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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Eyes on the skies: $16.7 million would keep radar stations in top shape through 2030 ... Our view: RCC's health care opportunity can't be lost ... Medford plans to go after utilty debtors ... Eyes on the skies: $16.7 million would keep radar stations in top shape through 2030 ... Our view: RCC's health care opportunity can't be lost ... Medford plans to go after utilty debtors ... PREP BASKETBALL Panthers by a nose Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 13, 2014 at 3:56 PM Updated Dec 14, 2014 at 10:03 AM By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 13, 2014 at 3:56 PM Updated Dec 14, 2014 at 10:03 AM --> SWC BOYS BASKETBALL 2015 Predicted Finish Coaches Poll: (First-place votes in parentheses) 1. South Medford (4);45 2. South Eugene (2);43 » Read more X SWC BOYS BASKETBALL 2015 Predicted Finish Coaches Poll: (First-place votes in parentheses) 1. South Medford (4);45 2. South Eugene (2);43 3. Sheldon (2);35 4. North Medford;34 5. Grants Pass;23 6. Roseburg;18 7. Thurston;16 8. Willamette;10 2014 Final SOH Standings ;LEAGUE;OVERALL ;W;L;W;L South Medford;11;1;21;8 North Medford;8;4;16;8 Grants Pass;6;6;15;8 Crater;3;9;7;16 Roseburg;2;10;6;16 PAST CHAMPIONS 6A Southern Oregon Hybrid 2013-14 — South Medford (11-1) 2012-13 — South Medford (10-2) 2011-12 — South Medford (11-1) 2010-11 — South Medford (9-3) and Roseburg (9-3) Southwest Conference 2009-10 — South Eugene (12-3) 2008-09 — South Medford (11-4) and Sheldon (11-4) 2007-08 — South Medford (13-2) 2006-07 — South Medford (13-2) and Sheldon (13-2) Southern Oregon Conference 2005-06 — South Medford (14-0) 2004-05 — South Medford (12-2), Grants Pass (12-2), Roseburg (12-2) 2003-04 — South Medford (14-0) 2002-03 — South Medford (13-1) 2001-02 — South Medford (14-0) 2000-01 — Roseburg (13-1) 1999-2000 — Grants Pass (11-3) and Roseburg (11-3) 1998-99 — North Medford (12-2) 1997-98 — South Medford (16-0) 1996-97 — South Medford (15-1) 1995-96 — South Medford (15-1) 1994-95 — Roseburg (15-1) 1993-94 — South Medford (16-0) 1992-93 — North Medford 1991-92 — North Medford 1990-91 — South Medford 1989-90 — Crater 1988-89 — North Medford 1987-88 — Ashland 1986-87 — South Medford 1985-86 — Ashland (16-0) 1984-85 — Ashland (15-1) SOUTH MEDFORD COACH: Dennis Murphy (27th year) LAST YEAR: 21-8, 11-1 SOH CURRENT RECORD: 1-2 RETURNING STARTERS Player;Ht.;Pos.;Yr. Brayden Massey;6-1;PG;Sr. Cameron English;6-9;P;Sr. Hunter Bradford;6-8;P;Jr. OTHER NOTABLES Craig Contreras;6-4;W;Sr. Caleb Rayburn;6-5;P;Sr. Josh Washington;6-6;P;Jr. Eskari Carter;6-2;PG;Jr. Ray Benford;5-11;W;Jr. Conor Carroll;6-3;W;Jr. Christian Hall-Sutton;5-11;W;Jr. Dakota Metcalf;5-11;W;Jr. Riley Martin;6-0;W;So. Kaleb Franklin;5-8;PG;Fr. NORTH MEDFORD COACH: Scott Plankenhorn (ninth year) LAST YEAR: 16-8, 8-4 SOH CURRENT RECORD: 2-1 RETURNING STARTERS Player;Ht.;Pos.;Yr. Tristen Holmes;6-2;PG;Sr. Edmund Polataivao;6-1;F;Sr. OTHER NOTABLES Tucker Barry;6-1;G;Jr. Brian Schireman;6-1;G;Jr. Jared Faust;6-1;F;Sr. Jack Singleton;5-10;G;Sr. Karter Dixon;6-0;G;Sr. Isaiah Williams;5-8;PG;Sr. Alex Brothers;6-2;F;Jr. Tyren Wolfe;6-1;G;Jr. Matt Lasota;6-1;G;Jr. Bailey Davis;6-1;G;Jr. Tre Holmes;5-11;F;So. Brad Allen;6-4;F;So. GRANTS PASS COACH: Jeff Huston (fourth year) LAST YEAR: 15-8, 6-6 SOH CURRENT RECORD: 1-3 RETURNING STARTERS Player;Ht.;Pos.;Yr. Kirkland Meadows;5-11;PG;Sr. JC McKinley;6-1;G;Sr. Sean Ryan;6-1;F;Sr. OTHER NOTABLES Larry Cotton;6-3;F;Sr. Keegan Weiss;5-9;G;Sr. Ryan Stine;5-10;PG;Sr. Javan Appling;6-1;F;Sr. Matt Evens;6-1;F;Sr. Dylan Hanley;6-2;F;Jr. Jeret Musser;5-10;PG;Jr. CJ Reed;6-0;F;Jr. Garrett Wallace;6-0;G;Jr. Brandon Hoy;5-11;G;Jr. » Social News Despite being in a new setting, South Medford’s boys basketball team finds itself with familiar expectations as the team to beat this season in the Southwest Conference. Given the Panthers’ history, such a distinction is easy to comprehend. South Medford has earned at least a share of 12 of the past 13 conference championships, including three straight outright. “We want to be in that chase and those that have gone before have built a great legacy and we’ve really challenged our kids to keep it going,” said South Medford head coach Dennis Murphy, in his 27th season at the helm. “There’s not ever an excuse not to play your best because you’re always going to get everyone’s best effort. We embrace that (status as title favorite), we think it’s a good thing.” South Medford edged South Eugene for the role of preseason favorite as selected by the SWC coaches in a narrow margin. Getting four of the eight first-place votes essentially put the Panthers over the top with 45 points to South Eugene’s 43. The Axemen and third-place Sheldon — last year’s Class 6A state runner-up — each received two first-place votes. South Eugene was the last team to unseat South Medford from the conference throne, winning the 2007-10 version of the SWC in the final season before another state reclassification in 2010. Sheldon also twice shared the honor with the