Riverhawk boys start with two basketball losses

“That was my first ever game as a varsity head coach and I’m just taking over temporarily,” said Flores, a 2017 The Dalles High graduate in his interim head coach debut. “We played a good game against De La Salle. We moved the ball around well at the beginning of the game and we were able to make a lot of good shots. It was a tough way to lose at the end though, when we made some costly mistakes that cost us the game. It’s still early in the season and we’ll learn from our mistakes.”

Flores was leading the Riverhawks in their first two games, while head Coach Brian Stevens was serving a suspension for violating OSAA rules. Stevens was scheduled to return to guide the Riverhawks in their Dec. 5 home game versus the Sisters High Outlaws.

The Riverhawks also lost at home Dec. 2, 66-44, to Class 5A South Albany. The Redhawks were 14-10 last year and qualified for the 5A state playoffs. South Albany outscored The Dalles 16-6 in the third period to take control of the game.

“We started off well and I felt like we did a really good job at the beginning of the game,” Flores said. “It just seemed like they were not as motivated to be out there playing good in the second half. It was a tough loss for all of us.

“We’ll bounce back and come together and regroup.”

In the match-up versus South Albany, sophomore Calder Morrison led The Dalles in scoring with 21 points.