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BOYS BASKETBALL Ultimate crusade: St. Mary's takes state title Comment By Dan Jones Mail Tribune Follow @@danjonesmt MailTribune.com By Dan Jones Mail Tribune Follow @@danjonesmt Posted Mar. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 6, 2016 at 11:05 AM By Dan Jones Mail Tribune Follow @@danjonesmt Posted Mar. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 6, 2016 at 11:05 AM --> St. Mary’s 59, De La Salle North Catholic 53 RECAP: St. Mary’s senior Connor Vinyard totals 29 points and 18 rebounds and the No. 6-seeded Crusaders outscore the fourth-seeded K... » Read more X St. Mary’s 59, De La Salle North Catholic 53 RECAP: St. Mary’s senior Connor Vinyard totals 29 points and 18 rebounds and the No. 6-seeded Crusaders outscore the fourth-seeded Knights 32-23 in the second half to claim the Class 3A state championship. OF NOTE: St. Mary’s earned its third boys basketball state title overall, with the Crusaders also winning in 1993 (Class 2A) and 1979 (Class A). St. Mary’s was 3A runner-up in 2007 and 1991. » Social News COOS BAY — Just getting out of the vehicle was difficult for Eric Guyer, but the fact that Greg Conway had driven to his home and picked him up simply to talk meant a lot. On the small playground track outside of Bellview Elementary in Ashland, the two St. Mary's boys basketball coaches took slow laps as they looked ahead to the upcoming season. The man who was supposed to be on the court leading the Crusaders during their Class 3A state title game at Marshfield High on Saturday was just getting back to the basics after open-heart surgery last summer. Chest pain and sweating were the warning signs. Lo and behold, the 42-year-old Guyer's aorta had ruptured at 9 centimeters when it should have been 2½ centimeters. His replacement came on Aug. 3. So there the two were, advancing at a slug's pace but looking like a couple of poker players holding pocket aces. Conway, who was Guyer's assistant at St. Mary's when Guyer was the head coach, would be filling in for his good friend. And, to put it simply, they were excited about this year's squad. "We already knew," said Guyer in a phone interview Saturday as he drove to watch the finals. All that they had hoped for came to fruition that evening. Connor Vinyard, a versatile 6-foot-4 senior forward, recorded 29 points and 18 points en route to player of the game honors as sixth-seeded St. Mary's defeated No. 4 De La Salle North Catholic, 59-53, for the state crown. "This was for Eric Guyer," Vinyard said. The Southern Cascade league champion Crusaders (23-6), who finished the year on a 12-game winning streak, earned the school's first state title since 1993, when St. Mary's beat Monroe, 72-49, in the Class 2A finals to finish the year 22-0. Randy Shipley coached that team. Senior Michael Crennen, who landed first-team state tournament recognition along with Vinyard, had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Crusaders, who last appeared in the finals in 2007. His team trailing 55-53 with 23.7 left in the game, De La Salle's Meartu Aschalew missed his attempt. Hunter Rothfus leaked out after St. Mary's snagged the rebound and converted a layup with nine seconds remaining to all but seal the victory. The Crusaders and Knights were tied at 13 after the first quarter, and De La Salle owned a 30-27 advantage at halftime. Vinyard, who had four three-point plays, was electric in the third, scoring his squad's first nine points and 11 overall. "I couldn't be happier and sadder at the same time," said Vinyard, who was 11 of 17 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line with three blocks to boot. "Winning a state championship has always been my dream but it's all over now. I am so proud of how we persevered through the whole tournament when people thought we couldn't." St. Mary's went on a 17-12 run in the third and held its edge in the fourth to secure the triumph. "Elation, disbelief, those are the two words that come to mind," coach Conway said. "I'm so excited and so proud of these boys. They've worked so hard and come a long way." Crennen, a 6-5 post who missed a portion of the season with an injury, was 2 of 13 from the floor but knocked down nine of his 10 attempts from the charity stripe. With many of his shot attempts rolling in and out, his first bucket didn't come until the 3:54 mark of the