By Zach Thummel
Columbia Gorge News
THE DALLES — Basketball has been more than just a game for The Dalles junior guard Oliver Stevens since childhood. It’s been a fusion of family and competition, a journey that started when he was four years old.
Stevens’ dedication paid off this season, as he was selected Class 4A Tri-Valley Conference (TVC) most valuable player after a dominant junior campaign.
“I honestly thought I was going to get second and the big guy from Madras (Matthew Scott) would get MVP,” Stevens said. “I wasn’t expecting to get the award at all, so I wouldn’t really say I felt relief, but it made me super proud of myself because I put in a lot of hard work to get to that point.”
Stevens finished the year averaging 25.1 points per game, nearly nine points more than the next highest scorer in the TVC. The point guard also dished out 5.75 assists, four rebounds, 1.25 blocks, and two steals a game, all while shooting 56% from the field and 42% from three-point range.
Stevens set the record for the most points scored in a single season for 4A with 627, and also finished second-highest all-time in points per game with his 25.1 average. (Kayleb Anundi from Stayton holds the record with 25.8 points per game in 2018-19.)
Perhaps Stevens’ biggest highlight of the season was a school record 56-point game against Corbett on Dec. 9, 2025. The night held extra meaning for Stevens because one of the previous record holders, Dakota Murr, was in attendance. Murr had tied Jeremy Hanson’s 53-point record in 2017, over three decades after it was originally set.
“Breaking Dakota’s record was really special because he’s someone I grew up looking up to,” Stevens said. “When that last shot went in, and I realized I had the record, it was a pretty cool moment.”
While the numbers are staggering, Stevens said the recognition means even more to him playing in front of his hometown.
“I’ve lived here my whole life, and this has always been a goal for me to play at the high school and win at the high school,” said Stevens. “Being able to perform for the people in our town, it’s been something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid.”
Stevens’ love for basketball started at a very young age. According to his father and coach, Brian Stevens, Oliver first became obsessed with basketball watching the NCAA tournament as a young child.
“Oliver fell in love with basketball when he was four years old, watching the NCAA tournament and Kentucky play,” Brian Stevens said. “Shortly after that, I took him to a Warriors game in Oakland, and he just fell in love with the game there.”
From that point on, basketball became a daily routine for Oliver and Brian, a former professional basketball trainer who’s helped develop young players alongside those participating overseas and in the NBA. He said Oliver grew up around the sport in a unique environment with access to specialized training. Still, he credits his son’s passion and dedication as the driving force behind his success.
“The biggest thing is his love for the game,” Brian Stevens said. “You can see that every time he steps on the court.”
That passion translated into a historic season. As a sophomore, Stevens led the conference in scoring and in assists. This year, he took another step forward, consistently producing even though he was the focal point of opponents’ defensive gameplans.
“Once he crosses half court, teams roll a third defender to the middle just to try to stop him from driving,” Brian Stevens said. “So, he’s basically getting double and triple-teamed the whole game.”
Despite that defensive attention, Stevens continued to score efficiently while creating opportunities for his teammates. “When teams started bringing two or three guys, it became about making the right play,” Stevens said. “Sometimes that meant scoring, but a lot of times it meant finding the open teammate.”
With one season remaining in his high school career, Stevens already has his sights set on the future. His offseason plans include improving his athleticism in the weight room, continuing to refine his scoring skills, and competing internationally with a USA team in Spain this summer.
Above all, Stevens has one aim in mind for his senior year:
“My biggest goal is to win a league title and make a state run,” he said. “I haven’t been able to do that yet, so with one year left, that’s the main focus.”
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