2021 6A Preview: Mountain Valley Conference
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The season is about to start and without a true state championship, much of the pride in 2021 will ride on who brings home the league titles. The Mountain Valley Conference will be different than most leagues as the teams…
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Continue ReadingThe season is about to start and without a true state championship, much of the pride in 2021 will ride on who brings home the league titles. The Mountain Valley Conference will be different than most leagues as the teams in Bend will mostly stay in Central Oregon while the Salem-area schools will duke things out with each other along with Albany/Corvallis area 5A squads – almost a reunion of the old Valley League. So since it would be tough to truly have a league champ, here’s a look at how we think a regular league title may have worked out.
League Predictions
1. Summit
2. McNary
3. Sprague
4. South Salem
5. West Salem
6. Mountain View
7. Bend
8. McKay
Player of the Year: Nathan Meithof Nathan Meithof 6'5" | SG McNary | 2021 State OR , McNary
All-League Predictions: Meithof; Julian Mora Julian Mora 6'0" | PG Summit | 2022 State OR , Summit; Dallon Morgan Dallon Morgan 6'9" | PF Sprague | 2022 State OR , Sprague; Jasper Phipps Jasper Phipps 6'1" | CG South Salem | 2021 State OR , South Salem
Top Sleeper/Newcomer: Caden Harris, Summit
Analysis
This could be the year that Summit ascends to the top – and maybe even a year ahead of schedule. Head coach Jon Frazier has a young but very talented group that is sure to wreak havoc on the rest of the Mountain Valley these next two years.
Julian Mora
Julian
Mora
6'0" | PG
Summit | 2022
State
OR
(10.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) will push the ball up the floor alongside guys like Truman Teuber (5.4 ppg) and
Carson Cox
Carson
Cox
5'10" | CG
Summit | 2022
State
OR
(2.1 ppg). Two varsity newcomers will be critical players – juniors Caden Harris and
Shane Arnold
Shane
Arnold
6'4" | PF
Summit | 2022
State
OR
. The 6-foot-4 Harris has already attracted attention with his athleticism and shooting stroke and earned his first scholarship offer form Western Oregon. McNary was looking at a tough year but then the Celtics and head coach Ryan Kirch got the news they wanted to hear –
Nathan Meithof
Nathan
Meithof
6'5" | SG
McNary | 2021
State
OR
(22.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg) had returned home from prep school in California and was eligible to play. The senior is a threat to lead the state in scoring and will be near impossible to defend with traditional defenses. Sprague has their own star in the making in
Dallon Morgan
Dallon
Morgan
6'9" | PF
Sprague | 2022
State
OR
(12.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, .565 fg%) and the big man will be ready to step up now that the Olympians will be looking to him more offensively. Head coach Jordan Graneto has some other returnees that should step into bigger roles. There’s massive turnover at South Salem for head coach Travis Brown but
Jasper Phipps
Jasper
Phipps
6'1" | CG
South Salem | 2021
State
OR
(5.9 ppg, .439 3pt%) is back and is ready to take on a heavy load. He’ll get help from out-of-state transfer Nate Kindred, who impressed playing with the Oregon Prospects over the summer and fall.
West Salem lost a key cog when it was known that Jackson Lowery (15.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg) wouldn’t return due to injury. Head coach Travis Myers will have 6-foot-4 seniors Holden Whipple Holden Whipple 6'5" | PF West Salem | 2021 State OR (8.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Alec Dyson (11.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.7 apg) returning though and will be bolstered by 6-foot-5 transfer Brooks Ferguson Brooks Ferguson 6'5" | PF West Salem | 2022 State OR (0.8 bpg at Central) giving the Titans one of the larger lineups in the league. Head coach Bob Townsend has continually had Mountain View in the playoff conversation and he will be working with a young group with no seniors. 6-foot-10 Tane Prictor Tane Prictor 6'10" | C Mountain View | 2022 State OR is a big man with a high ceiling worth watching. Bend will be young and head coach Aaron Johnson will use this year to develop his players and McKay continues to rebuild under head coach Keista McCrae.