Playing in a league with two top-10 teams and another squad that boasted a McDonald’s All-American nominee, every Columbia River Conference girls’ basketball game Iliana Telles, Katie Conklin and Brooke McCall played was a 32-minute battle of attrition.
The Dalles High School trio earned the praise from opposing coaches and were named as all-league recipients.
Telles had her name called for a first-team selection, and the duo of Conklin and McCall were picked for the second team.
“It is a nice accomplishment for those girls,” TD head coach Dan Telles said. “I think it says more about the teams success to have three players honored. They are three student-athletes that deserve it.”
Telles did say those three players had plenty of help from their teammates, and the reason for their success is based on unselfishness and chemistry.
“These girls like each other and they like playing together as a cohesive unit,” Telles said. “Nobody cares who scores points or who takes the shots. They will go out of their way to make that extra pass to give other players those opportunities. That bodes well for us in the next few years.”
A point of hoops emphasis
Iliana Telles did all of her damage from her point guard position, using her driving ability, passing savvy and long range marksmanship to put opposing defenses on their heels.
One show of the sophomore’s offensive prowess came in a road game on Feb. 3 against Hood River Valley.
Telles nailed six 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead the Riverhawks to a 68-49 win.
In her nine league games, Iliana Telles averaged 9.5 points, three rebounds, 1.5 assists and two steals a game.
For her second year as a varsity player, coach and father, Dan, liked the progression he has seen thus far.
“She has improved her ball handling skills and court awareness. She is also a scoring threat, which makes her a tough person to defend,” the Riverhawk coach said. “She has all of the tools to execute all aspects of the game. She has improved, but there is also some more work to do. There will always be parts of the game a player can work on.”
Iliana is one marquee basketball player that will never simply bask in the all-league limelight.
If she could cut the award 12 ways she would certainly do so.
“Not only did I not get there by myself, my teammates got me there. They got me ready to play this year,” she said. “I am just excited to have them by my side, knowing that I will be there for them.”
‘The Microwave’ heats up
After missing time early in the season, Conklin lived up to the nickname ‘The Microwave’ thrust on her by the coaching staff.
She caught fire quickly and rode that surge into her first all-team selection.
On Jan. 8 in a home game versus Summit, Conklin scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Riverhawks to a 47-36 win.
Two league performances against Pendleton and Hood River valley, though, moved her standing up a few notches.
On Feb. 10 at Kurtz Gym versus then No. 10-ranked Pendleton, Conklin had 15 points, six rebounds and four steals to lead TD to a 43-36 victory.
Just three days later against Hood River Valley, the senior small forward dropped 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 55-44 win.
“I have never been recognized before, so to find out I was on second team this year is really neat,” Conklin said. “I never knew what it was and I thought that it was really cool. I always thought that it was not for me that only good players get that.”
Through countless hours of summer ball, conditioning and extra time perfecting her skills, Conklin was able to reap the benefits in her final season.
“I just took it one step at a time and never got ahead of myself,” she said. “That is really the key to everything.”
Conklin was a major cog in helping The Dalles to a 63-35 record over the past four seasons, a .640 winning percentage.
Versatile McCall takes step forward
On the year, The Dalles finished ranked 11th in the state with a 13-12 record.
At one point in the league season, the Riverhawks had lost three of four games, but wound up winning consecutive games on Feb. 10 and 13 to climb back into the postseason race.
The team went 4-5 in CRC action, but two of the losses were by three points or less and on Feb. 20, the Hawks had a 39-36 lead late, but No. 9 Pendleton came back to secure a 47-39 home win.
When it came to league play, McCall, a 5-foot-10 inch wing, stepped up her game.
In those nine contests, the sophomore averaged 12.2 points and four rebounds a game.
However, when playing crosstown rival Hood River Valley, she took control.
In three games versus Hood River Valley, McCall tallied 16.3 points and 3.6 rebounds for three lopsided wins.
“I am so happy to get all-league,” McCall said. “When you work so hard for something, it feels great to see it pay off. I want to thank my coaches, my family and my teammates for helping me accomplish this.”
Through the regular and postseason, McCall played many roles, whether it being guard, wing or post.
She can handle the ball well, is a good passer and can hit shots from anywhere on the court.
With two more seasons remaining, coach Telles sees an athlete with limitless potential on the hardwood.
“It is up to her how much she can improve. This was a great first step for her and we look forward to having her as one of the building blocks in the future,” the Riverhawk coach said. “She already has the good shot and she has a solid foundation for future success. If she can get stronger, she can be a force.”
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