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--> --> Dec. 9: Grizz off on the right foot; prep roundup By Chris Miller Ashland Daily Tidings About 100 fans came out to welcome Rick Cornelius in his first home game as head coach of the Ashland High boys basketball team Saturday night at the Mountain Avenue gym. And for the second time in as many nights, he and his squad did not disappoint. The Grizzlies, who beat South Albany 61-59 on the road Friday night, improved their season record to 2-0 with a 65-51 win over the Class 3A North Bend Bulldogs. The 2-0 start is nearly half as many total wins the Grizz recorded last year in a disastrous season that saw them finish 1-13 in the Southern Oregon Conference and 5-17 overall. Cornelius, who took the reins from John Skinner (now an assistant), has the Grizz on the right path early on this year. Cornelius said one of his goals is to get more fans interested in his team. "We want to pack the building," he said. "We want people to be excited for the kids, because they're worth it." Cornelius acknowledged that he took over a program not known as an SOC powerhouse. But, he added that even if he was to make a drastic turnaround in the Grizz program and make the team a conference contender, the accolades are not for him. "It's just for the kids," Cornelius said. "I am past my prime, it's not for the wins anymore." The Bulldogs controlled the opening tip and proceeded to run out to a 13-8 first-quarter lead. Ashland's senior starting guard Bryan Clevenger picked up two quick fouls, forcing Cornelius to go to the bench early. And just like he did for the Grizz football team, David Morris, a junior guard, came into the game and provided immediate results. Morris scored two-straight baskets, recorded one of his team-high four steals and tied the game at 14 apiece. On the Bulldogs' next possession, the 5-10 Morris stood his ground and drew an offensive foul from John Sperling, leading to the go-ahead basket by Christopher Presicci. "He is just a fireplug," Cornelius said of his backup shooting guard. "He plays basketball just the way he plays football and he has a heart the size of Texas. He gives us the energy we need. I call him `Eveready.'" The Bulldogs never saw the lead again. Led by senior guard Clinton Bryan, who notched 14 points and five rebounds, the Grizz added to their lead quickly in the second. They went on a 10-2 run that could have put the game away, but North Bend junior guard Mario Dericco got hot and cut the lead to 26-22. Four points was the closest the Bulldogs could get. Ashland went on a 6-1 run to close out the half and take a nine-point lead into the locker room. The only thing that slowed down the Grizz onslaught in the second half was the late third-quarter arrival of the officiating crew. After a sarcastic applause from the Grizz fans, the 5-11 Clevenger went on a five-point run. Clevenger hit a deep 3-pointer, then scored an uncontested layup. Clevenger exited the game prematurely when he fouled out early in the fourth period. He finished the game with 13 points, three boards and two assists. The Grizz full-court press kept the Bulldogs from mounting much of a comeback, as Ashland build its lead to 17 points with 3:50 left in the third, 51-34. In the fourth, the Bulldogs were their own worst enemy, limping through a two-minute scoring drought that allowed Cornelius to eventually play all 10 of his boys. "It was a team win," Cornelius said. "We got to cover up for some of our fatigue from playing (Friday) night." Sperling tried to keep the Bulldogs from getting blown out, scoring a game-high 23 points, but he finished as the only North Bend player in double figures. The Grizzlies' next game is Wednesday at North Valley. Tip off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The Grizz have a good chance at improving to 3-0 against the 3A Knights, but Cornelius said stuck with his theory about wins. "The wins will take care of themselves," he said. "Heart and character - that's what we can be proud of. The kids all give a 110 percent and that's all we can ask for as coaches." AHS Girls Basketball At Corvallis, Ashland sophomore Hilary Huyett scored a game-high 20 points but it wasn't enough, as the Grizzlies fell to Crescent Valley 58-55 in a non-conference game Saturday night in the Crescent Valley basketball tournament. Huyett drilled five 3-point bombs and senior post Marla Morin added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Ashland, which fell to 1-2 on the young season. Also for the Grizzlies, senior Chloe Hansen had 11 points and eight rebounds and Julia Sobolik collected eight boards. The AHS girls will play their first and only home game in December on Tuesday night against Thurston. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. SOU Men's Basketball At Salem, Marques Johnson scored a game-high 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting and Miles Sandgathe added 19 points and four assists as the Willamette Bulldogs beat Southern Oregon 87-66 on Saturday night. The loss dropped the Raiders to 1-8 on the season. Zac Olson was SOU's only scorer in double figures, finishing with 19 points on 8 of 16 shooting. Jordan France added eight points and five rebounds and James Tharp chipped on seven points and four rebounds. The Raiders were outrebounded 35-29, out-assisted 16-9 and turned the ball over 20 times to Willamette's 17. The Bearcats (4-0) led 45-27 at the half after holding SOU to 36-percent shooting (10 of 28). The Raiders don't play again until Friday, when they're scheduled to host Pacific Lutheran at 7:30 p.m. Email your... 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