2019-20 6A Preview: Pacific Conference
The 2019-20 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. We look at the newly created Pacific Conference. 2018-19 Review In its first year, the Pacific Conference was largely competitive…
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Continue ReadingThe 2019-20 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. We look at the newly created Pacific Conference.
2018-19 Review
In its first year, the Pacific Conference was largely competitive within but struggled a bit to gain footing among the rest of the state. Sherwood was the class of the league and won the title going away but Forest Grove and Newberg battled it out for second and third and McMinnville was able to edge out Century for a playoff berth. With the power rankings low for most of the schools, the post-season draw was tough and only Sherwood was able to win a game. It ended for the Bowman in a tough road game at Grant but the seed had been planted for this season.
State Tournament Threats
Sherwood – It’s the last season for Sherwood in their old school building and you can bet it will be a good one for head coach Rahim Tufts and his crew. The Bowman have some very key returnees back that should make them the clear favorite this season. It will start once again with Jamison Guerra (13.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6.6 apg, 2.3 spg) who inked with OIT in the early signing period. The senior is the consummate point guard – he led 6A in assists – and the clear leader of the team. He’s capable of scoring when needed but will also defend the heck out of opposing point guards. Manning the middle will be Blake Jensen (8.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg, .542 fg%) who is continually improving as a player. Another early OIT signee, the 6-foot-7 senior is good around the hoop but has improved on his face-up perimeter jumper. Junior guard Asher Krauel (7.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .358 3pt%) returns on one wing and he could have a breakout season. His body has started to mature physically, which make him even more a terror on the defensive end – which is saying a lot considering he was league defensive POY last season. The rest of the squad will largely be newcomers led by three-point bomber Caden Davis and Tufts is also high on sophomore Baydon Kullowatz and junior Clay Peden.
Post-Season Programs
Forest Grove – Forest Grove seemed to exceed expectations in year one of the Pacific Conference with 19 wins and a post-season appearance but head coach Greg Evers knew what his team was capable of. 2019-20 should see the Vikings have similar success despite the graduation losses. Guy Littlefield (16.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.8 apg) is the main man back and if not for the presence of Guerra at Sherwood, he’d be the best point guard in the league. The 6-foot senior is built like a tank and can pretty much get to the basket whenever he wants to, but over the summer he worked hard on improving his jumper. Moving into the starting lineup will be Braden Hudgins (6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who had a good sophomore season but having grown physically and with his game, could prove to be a force this year. A great shooter and scorer, the key for the 6-foot-5 junior will be his improvement defensively. James Irvine (3.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) may only be 6-foot-1 but he’s incredibly crafty around the basket and he will be a solid third wheel in the machine. Eli Leto (2.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.6 apg) is the only other returnee but a number of guys promoted from the JV program will add depth.
Century – The Jaguars took some lumps last year but it will be worth it as Century brings a lot back and seems to have what it takes to make a run at the post-season. Once again, head coach Scott Kellar’s squad will be largely guard-oriented and that’s not such a bad thing because he’s got some good ones. Senior Jospin Mugisha (12.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.9 apg) is an athletic combo guard who is now fully healthy and physically he can be a tough matchup. Junior Eddy Essien (12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .423 3pt%) is also a sharpshooter and he too has gotten stronger, as has senior point guard Ikin Chan (7.2 ppg, 5.0 apg, 1.8 spg) who will run the show. The Jags don’t have a whole lot of size up front but long and lanky junior Ethan Parrish (2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg) has grown to almost 6-foot-6 and senior Chance Sparks (9.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) makes up for his lack of height with his athleticism.
In Transition
Liberty – The Falcons may have underperformed a bit last year but head coach Brian Martin has once again a roster full of athletes that should be able to compete on most nights. The top four guys from 2018-19 move on but a few guys are back. Tyler Rockwell (4.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg) is a solid shooter and Jaxon Lake (4.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.9 apg) is a versatile performer. Cole Smith (3.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and Joey Abelson (2.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg) add depth, as will freshman guard Bogdan Chobu, who comes in with some fanfare from youth basketball. Overall the Falcons will be a better outside shooting team and they could sneak their way into the post-season.
Newberg – It’s a year of transition at Newberg. Things may have looked a little different had Jack Chlumak (13.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.9 apg) not left for Lake Oswego, but head coach Mark Brown instead is shaking things up and the Tigers will play a little differently with more of a balanced attack as they are all similar looking guys that range from 6-foot to 6-foot-4 and are versatile enough to play multiple positions. Of those returning, Jake Gaunt (4.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.5 apg) and Luke Esmond (1.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg) were part of the regular rotation last season and others such as Hayden Pyritz (2.2 ppg), Jovy Ogles (1.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg), Spencer Lanier (1.8 ppg, .545 fg%), and Zach Macris (1.2 ppg) all got some varsity time.
McMinnville – Despite a strong finish to the year, the Grizzlies narrowly missed making the post-season and now head coach Willie Graham is faced with a rebuild as the majority of the production came from the senior class. With only one current senior in Max Egli, McMinnville will rest heavily on its group of juniors, all of whom are in need of more seasoning. A lot will rest on big man Jarrett Boumann (6.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .530 fg%) as his combination of his 6-foot-6 height and rugged frame will be tough to match up with for opponents. Otherwise nobody else saw action in as many as half the games last season and all will be learning on the fly.
Glencoe – As expected, it was a tough season for Glencoe and most of the guys on this year’s team weren’t even alive the last time the Crimson Tide were a major factor. New head coach Kevin Bloodsaw will be looking to start things up from ground zero but it will take some time. What he does have this season is a senior-heavy squad led by returning honorable mention all-league honoree Michael Janeway but if Glencoe can win a couple of league games, it will be a mark of progress.
League Predictions
1. Sherwood
2. Forest Grove
3. Century
4. Liberty
5. Newberg
6. McMinnville
7. Glencoe
Player of the Year
Jamison Guerra, Sherwood. With his collegiate future secure, Guerra can focus on his senior year and playing freely we expect him to dominate on both ends. Arguably the purest point guard in 6A, the 5-foot-10 floor leader will dish the rock but will score it as well, and defensively he could very well be league defensive Player of the Year too. Look for Guerra to repeat his award-winning performance from last season and be a serious candidate for First Team All-State honors.
All-League Predictions: Guerra; Blake Jensen, Sherwood; Guy Littlefield, Forest Grove; Jospin Mugisha, Century; Braden Hudgins, Forest Grove
Top Sleeper/Newcomer
Caden Davis, Sherwood. He got spot minutes last season but this year look for Davis to step into a much more prominent role. Sherwood likes to shoot the three and there may be no player in the Pacific Conference more willing to throw up long bombs than the junior wing. Davis is far from shy and will pull the trigger early and often and look for him to have some games racking up trey after trey in 2019-20.
Outlook
There doesn’t seem to be any doubt that Sherwood is far and away the best team in the Pacific Conference and could very well be looking at an undefeated run in league play. Teams like Forest Grove and Century won’t just fall over though and both squads seem to have the returning talent to qualify for the post-season. Liberty has some athletes and promise, but the rest of the league appears to be in rebuilding mode. Look for Sherwood to win and potentially make the next step in the program’s ascent, making it to the Chiles Center.