Competing in the OSAA Class 1A state playoffs for a fifth straight year, the No. 11 ranked Big Sky League Champion South Wasco County High Redsides lost in the second round Saturday with a state tournament berth at stake.
South Wasco (23-7) won a first-round playoff home game 25-11, 25-20, 25-11 over the Southwest Christian High Wildcats (14-10) Wednesday, which advanced it to the 16-team second round at No. 6 Powder Valley (24-7). With a shot at advancing to the state tournament quarterfinals, the Redsides lost in four sets. The Redsides last reached the state tournament in 2018.
In an evenly played match, the Badgers capitalized to pull out a 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22 win.
Redside Coach Susie Miles said: “It’s tough playing on the road, but it was a great volleyball game. We played well … We had an injury to Julie Hull in the second set with the score tied 8-8. That changed our offense completely because she’s one of our setters. She’s fine, but she had to go to the hospital ER to get some stitches. It was unfortunate that she got injured, but that’s not why we lost.”
Down 2-0, the Redsides came back strong in set three to get a confidence building win. Powder Valley responded with a key set four win to move on to the state tournament for the first time since 2019.
“I was really proud of our team and how they regrouped,” said Miles. “All of a sudden we had to play a different offense that we didn’t practice with at all this season. Different people stepped into roles that maybe they haven’t practice much."
The loss to Powder Valley was just the Redsides’ second loss this year to a 1A squad. Their only other defeat was a 3-0 to the No. 15 ranked Echo High Cougars (15-9).
“Everybody kind of thought that the game was over at a couple of different points and it certainly wasn’t, because they gave it all that they had the whole time,” Miles said.
The contest marked the final game of the South Wasco County High career for seniors Sadie McCoy, Kylie Iverson, and Lois Shetler. Iverson capped her career by winning the Big Sky League Player-of-the-Year Award.
Huskies lose first-round game
In another contest last Wednesday, the No. 22 ranked Sherman County High Huskies (18-6) lost 3-1 to the No. 10 ranked Prairie City High Panthers (23-7) in a Class 1A first round state playoff game at Prairie City High School.
The loss ended the Husky's season. Sherman had reached the state playoffs for the first time since 2018. The contest marked the final game of the Sherman volleyball careers of seniors Natalie Martin, Cadence Smith, Caitlyn Jauken, Morgan Geary, Stiehl Green, and Emily Lesh.
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