Eagle boys basketball starts season impressively, eyes IMC title

“We went 15 months without playing a game or really even scrimmaging,” said Eagles Coach Christopher Dirks. “Since we have been back at it, the team is ready to win.”

The team used that mentality to produce an impressive start to season with back-to-back non-league home wins, solidifying themselves as a contender for the Intermountain Conference title. “Our goal is the win the conference,” said Dirks. “We’ve talked about it for a year now and with the squad we have this season we think it’s a real possibility.”

The first game against St. Helens was a nice way to get back into game shape; the team’s first real test came next against the 6A Forest Grove Vikings. The most intriguing matchup of the game came between senior Davis Yates and the Vikings’ centers. Yates was a dominate figure against St Helens, due to the fact the Lions did not have the size to match up with him in the paint. The Vikings however had a couple guys who matched up well against Yates and it led to some exciting back-and-forth play.

The Vikings did well in slowing down Yates early on, but as the game wore on, he got to his most comfortable spots on the floor and shot the ball much better in the second half. With an average of 12.5 points over the first two games Yates is the second leading scorer for the Eagles and has the makings of a player they will continue to rely on as the season progresses. The Eagles’ leading scorer over that stretch is junior Emanual Romero, a quick and scrappy point guard. Romero put up a team-high 20 points against Forest Grove, half of which came in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

While the offense certainly has been a bright spot, perhaps the more impressive aspect has been the overall effort on the defensive end. Out of the eight quarters the Eagles have played, the defense has held opponents under 10 points in five of them. Their swarming style has led to many turnovers and transition buckets.

“They are playing selfless and confident,” said Dirks. “The communication on the floor has been excellent and the in-game adjustments I’ve asked them to make have led to our first two wins.

“Through Google Meets and outdoor physically distanced workouts, the guys kept their focus on basketball, and it shows,” said Dirks. “It was a big ask of them to keep working hard when we didn’t know if we were going to get to play this year, and they did. It really speaks to the character of the team and I think we all learned a lot about each other and ourselves.”

With league play starting this week, the Eagles will finish up their three-game home stand with a game against Ridgeview of Redmond before going on the road for the first time to take on The Dalles in the battle of the Gorge.