third. But Crennen added a key basket and free throw in the final eight minutes. "This has been in the works for so many years," said Crennen, who was the co-SCL player of the year with Vinyard. "It's something you dream about as a kid. It really hasn't set in yet. My head is still spinning." St. Mary's also won a state title in 1979, when Dennis Murphy coached the Crusaders. Javary Christmas had 25 points and Isaiah Frison 24 points for the Knights (24-5), who had a 10-game winning streak snapped. De La Salle upset top-seeded and defending state champion Dayton in the semifinals. Months before all the magic on Saturday, it was just Guyer and Conway at Bellview Elementary. Guyer didn't have to give many directions to Conway. Conway's son, Eli, is one of nine seniors, and his dad has coached many of the boys since they were in the sixth grade. "We would talk about what we do as far as open gyms in the fall, and stuff like that," Guyer said. "Honestly we were so close the year prior that we were always on the same page." Said Conway: "He was just healing from surgery. We'd just talk about what was happening, what was coming up. But he set the table very nicely for me." Sobering, Guyer said, is the word to describe how he felt following the news that he'd need surgery. He was once a member of the 1991 St. Mary's squad that fell to Colton, 79-78, in the Class 2A state title game in 1991, capping a 24-2 season. He was a healthy adult, exercising and eating salubrious meals. "I had never had any health scares,” Guyer said. "I had to confront my own mortality. We are fragile. We are all day-to-day." But Guyer said his situation was a big-time reminder. "I have to make every day count," said Guyer, who also manages the Community Justice Transition Center for Jackson County in Talent. "It reshaped the way I looked at coaching. The Crusaders are in the title game and it's awesome, but at the end of the day, the staff and community carries us through." Guyer played his own role this year, watching from the stands for many of St. Mary's games. He made multiple trips here this week, watching the Crusaders' semifinal contest on Friday before driving back to take his son Sam to Austin Dodge's quarterback camp. And he was there on Saturday, cheering all the while. On Feb. 5, St. Mary's beat Rogue River on the road, 71-48. On that day his team truly found themselves, Guyer said. "They started playing with a different level of confidence," he said. What Guyer loved seeing the most this winter was the Crusaders' toughness. "The way they can take a punch," he said. Guyer hopes for more of the same next season, when he expects to make his return. Now that he's happy, healthy and whole, a few more laps around the track may be in order ... with at least one being celebratory. ST. MARY'S (23-6) Connor Vinyard 11-17 7-8 29, Michael Crennen 2-13 9-10 13, Kele Eaton 3-7 0-1 6, Eli Conway 2-4 0-0 5, Hunter Rothfus 2-4 0-0 4, Tyler West 1-3 0-0 2, Kodiak Yaeger 0-1 0-0 0, Nick VanValkenburg 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-50 16-19 59. DE LA SALLE NORTH CATHOLIC (24-5) Javary Christmas 8-27 5-6 25, Meartu Aschalew 7-20 8-11 24, Marquis Guntle 1-4 0-0 2, Isaiah Frison 1-3 0-0 2, Donicio Glenn 0-4 0-0 0, Isaiah Mattila 0-1 0-0 0, Jordanos Lincoln 0-0 0-0 0, Theo Aclan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-59 13-17 53. St. Mary's;13;14;17;15;—;59 De La Salle;13;17;12;11;—;53 3-point goals — St. Mary's 1-11 (Eli Conway 1-3, Michael Crennen 0-2, Kele Eaton 0-1, Tyler West 0-2, Kodiak Yaeger 0-1, Nick VanValkenburg 0-1, Connor Vinyard 0-1), De La Salle North Catholic 6-22 (Javary Christmas 4-14, Meartu Aschalew 2-8). Fouled out — Donicio Glenn. Rebounds — St. Mary's 46 (Connor Vinyard 18), De La Salle North Catholic 29 (Javary Christmas 7). Assists — St. Mary's 11 (Michael Crennen 3, Kele Eaton 3), De La Salle North Catholic 3 (Meartu Aschalew 1, Jordanos Lincoln 1, Isaiah Mattila 1). Total fouls — St. Mary's 16, De La Salle North Catholic 15. Reach reporter Dan Jones at 541-776-4499, or email [email protected]. Find him online at twitter.com/danjonesmt By Dan Jones Mail Tribune Follow @@danjonesmt MailTribune.com By Dan Jones Mail Tribune Follow @@danjonesmt Posted Mar. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 6, 2016 at 11:05 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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