Capitol City Classic Day 1: Top Performers
Contributed by Albert Lee On the first day of the Capitol City Classic at Willamette University, several Oregon high school teams took battle, as they await to see who gets the prize of playing nationally ranked Rancho Christian (CA). Thursday…
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Continue ReadingContributed by Albert Lee
On the first day of the Capitol City Classic at Willamette University, several Oregon high school teams took battle, as they await to see who gets the prize of playing nationally ranked Rancho Christian (CA). Thursday night saw Central High School take on last year’s 5A Champion Wilsonville. The first game was a juxtaposition of play styles, as the scrappy but tough Central team kept up with Wilsonville for the first half. However, the combination of Dakota Reber and Gabe Reichle proved too much for Central, as they dismantled the Panthers, 62-35. Wilsonville’s willingness to share the ball and spread the floor was impressive, as they displayed the components and chemistry that sparked last year’s end of season run.
In the following game, the Corvallis Spartans matched up with the West Salem Titans. The 7’3” Jasper Reinalda paved his way in the paint, utterly dominating West Salem in the low post. Depth proved to be a problem for Corvallis, with the Titan’s full court flurry serving them well throughout the game. It was an all out attack for West Salem despite the fact that they didn’t have an answer for Jasper. Their guard play combined with their ability to run the floor and play physical was simply too much for Corvallis, as they took the game handily 75-51. Here are the spotlight players for last night’s last two games.
Jasper Reinalda (Corvallis HS) – the big man in the paint toppled over defenders, grabbing passes and rebounds over them, scoring with ease. The senior also made an impact on the defensive end by simply being present in the paint as he stifled West Salem down low. He showed improved footwork in the post, able to maneuver upon catching the ball and had a nice touch around the basket. Finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks as he was by far the best performer for the Spartans.
Chris Kuhlman (Corvallis HS) – the sharpshooter was a bright spot for the Spartans, as all 12 of his points came on three-pointers. Kuhlman also showed the willingness to play defense and snagged a few tough rebounds on both ends of the court. His true shooting nature kept the West Salem defense honest all night, as they closed out on him every time he touched the ball. This allowed him to rack up assists to Reinalda down the middle as the two played a little two man game at times down the stretch.
Justin Girod (Central HS) – the undersized but effective big man for the Panthers put together a 15 point effort, as he bullied his way into the paint for an array of low-post scores. He showed his ability to make the open jump shot as well as hit a three-pointer occasionally. His frame allows him to be an offensive weapon for Central and he is an athlete to where he can help them on the boards and defend. Supplied the Panthers with nearly half of their scoring output for the night.
Jackson Lowery (West Salem) – the talented junior got it going early, as he ran the court for easy lay-ins and set up the pace for the Titans. Lowery is a big, imposing, physical forward that helps the defense by grabbing rebounds and runs the floor hard. His points came nearly all within the paint, but they were all achieved based on effort and merit. He showed a tough demeanor on defense, sticking to his man, rebounding, and getting a hand in the passing lanes. Lowery finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
Justin Scoggin (West Salem) – the savvy senior showed why colleges have him on their radar as he showed the variety of ways he can score. He is crafty enough with the ball and can finish at the gym in different ways but what impressed was his mid-range game. His ability to stop on a dime and either shoot through or over the defender proved versatile as he contributed a 15 point effort for the Titans.
Gabe Reichle (Wilsonville HS) – the younger brother of Oregon State’s Zach Reichle scored 21 points, including a thunderous dunk in the second half. Reichle handled point guard duties, showing a calm demeanor throughout, playing the game at his own tempo. He helped establish the Wilsonville theme of pass-first, giving it off at a moment’s glance, but knew when to step it up to score. The Reichle-Reber tandem was on cylinders all night, as they showed serious reason as to why Wilsonville could win back to back State Titles.
Dakota Reber (Wilsonville HS) – the 6’6” senior hurt Central from deep all night as he sank six three-pointers, including five in the first half alone. Weber impacted the game from all angles, as his long frame helped him on the defensive side, grabbing rebounds and swatting shots away. His willingness to spread the wealth around was significant, as the entire Wildcat team got going and couldn’t be stopped. Whatever Wilsonville needed, he was happy to provide. Dakota scored 22 points in this effort but his overall presence and leadership is what propelled Wilsonville in the second half.