Senior Laci Hoylman (10).
Senior Syndey Newby (14).
Junior Jackie Begay (4).
Junior Hailey Johnston (14).
THE DALLES — At this time of the year, every team feels confident and has a good outlook about the upcoming basketball season. For The Dalles High Riverhawks girls squad, they’re hoping for one of their best seasons in the past 10 years.
The Riverhawks, guided by fourth-year Coach Darcy Hodges, have an experienced squad led by seniors Sydney Newby, Laci Hoylman and Yadhira Cruz Torres.
Hodges said: “We have everyone returning from last year, so hopefully that helps us out a little bit and provides us with a stronger team with lots of experience, and we also have some younger kids who can step up and help more as well.”
Last season, Newby (first team) and Hoylman (second team) earned 4A Tri-Valley Conference (TVC) all- league awards. Juniors Hailey Johnston and Jackie Begay both earned honorable mention awards.
The Riverhawks have all 10 of their varsity players returning from last year’s 9-14 squad, 6-4 in the six-team TVC standings.
“The girls have put a lot of work in during the offseason to become physically stronger,” said Hodges. “We have a lot of talent on the team, and it will be interesting to see how things play out. It’s nice to not have to rebuild, and so we get to continue what we started last year.”
In the last two years, the Riverhawks qualified for an Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) play-in round road matchup, losing a season ago, 47-36, at Stayton. The Riverhawks are focusing on advancing to the state playoffs for the first time since 2015.
To do so, they’ll have to contend with defending champion Madras, which lost seven seniors from its 2023-24 team. Crook County was second in the TVC, and it lost three seniors to graduation. The Riverhawks and Molalla are the only two TVC teams not to lose any seniors.
The Riverhawks started practice Nov. 18 in preparation for their 24-game schedule, which begins with a 7 p.m. Dec. 4 nonleague road game at Scappoose (10-13 last year). The Riverhawks play their first home game Dec. 10 against North Marion.
“I’m not sure who will be the top team this year, but Crook County is always tough,” said Hodges, a 1999 The Dalles High graduate. “I’m not sure what Madras will do after losing a multiple number of kids, but they’re usually one of the top teams. I’m just hoping that we will battle for first place in the league. I’m hopeful that we will continue to grow and build off of what we have achieved over the last three years.”
The Riverhawk roster also includes junior Makaila Collins; sophomores Morgan Donivan, Kestly Hodges and Evelyn Rogers; and frosh Bryce Newby and Willow Ziegenhagen. The Riverhawks’ lineup will have three players (Sydney Newby, Hoylman and Rogers) who are six-foot or taller.
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