. 89-Jim Simmons; 9.
7-Andrew Mathers; 10. 18-Josh
Linville; 11. 03-Eddy Mesceji;
12. 77-Jared Simmons; 13.
80-James McClure; 14. 11-Joe
Maricle; 15. 27-Stephanie Hal-
laday; 16. 22A-Justin Austin; 17.
44-Brandon Fox; 18. 7C-Josh
Corley
The Cottage Grove/Creswell Special Olympics Oregon track team competed at the regional champi-
onships in Grants Pass on June 6. In total, the team won six gold, three silver and fi ve bronze medals.
Natasha Cosper won gold medals in the 50 meters and softball throw. Others receiving gold med-
als were Ryan Britton in the 50 meters, William Craft in the softball throw, Austin Crockett in the 100
meters, and Michael Crockett in the 100 meters.
Daniel Abbott, Ian Miller, Rebecca Panella, Kendall Thiel, and Jill Vaverka also participated.
Bob Alexander, Gene O’Neil and Jerry Vaverka coach the team. Teen assistants are Breanna Eberle,
Estrada, Mystika Abbott and Taylor Hollowell.
Creswell and 10 shots against
Roseburg.
“It’s different, but I’m adjust-
ing,” she said. “We relied a lot
on Conner last year, but now
we’re driving to the hoop more
and not passing so much.”
“She’s just now starting to
think score fi rst before pass,”
Yoss said of Thielman. “Most
of the girls (on last year’s team)
were thinking, ‘Pass. Pass. Pass.’
1440 S. 8th Street • 541-942-3079
www.southvalleyathletics.org
Douglas G. Maddess, DMD
FAMILY AND GENERAL DENTISTRY
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