Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
THE GORGE — Conference play begins this week in the Big Sky, as area Class 1A boys basketball teams embark on their league schedules, culminating with the district tournament in February.
Three Big Sky teams will automatically qualify for the Class 1A state playoffs, which begin Feb. 24. Eight 1A at-large qualifiers — based on state-wide rankings — will also advance to the 32-team state playoff bracket. Eight playoff teams will advance to the state tournament March 4-7 in Baker City.
South Wasco County (8-1) leads the Big Sky’s in the state-wide rankings, sitting in eighth heading into its 13-game conference schedule. Coach Jim Hull’s team is led by seniors George Barnett, Jason Hull (coach’s son), and Rowen Huff. Barnett is a fourth-year varsity player who sparks the Redsides’ 1-3-1 trapping zone defense. The 6-foot-4 Hull is averaging more than 30 points a game over the past two seasons, and he scored 60 on Dec. 30 against winless North Lake. Huff is a 6-foot-6 Trout Lake transfer, who is averaging a double-double (points-rebounds).
South Wasco plays at Horizon Christian School in Hood River on Jan. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Coach Kim Linder’s Hawks are 7-3 and ranked 15th in 1A. Horizon is led by wing Ben Chapman, a 6-foot-8 senior, and 6-1 senior guard Landon Whitaker. Both are averaging double figure scoring and Chapman is averaging more than 10 rebounds a game.
Klickitat/Glenwood is ranked No. 11 after preseason games with a 5-2 record. Coach Dion Curtis’ team got off to a 5-0 start before back-to-back losses to 2A Heppner and WIAA 1A Stevenson before Christmas. The Vandals average nearly 70 points a game and have three wins where they’ve scored 80 or more points.
Dufur (2-6) is coming off a state playoff football run, and first-year Coach Marc Schilling’s squad took a few weeks to get its basketball legs under it. The Rangers started 0-4 but have since won two of their past four games. Jake Fargher is an active 6-foot-5 post player for Dufur, which is using its overall quickness and athleticism to its advantage with an extended, trapping defense. The Rangers were scheduled to host Horizon Christian on Jan. 6 in the league opener for both teams.
Sherman County (3-6) also had an extended football season into the 1A 6-man state playoffs. Coach Max Martin’s young team includes seven freshmen. The Huskies have three players back off of their 24-win 2024-25 state tourney squad: juniors Gage Simpson and Rhyder Smith, and sophomore Cael Bish.
Lyle/Wishram ran off five straight after a season-opening non-league loss at Klickitat/Glenwood. But the Cougars (5-3) enter league play having lost their past two contests.
The schedule makers didn’t do any favors for Coach Jason Burns’ Trout Lake team. The Mustangs (0-10) open league play against South Wasco, Klickitat-Glenwood, and Horizon Christian.
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