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Grizz girls playing boys to prepare By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland High girls basketball team is willing to do whatever it takes to get ready for the playoffs, even if that means banging against bodies that are bigger, rebounding over arms that are higher and running next to legs that are faster. They've done all of that this week in preparation for tonight's playoff opener against McNary (16-9) by scrimmaging against a group of willing - if not able - Ashland High boys. The Grizzlies (17-7), who must beat McNary tonight at home and Tualatin on Saturday on the road in order to advance to the Class 4A State Tournament, went toe-to-toe with members of the opposite sex Monday and Tuesday in an attempt to re-tune their bodies for the physical stress of playoff basketball. Ashland High freshman point guard Jamie Roupp (right) drives around a pick set by sophomore post Abeni Hill, as AHS sophomore Matt Pavlich plays defense. The Grizzlies, who play McNary tonight in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs, have been scrimmaging against boys to get ready. Ashland Daily Tidings/CHRIS MILLER It's working, said the girls after Tuesday's practice. The boys might agree if they weren't busy catching their breath after being outrebounded, outran and outscored, 31-11. "Early (in the season), it was just the opposite," said Grizz first-year coach Steve Humann, who got the idea from unofficial assistant coach Shirley Huyett. "Then, we came back from Christmas break and we just turned the corner on them." Humann says that's a sure sign of the team's improvement. AHS sophomore Matt Pavlich, 15, who Humann describes as the boys' "team leader," admits his squad has taken its share of lumps from the girls. He says he doesn't mind, however, because he also wants the Grizzlies to be ready for postseason play. "We don't keep track of score, but they usually beat us," Pavlich said, "because they're all organized." The quickness of the boys rattled Ashland early in Tuesday's practice - especially in the backcourt. But they adjusted quickly and ended the scrimmage on a 21-2 run. There's a lot of bumping inside, but nothing Humann doesn't think his girls can handle. "They're rough," Humann said, "but they don't hack anybody. And it's good for them to play aggressive." While this battle of the sexes began during the preseason, Ashland got away from it once league play tipped off Jan. 3 because there just wasn't enough time. Now that it's back, Humann believes the Grizzlies will be ready for anything McNary can throw at them tonight. McNary, the third-seeded team out of the Valley League, outlasted Reynolds 44-37 Tuesday night in a defensive battle of attrition. The Celtics held Reynolds to two field goals in the second half and none in the fourth quarter to pull out the lowest scoring playoff game of the first round. McNary fourth-year coach Marlo Cleary said the key for her team tonight will be "slowing down" AHS senior post Marla Morin. "In our league, we don't have any post dominating," Cleary said in a phone interview Wednesday. ""We're more of a guard-dominated league, so (Morin's) going to obviously be a real challenge for us. We're definitely going to have our hands full, but we're excited to have the opportunity." According to Cleary, the Celtics are led by senior 5-10 post Kristin Yankus and junior wing Kaitlyn George. Yankus missed half of the season with a knee injury, but had a breakout game Tuesday night with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and George is a first-team all-leaguer who Cleary describes as, "a complete player, offensively and defensively." Ashland and McNary have one common opponent: Grants Pass. The Grizzlies swept the Cavers this season by an average of 25.5 points, while the Celtics fell to GP, 50-34, in a preseason game Dec. 5. Cleary says her team has improved so much since that loss, they're unrecognizable. But, she added, It's OK if the Grizzlies think they're getting a softy. "Hopefully," Cleary said, "Ashland thinks we're the same team that played in that game, because we're not." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -