SPORTS
6A — BAKER CITY HERALD
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021
POWDER VALLEY VOLLEYBALL
Badgers finish perfect season
■ With a 14-0 record, coach Marji Lind believes the Badgers are state’s top 1A team
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Powder Valley doesn’t have
a shiny new, offi cial Class 1A
state volleyball championship
trophy to grace the school’s
display case.
But the Badgers, who
recently completed a 14-0
season, believe they are the
best team in Oregon at their
level.
“I really don’t hesitate
to say that,” Powder Val-
ley coach Marji Lind said.
“I think the girls feel that
they’re the top dog in Class
1A.”
Because the Oregon School
Activities Association didn’t
schedule state tournaments
due to the pandemic, schools
were free to arrange their
own “culminating events”
during the fi nal week of the
abbreviated season.
Powder Valley played host
to an event for Class 1A and
2A schools on Friday, April
9. The Badgers won three
matches, beating Alsea, Jo-
seph and Class 2A Union.
Lind lauded parents and
school offi cials for working so
hard to make the event “as
big a deal as possible.”
When the Badgers fi nished
their three-set sweep of
Union in the fi nal match,
spectators released colorful
streamers and balloons in the
Powder Valley gym.
Contributed Photo
The Powder Valley Badgers volleyball team celebrates a three-set sweep of Union
on Friday, April 9, completing a 14-0 season. Powder Valley won three matches in a
“culminating event” tournament in the Powder gym that included some of Oregon’s
top Class 1A and Class 2A teams.
As dominant as the Bad-
gers’ performance was on the
court this season, Lind said
she was equally impressed
with her players’ attitudes as
— Marji Lind, Powder Valley volleyball coach
they dealt with an unprec-
edented situation.
The Badgers were excited
“It was a really fun sched-
“I think the girls were
to learn that the volleyball
ule to play for the girls,” Lind super grateful and excited to
season would happen, albeit said. “They enjoyed being
play,” Lind said. “These kids
in the spring rather than the challenged and they enjoyed had a lot of fun together.”
fall.
being together. It felt real
During the Badgers’ fi nal
But their enthusiasm
again.”
practice, it’s a tradition for
Badgers overcame
waned when OSAA an-
Powder Valley didn’t just
the seniors to impart advice
disappointment
nounced that it would not
win all 14 matches in that
to their younger teammates.
The cancellation of the
have a state tournament.
imposing schedule — they
This year, the fi ve Powder
usual fall volleyball schedule
“There was disappoint-
dominated most of their
Valley seniors didn’t waste
was particularly disappoint- ment,” Lind said.
opponents. In 11 of those 14 a single word talking about
ing for the Badgers, Lind said.
But rather than dwell on
matches the Badgers won in the disappointments of their
The team expected to be
something they couldn’t con- three straight sets.
fi nal season.
a top competitor to win the
trol, Lind said the Badgers
Just two teams pushed
“There was no negativity,”
Class 1A state title.
decided instead to make the Powder Valley to a decisive
Lind said. “They said don’t
This was not a case of mis- shortened season as chal-
fi fth set — Crane, on March take anything for granted,
placed optimism, either, as
lenging as possible.
5, and Burns, on March 15.
and enjoy it while you can.
Powder Valley had fi nished as
“We said, let’s just play
That was the only loss of
They have an amazing, really
state runner-up in 2018 and every tough team that we
the season for Burns, which mature, perspective.”
2019. The Badgers lost to St. can fi nd,” Lind said.
went on to win the Class 3A
Paul in the state champion-
Powder Valley athletic
culminating event.
ship match both years.
director Brad Dunten as-
Another highlight, Lind
Lind said the team, and in sembled a schedule quite dif- said, was traveling to St. Paul
particular the core group of
ferent from what the Badgers and sweeping the Buckaroos
fi ve seniors, felt strongly that would play during a normal on March 12. That victory
“this was their year.”
season.
was especially satisfying
The seniors are Brooke
Rather than playing pri-
after St. Paul denied the
Allen, Belle Blair, Keanna
marily Class 1A schools, the Badgers a state title in 2018
Bingham, McKenzie Leggett Badgers’ slate included Class and 2019.
and Bailey Cole.
