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Crater trio earns first-team MWL acclaim By Staff reports Mar 17, 2019 09:59 PM A A Crater’s boys and girls basketball teams carried the load for local teams in recent all-conference voting by Midwestern League coaches, with Crater sophomore Nate Bittle landing on the boys first team while senior Comets Sydney Gray and Maya Van Hook earned first-team honors for the girls. In his second varsity season, Bittle managed to post 21.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Crater, which was one of four MWL teams to earn a trophy at the Class 5A state tournament by placing fourth. The Crater girls finished second in the MWL and fifth at the state tournament, with Gray and Van Hook anchoring a balanced attack. Gray averaged 11.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.9 assists per game, while Van Hook contributed 9.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Churchill’s Silas Bennion was named boy player of the year, while Springfield’s Rebecca Durbin was the top girl player. Kelly Bokn of Churchill and Chad Carpenter of Willamette shared the boys coach-of-the-year honor, and Springfield’s Teke Silva gained the girls nod. All-MWL Basketball BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Silas Bennion, Jr., Churchill. CO-COACH OF THE YEAR: Kelly Bokn, Churchill, and Chad Carpenter, Willamette. FIRST TEAM Silas Bennion, Jr. Churchill; Isaac Lange, Sr., Thurston; Nate Bittle, So., Crater; Jayden Franks, Sr., North Bend; Zach Brown, Sr., Springfield; Brian Goracke, Jr., Churchill; Owen Cross, Sr., Willamette. SECOND TEAM Isaiah Wallace, Jr., Churchill; Mason Miller, Sr., Thurston; Cameron Parks, Jr., North Eugene; Jacob Curtis, Sr., Willamette; Kaelan O’Neil, Jr., Churchill; Jayden Vranes, Jr., Crater; KJ Pippa, Sr., Ashland; Luke Smith, So., Willamette. HONORABLE MENTION Samaje Morgan, Fr., Churchill; Evan Pia, Jr, Churchill; Luke Burke, Sr., Willamette; Tyler Culver, Sr., Willamette; Nate Horton, Sr., Crater; Trey Bryant, So., Thurston; Marcell Hill, Jr., Springfield; Nate Duke, Jr., North Eugene; Joseph Wallner-Sentle, Sr., Ashland; Hayden Neyt, Sr., Eagle Point. GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rebecca Durbin, Sr., Springfield. COACH OF THE YEAR: Teke Silva, Springfield. FIRST TEAM Rebecca Durbin, Sr., Springfield; Emma McKenney, Sr., Springfield; Danika Starr, Fr., Churchill; Isis Smith, Sr., Churchill; Sydney Gray, Sr., Crater; Maya Van Hook, Sr., Crater. SECOND TEAM Natalie Willoughby, Jr., Willamette; Reice Newell, So., Springfield; Megan Miller, So., Thurston; Kayley Elliot, Sr., Springfield; Haley Snelgrove, Sr., North Bend. THIRD TEAM Jayd Sollinger, So., Ashland; Natalie Elstone, Jr., Churchill; Eliza Idiart, Sr., Crater; Nehkyah Ellis, Sr., Crater; Stella Scott, Fr., Churchill. HONORABLE MENTION Nina Munson, Jr., Ashland; Sophie Elstone, Jr., Churchill; Averi Young, Jr., Crater; Andrea Flores, Jr., Eagle Point; Kierssa Hogan, Jr., Eagle Point; Hayden Markel, So., North Bend; Sam Cook, Sr., North Eugene; Kamryn Manley, Sr., North Eugene; Masey Williams, Sr., Springfield; Jordan Morris, Sr., Willamette; Makenzie Crawford, Jr., Willamette; Tiara Boldon, So., Churchill; Presley Robison, Jr., Crater; Heidi Norman, Jr., Thurston; Hailey Williams, So., Thurston Taylor Smith, Sr., Willamette. Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneCrater’s Maya Van Hook.