South Wasco boys basketball keeps perfect record intact

“Oscar Thomas was almost responsible for nearly half of our points and Brock LaFaver stepped up and he scored lots of points in the paint,” said Hull. “Ian Ongers scored 22 points and so we have a good balance. One of our strengths is that we can rely on people to come in and score. We’re not a one-dimensional team. We have a multitude of players that can do different things and that’s what ultimately helped us separate from Horizon. It’s great to start the season at 10-0.”

The Redsides were hoping to extend their record with a Big Sky West match-up at home Tuesday versus the Trout Lake Mustangs (result was after the printed edition deadline). The Redsides’ next game is Friday at 7:30 p.m. versus the Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler High Eagles (1-2 league, 3-4) at South Wasco High in Maupin. “It was a good game; I had some good passes by my teammates, and we all moved the ball around really well, which helps a lot, and we just had a good offensive rhythm,” said LaFaver. “We had a long break (10 days off) and we had some games canceled, but I’m glad that we worked all the kinks out and now I think we’re looking pretty good ... We’re boxing out and we’re running the court well. I think we can go to state and definitely be one of the top contenders in the playoffs. If we keep working hard and push ourselves every day, we’ll just continue to get better.”

Horizon had the early momentum and built a 6-2 first quarter lead, led by senior post Alex Whitaker (12 points), who scored consecutive baskets.

“They (Redsides) are definitely a highly skilled team, so we knew that we would have a bit of struggle, which we did,” said Whitaker. “We played good in the first half. I don’t want to make excuses though, but a lot of us were sick over the holidays and some of us only had two practices, including me. So, we were just trying to get our energy level back. We knew coming in that it would be tough, but we had to find a way to fight through that. They’re a very good team and it’s going to be fun to play them again; I’m looking forward to that game (Feb. 5).”

A 9-2 South Wasco run, led by LaFaver (season-high 19 points, 10 rebounds) helped the Redsides build an 11-8 advantage and they never trailed again. LaFaver’s offensive rebound and a putback jumper in the lane helped South Wasco build a 17-12 lead after one quarter.

“We switched up our defense a little bit, because they (Hawks) have two really good players in Alex and Josh Rogers and so we made sure that we had to know where they were,” said Hull. “We made an effort to make sure that somebody else on their team would have to beat us if they were going to win and that gamble paid off. We really stepped up our defensive intensity. Our goal is to keep teams under 40 points and that’s usually what good defensive teams do. In previous seasons, whenever we did that, then we were usually undefeated and so that’s kind of like our badge of honor.”

Utilizing a match-up zone and triangle-and-two defense, the Redsides started the second quarter with a solid defensive intensity level to effectively shut down the Hawk offense. South Wasco scored two quick baskets for a 21-12 lead, forcing a timeout by Horizon Christian Coach Kim Linder with 7:16 left in the quarter.

“I just feel like when we play our best then we give ourselves a chance and we had some good moments,” said Linder. “They (Redsides) are a good team and they’re well coached and they play hard. These are the type of games that can help you get better. You can either get frustrated or you can get to work and get after it and get better and that’s what we’re going to do. I’m really proud of our effort, because we were down by 19 and then closed to within seven at the half. That’s kind of the first time all year that anyone has really responded back to South Wasco. They’ve been winning by 20- to 40-point margins all year.”

The Redsides’ offensive burst continued and a 10-foot baseline jumper by Ongers extended their lead to 25-14. A long range, three-point field goal by Thomas (12 points, eight assists) extended the Redside lead to 30-14. The sharp-shooting Ongers later sank a jumper in the lane, was fouled and converted a three-point play, capping a 10-0 run.

“It’s a good feeling knowing that we are winning games and if we make mistakes, we’re capable of adjusting to help lead us to a win,” said Thomas. “It’s not just one or two of us, it’s the whole team. We have really good chemistry, which is very important for us and we’re having lots of fun. We came out and we worked a little harder in the second half. We have a good all-around group of players and that’s what I love about this team. We’re aiming to finish our season in the state playoffs at Baker and hopefully win a state championship there in March.”

The Hawks responded with a 13-2 run, led by Rogers (team-high 15 points) and Whitaker, as the high scoring duo helped Horizon trim the margin to 35-27 at halftime.  At the outset of the third, a Rogers’ steal and breakaway layup narrowed the margin to 35-29. It was the only basket for the Hawks though in the quarter, as South Wasco outscored Horizon 13-2 to build a 19-point lead.

South Wasco will face the toughest opponent this season in a 3:30 p.m. road game Saturday versus the No. 15-ranked Condon High Blue Devils (3-1 league, 9-2) at Condon High School. The Redsides will be trying to match one of the best starts ever in South Wasco High School history — the 1986 team also had a 13-0 start.