15
Yoncalla Boys Basketball
Team Rundown:
High school sports generally have quiet
offseasons. But this was not the case for
the Yoncalla boys basketball team when
an OSAA investigation into a recruiting
violation began last May. After an anon-
ymous tip, the OSAA opened an investi-
gation for undue influence by head coach
Bid Van Loon. Van Loon resigned from
his post in September and the school was
fined $2,500 for the incident.
With an opening for head coach, the
Eagles brought on Jarred Eakin. Prior
to this position, Eakin was an assistant
coach at Umpqua Community College
and head coach for the boys team at
Umpqua Valley Christian High School
for one year and the girls South Umpqua
High School for two years. Through
those head coaching stints Eakin’s teams
finished 3-66 including UVC losing to
Yoncalla 100-6 in the 2015-16 season.
Despite how his teams struggled in the
past, Eakin remains upbeat and is excited
about this group at Yoncalla.
“You can tell in a few open gyms that
I had that they play basketball here. They
get it. They’re doing stuff on their own
that I’d have to tell other teams. Just a
sense of where to be and things like that.
But like any other program we’ve got
stuff to iron,” he said.
This season Eakin is committed to play-
ing up-tempo with his team. He wants a
constant full-court press and believes that
he can get his team, that features star-ath-
lete Ted Wickman, to the next level.
“I want to win the league and get to
Baker,” said Eakin. “And I had interviews
on day one with the kids, one-on-ones
with the kids and every single one of
them said, even the JVers, we want to go
to Baker.”
Have a Starring Season,
CG Lions!
Team Perspective
with Ted Wickman
The goal for the season:
A run at Baker. That’s the
plan. Last year, I don’t think we
On coaching change:
even made it to league playoffs
Me and the old coach, we had and that was really disappointing
a good relationship. We were so the plan is Baker.
pretty close so obviously it’s a On making the team better:
change but [Eakin] coached at
Our older guys are much more
UCC and UVC. The UVC years talented so our older guys buy-
were kind of down but what he ing into the system and getting
was running with those fresh- the younger guys to want to be
man it would work with a tal- here. And everyone wanting to
ented group of kids, they were be here and give out full effort,
just young. So the system he’s that’s what it takes.
trying to run with us, I’m try- On personal goals:
ing to have all the kids buy into.
Hopefully getting the oth-
It means just not slacking off er guys on the all-league team.
during plays. Just trying to play For me, I don’t really care about
every play, whether it’s defense what I get but hopefully some
or offense, just get everyone to of the guys can step up and get
want to be here and give out full an all-league spot.
effort.
3 Cheers for the LIONS!
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