Redside boys face key league games

THE GORGE — South Wasco County continues to lead the Big Sky League boys basketball race, with a key game looming Jan. 27 against Ione/Arlington.

South Wasco (13-2 overall) and Ione were each 5-0 in league games through Jan. 18 and will square off next week in Maupin. The Redsides had two league wins last week sandwiched around a nonleague loss. South Wasco beat Klickwood, 70-51, lost at home to Pilot Rock, 58-44, and then won at Condon on Jan. 17, 68-55.

South Wasco’s Jason Hull — the state’s leading scorer across all divisions — had 40 points against Condon after he was held to half of his 30-point-per-game average against Pilot Rock. Teammate Rowen Huff added 13 against Condon.

Three other local teams spent last week essentially trading wins against each other. Lyle (8-5, 3-2), which was scheduled to play at South Wasco after press deadline on Jan. 20, won twice, 65-37 at Spray and 59-30 at Horizon Christian. In the latter contest, Carson Ramsay scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half and teammate Jack Thiemann added 17 points — 15 before halftime. The Cougars doubled Horizon’s 6-foot-8 post Ben Chapman, and the Hawks’ only answer offensively was sophomore Charlie Haynie, who scored 16 points.

Horizon (10-5, 3-2) was coming off a 69-65 win the day before over Klickwood (8-4, 2-2). Chapman scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in that contest for the home team. Landon Whitaker added 15 for the Hawks. The visitors were led by sophomore Wyatt Patterson’s 14 points.

Klickwood plays Jan. 23 at Lyle, in a rematch of a nonleague game to start the season, which the Vandals won, 62-57. Lyle travels to South Wasco on Jan. 20.