It’s crazy to think about how one decision can change the perspective of a season so much.
A few months ago many projected the Southridge Skyhawks to make it to a fourth-consecutive state championship game. That can still happen of course, but the path to that reality changed when five-star senior Cameron Brink, who is committed to play at Stanford next season, transferred to nearby Mountainside.
With the talent level of players continuing to increase rapidly throughout the state, this season should be more competitive than ever before. The transfer of Brink may have evened up the field just enough for multiple programs to regain hope; that a door may be opening for them.
That shift in balance begins in the Metro league which could see a new champion crowned for the first time since Beaverton took it in 2015-16.
Many coaches project that this is the opportunity that Beaverton has been searching for with its talented core of players that continued to run into that talented Southridge team every season. With the addition of Brink, Mountainside immediately jumps into contention as well. Always-competitive Jesuit is introducing a talented freshman class while Southridge is returning all of its players except for Brink.
”Metro is as tough as it’s ever been,” Sunset head coach Clay Atkins said. “It’s pretty awesome really when you have one of the top players in the country and all the Division-one athletes across the top teams that you’ll get to compete against.”
The Metro League always contains some of the state’s best teams at the 6A level, and this year may be even more competitive than ever before. If anything else, it will be a fun league to pay attention to night in and night out.
Jesuit Crusaders (Last season: 21-7, 9-3 league, ranked #6)
Every season it seems as if Jesuit is in the conversation for a Metro League Title. It’s a tough team with a clear identity built up over years, and once again, no matter what head coach Jason Lowery says, it will be in the hunt.
“We are in rebuild completely,” Lowery said. “We’ve lost one of the deepest, best classes we ever had and we’re pretty young.”
Lowery may have some initial doubts, and he may be giving more freshman significant minutes than he is comfortable with, but make no mistake, this is still a very talented Jesuit team.
A season ago the Crusaders handled Metro well, losing to only Southridge (twice) and Beaverton, before eventually falling to 6A champion Benson in the quarterfinals.
Jesuit as a program is one that prides itself on defense and Lowery doesn’t expect that to change. Year in and year out the Crusaders finish near the top of the state in fewest points allowed. That defensive record comes through playing “Jesuit tough,” a brand of basketball that relentlessly pressures opponents all game long.
“I always say we’re a very unsexy team,” Lowery said. “There are a lot of teams that press and trap and gamble while we’re just guarding you 94 feet which is not sexy, it’s hard, it’s a cumulative effect on a team.”
He added: ”If we go into Metro not understanding that. We can expect some very hard nights.”
A trio of players to keep an eye on are Taylor Freeman, who is coming back from an ACL tear suffered a year ago against Southridge; Molly Blok, a pesky defensive point guard; and freshman Emma Sixta, a very savvy point guard that Lowery said has as good of a feel for the ball as any player that he has ever coached.
With Brink transferring to Mountainside, there is an opening in Metro that hasn’t been there for three years. For Jesuit, the question is if they can take advantage.
Sunset Apollos (Last season: 6-18, 2-10 league, ranked #42)
While some teams may already have big aspirations and dreams for the season, others try and prioritize growth and continuing to get better year after year until its “window” hits. The Sunset Apollos are one of multiple teams in the state that are coming into this season with that mindset.
Just three years ago the Apollos finished second in Metro as a top-ten team in the state. Teams change, but what second-year coach Clay Atkins wants to do is help his girls get back into that position.
“The players play hard, and that’s a great foundation to build upon,” Atkins said. “We’re going to be challenged throughout the season for sure, but my goal for the team is to just improve every day, get in and do the work, and improve our basketball IQ. Not necessarily wins and losses, but how we grow as a team overall.”
Sunset may not have a singular marquee player, but the team prides itself on having players ready to contribute at every position. Atkins even said that one of the goals for this season is trying to implement a positionless system, one in which every player can match up with anyone.
There are players such as Yolanta Penn, Parris Stark, and Madelyn Dobson who have plenty of potential to grow and develop even more this season. Everybody will contribute to a system that prioritizes playing at a smart, up-tempo pace.
It may seem cliche, but it’s true. This season will be one of growth and development for the Apollos, and while the team may not have as much raw talent as it did in 2016, the Metro League has proven year in and year out that sometimes having that developed base will eventually play a large role towards future success.
“I expect that we’ll make mistakes along the way for sure, but I also want our girls to try new things and really expand what they think may even be possible for themselves or the team,” Atkins said.
He added: “We’re a developing program and it’s one that we’re not going to gauge our success or failure on a season on the wins and losses.”
Westview Wildcats (11-14, 5-7 league, ranked #22)
Another team focused on development and growth is the Westview Wildcats. After going 23-6 and winning Metro in 2014, the Wildcats have not been able to get back to those heights. However, the Wildcats are slowly making its way back into league competition.
Westview fell short in the playoffs last season, falling to Liberty in the first round, but not for a lack of offense. Last seasons team could score at will some games, putting up over 50 points in 13 games including 90 late in the season against Aloha.
Returning 6’6 senior Grace Miller will be a threat in the paint alongside 6-foot-3 sophomore Alison Kantor. There are four seniors on Westview’s roster this year.
A season ago inconsistency throughout the league season plagued them in the standings. This season they have a three-game stretch in February which includes matchups against Beaverton, Jesuit, and Southridge. If they can get through that and prove their mettle in a competitive league, then they could be in good position to head back into the playoffs and compete for a berth at the Chiles Center.
Although sometimes clearing that final hurdle is the hardest part.