4A Baker (twice), Class 3A
“That was really fun to go
“They’ve played together
Burns and Vale, and Class
down there and beat St. Paul
forever,” Lind said.
2A Union.
on its home court,” Lind said.
“It was a really fun schedule to play for the girls. They
enjoyed being challenged and they enjoyed being
together. It felt real again.”
Celtics nip Blazers
By Anne M. Peterson
AP Sports Writer
PORTLAND — Jayson Tatum scored 32 points,
including a key 3-pointer in the fi nal moments, and the
Boston Celtics held off the Portland Trail Blazers 116-
115 on Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to
four games.
Damian Lillard had 28 points and 10 assists, and Car-
melo Anthony had 25 points off the bench for Portland.
Tatum’s 3-pointer early in the fi nal quarter put
the Celtics up 99-91, their biggest lead of the game to
that point. Anthony closed the gap for Portland with a
jumper and a 3-pointer.
It appeared as if the Celtics were pulling away when
Walker’s 3 put Boston up 107-99 with just over fi ve
minutes left, but Lillard’s 3-pointer got Portland within
fi ve points.
CJ McCollum’s jumper and a pair of free throws from
Lillard narrowed it to 107-106. After Robert Williams
III’s layup, Lillard’s 3 tied it at 109 with 2:03 left.
Williams’ tip kept the Celtics in front until McCol-
lum’s 3 gave Portland a 112-111 lead with 1:01 to go.
Tatum made a pair of free throws before a step-back
3-pointer with 8.5 seconds appeared to seal it. Norman
Powell hit a 3 for the Blazers with 5.4 seconds to go to
close within 116-115, but Portland couldn’t catch up.
Baker tennis
starts season
The Baker girls and boys tennis teams had their fi rst
matches in almost two years on Monday, April 12 when
the Bulldogs played host to Four Rivers Charter School
of Ontario at the Ash Grove courts.
Baker winners were the boys doubles team of Weston
Downing and Noah Lien, who won their match 7-6
(7-4), 6-4, and the girls doubles team of Tristen Tritt and
Riley Shaw, who beat a boys team from Four Rivers, 6-4,
7-6 (7-5).
Other Baker results (Four Rivers’ players names
were not available):
GIRLS SINGLES
• Sarah Plummer lost, 6-4, 6-4
• Phoebe Wise lost 5-7, 6-3, 3-6
GIRLS DOUBLES
• Tristen Tritt/Riley Shaw lost, 6-0, 6-0
BOYS SINGLES
• Anthony Christopher lost, 6-2, 6-0
• Noah Lien lost, 6-1, 6-2
• Karsten Cikanek lost, 6-3, 6-0
• Weston Downing lost, 6-0, 6-1
BOYS DOUBLES
• Davis Macias/Austin Hays lost, 6-0, 6-1
Baker travels to Ontario on Friday.
SPRING
the season off, that is their choice and I
respect that.
Continued from Page 5A
“I have some competitive seniors that
“They’re excited and we’re excited to coach are putting their heart and soul out there
but I reminded them that we have to enjoy
all the time. It’s huge for them to know
what we are doing, we have to work hard, we although it’s not perfect it’s still pretty close
have to take the COVID protocols seriously to being special and a chance to fi nish off
because this can be yanked out from under some really long careers,” Cole said.
us just like it was a year ago,” Smith said.
Gonzales said Baker coaches will em-
Cole also expects to coach a smaller team phasize the importance of following safety
than usual.
precautions.
“My numbers are defi nitely low, I think
“We just have to continue to be diligent
there are a variety of reasons for that,” Cole in the following of our protocols,” he said. “If
said. “Like everything with this COVID, it’s you are sick, stay home, wear a mask, wash
been across the spectrum but I feel fortu-
your hands. We just have to be diligent.”
nate that we have a choice, our athletes
The season for traditional winter sports
have a choice to make, whether they come
— basketball, wrestling and swimming — is
out. And we do the best we can or they take May 10 through June 26.
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