Mountainside Mavericks (Last season: 14-11, 5-7 league, ranked #21)
A few months ago the Mountainside Mavericks looked to be a team of plucky underdogs in its second varsity season and a year or two away from competing in the Metro League. That all changed when Brink decided to trade in maroon and gold for blue and silver.
Brink played an integral role on a Southridge team that won back-to-back 6A State Championships and had a stranglehold on the Metro League. The addition of Brink alone will help this team win many more games and puts the Mavericks in position to make a deep playoff run.
“Anytime you get a transfer of Cameron’s caliber, that will create a lot of excitement,” head coach Glenn Lee said.
Lee commented on how he really believed Brink improved her game since April. He noted her increased shooting consistency, ball-handling ability, and impressive passing skills.
In addition to Brink, Mountainside is returning all of its players including 2nd-team All-Metro guard Halle Hageman (sophomore), sharp-shooter Taylor Smith (sophomore), six-foot post Lindsey Wilson (sophomore), and versatile senior Hailey Lines.
Lee said that his team will be one that will get out and go, pushing teams in transition while punishing opposing defenses with a bevy of outside shooters.
“In this early part of the season we’re really focusing on our rebounding and our defense to create our offense,” Lee said.
This could be a monumental year for the young Mavericks. With the addition of Brink, they are well ahead of schedule and a potential playoff run could do a lot as far as building experience. Of course, that all comes at the expense of a big red target on their backs.
“I know we’ll have a big X on our back,” Lee said. “We’ll have to bring it every game, but I feel that the excitement level at the school, within our program, and all the programs is really high right now so we want to piggyback on their success and carry it through March.”
Southridge Skyhawks (Last season: 25-4, 12-0 league, ranked #1)
With 80 wins, seven losses, and three-consecutive trips to the state championship game, the past three seasons of Southridge basketball may have been the most impressive run of success the state has ever seen.
The Hawks lost to just two in-state opponents a season ago, but its second defeat came in the most important game of the season: the state championship. A three-peat wasn’t to be as Benson played the Hawks as well as anyone in years, beating them 66-42.
This season, head coach Michael Bergmann will be entering with a different team, one that changed late in the offseason when Brink transferred to Mountainside.
Losing a player of Brinks caliber is a tough blow, especially at the level where the additional 15-20 points and four to five blocks a game can make a substantial difference. However, that loss allows other players to get the opportunity to step up and gain a bigger role.
“Each individual can get better, but also fitting together as a team so everyone knows what roles they fit the best in and that’s where the growth can really happen,” Bergmann said. “That’s where there’s a lot of room for growth this season.”
Point guard McKelle Meek, already having been a catalyst for a lot of what the Skyhawks did over the past few seasons, will see her role expand even more. Versatile junior Maya Hoff also figures to have a bigger role both on offense and defense.
This Skyhawk team will still be fast and have plenty of length but will be looking to score in different ways than just dumping the ball in the post. They will look to where they have advantages.
“We can be more dynamic now because we’re going to have to be more dynamic,” Bergmann said.
The Hawks will begin yet another season with a grueling non-league schedule which includes participating in the PIL Holiday Classic and an out-of-state tournament in San Francisco.
After having a pretty consistent core over the past few seasons, the Skyhawks will have to deal with change. Bergmann emphasized showing growth throughout the season: that growth just might have to come sooner rather than later.
Aloha Warriors (Last season: 2-22, 0-12 league, ranked #49)
January 27, 2017. That date may not be relevant or hold any significance to many, but it was on that date that Aloha defeated Liberty 44-37 in league play.
That was also the last time the Warriors defeated a league opponent.
Teams need to crawl before they can walk, and this season Aloha will be in search of that elusive league victory come the turn of the new year. Outside of league play the Warriors were able to win two games, but those two wins came by a combined three points.
If Aloha can improve a defense that allowed 20 teams to eclipse the 50-point mark against them a season ago they can begin to build up an offense capable of scoring enough to win.
While teams around them may be competing for the opportunity to head to the Chiles Center in a few months, the Warriors are focused on that league win. And sometimes those little results are just as satisfying in the scope of a long season.
Beaverton Beavers (Last season: 19-11, 9-3 league, ranked #5)
One league opponent that continued to push leaders Southridge again and again over the past few seasons was Beaverton. The Beavers went 9-3 in league a season ago, but no matter how many times they tried, they could never get past that final hump in Southridge.
Now with all the shifting at the top of the league and a talented crop of ten returning players--including three Division-One commits--could this finally be their season?
The door may be cracked open, but head coach Kathy Naro stressed the importance of staying in the moment and taking the season game by game. The results will come as long as the Beavers can continue to build upon a strong foundation.
Twin sisters Sydney and Laura Erikstrup, two forces that could carry them Beavers by themselves at times of need a season ago, will be returning for their senior season along with guard Mary Kay Naro who provides playmaking and defense in spades. Jordyn Reverman is a senior that will do all the little things while junior Alexa Borter is a versatile scorer that can fit in anywhere on the court. That’s even before mentioning three talented freshmen that will be entering the fray.
All of these players contribute to a tough-nosed defensive scheme that will look to run in transition with intelligence before kicking into a set.
“I want the girls to take a ton of pride in their defense, Naro said. “If we play great defense we got help-side, ball pressure. I think then you get to play more offense when you play great defense.”
The Beavers had yet another impressive season a year ago, but there is still a lingering sense of disappointment of being eliminated at the hands of rival Southridge in the semifinal game. If anything, that feeling has been put to positive use through motivation and energy.
“When we lost it hurt, but I think it can be a great motivator on working on the things that you need to get better at to return the next year and do even better,” Naro said. I think it’s inspired us, it’s kinda lit a fire under some of the girls, and like I said, the approach to this season has been extremely refreshing.”