Panthers in 2007 and ‘09. “I think your quality of competition is going to be definitely deep with those Eugene-area teams joining in,” North Medford head coach Scott Plankenhorn said of the new eight-team SWC. “It will be a chore, but the good thing is now you’re only playing everyone twice and have a fair shake in playing a true home-and-home with each other instead of seeing everyone three times like we’ve been doing.” Plankenhorn’s Black Tornado, which returns reigning Southern Oregon Hybrid player of the year Tristen Holmes, closely followed the Irish with 34 points for fourth place. Grants Pass (23), Roseburg (18), Thurston (16) and Willamette (10) rounded out the voting. This season, the top four teams from each of the six 6A conferences automatically advance to the 32-team state bracket. The four teams not in that mix with the highest power rankings also automatically advance with at-large bids, and the final four spots are determined by a play-in round that includes the next eight teams in the power rankings. For South Medford, this season marks a shift in style of play with the return of proven post players Cameron English (6-foot-9 senior) and Hunter Bradford (6-8 junior) and the addition of Josh Washington (6-6 junior) and Caleb Rayburn (6-5 senior). “We’re a little bit different than we have been in the past because obviously with our size we’re changing some things,” said Murphy. “We’ve played without a center for three or four years and now all of a sudden we have four of them, so we’ve got to go inside-out a little more than we have in the past.” English, an honorable mention all-SOH pick a year ago, broke through with an impressive performance in last year’s fourth-place game against Sunset at the state tourney and worked diligently over the summer to raise his level of play. “Cam had a great summer and we have high expectations for him,” said Murphy. “He can definitely play inside-out with his size and that’s a nice option to have because he does shoot it well from the perimeter.” South Medford’s best player, senior point guard Brayden Massey, won’t return to the court until mid-January after suffering a broken ankle during the football season on Oct. 3. Massey was a second-team all-tournament and all-SOH pick a year ago and provides the Panthers with a toughness at the top as a dependable playmaker. “That’s a good and a bad thing,” said Murphy. “Obviously we’d much rather have Brayden healthy and out there but it’s good in a sense that it gives the younger kids more opportunity to get themselves ready to play and make us a better team when he returns. They’re going to have a big learning curve and we’re already seeing that.” Junior Eskari Carter and freshman Kaleb Franklin step in at the helm during Massey’s absence and provide a wealth of athleticism, with senior wing Craig Contreras providing a settling influence and 3-point threat. The development of juniors Conor Carroll and Ray Benford at the opposite wing will be instrumental to South Medford’s ability to contend for another title. SOUTH EUGENE South Eugene upset North Medford in last year’s state playoffs and returns four starters, including 6-6 senior forward Eli Lininger. The Yale signee was a second-team all-state pick one year ago and is the real deal, averaging a double-double in points and rebounds (16 and 13, respectively). Lininger, a four-year starter, has plenty of support in seniors Mason Green-Richards (5-10 shooting guard), Kirk Bassett (5-9 point guard) and Sean O’Neill (6-6 forward) With Dave Hancock at the helm, the Axemen have routinely been one of the state’s top teams and this year’s cast is one of the most experienced the veteran coach has had at South Eugene. SHELDON Using a senior-heavy lineup, Sheldon advanced to the 6A title game one year ago but fell short against West Linn. The Irish took a hit in the offseason when junior 6-5 post Justin Herbert broke his leg during the football season, but the heady athlete expects to be ready for practice in two weeks. Joining Herbert as returning starters are a pair of seniors in 5-11 guard Brian Brancato and 6-2 forward Taylor Conlon. Seniors Kellen Strahm and Logan Comer are joined by juniors Dimitri Williams and Kobe Mitchell in giving the Irish a very quick and athletic crew that wants to push the pace and wear teams down defensively. NORTH MEDFORD With a slew of shooters, North Medford expects to bring a perimeter-based offensive attack that also relies on turning teams over with full-court pressure on the defensive end. Seniors Holmes and Edmund Polataivao return to the starting lineup and get a boost from last year’s top reserve, 6-1 junior guard Tucker Barry, and 6-1 junior Brian Schireman, who could’ve played at the varsity level one year ago had it not been for an already deep lineup. Holmes has led North Medford in scoring each of the past two seasons on varsity but will move to point guard this season to help stabilize the Tornado’s attack. The 6-2 standout, however, is very comfortable in that role after years of playing point guard at the AAU and freshman levels. “He’s just a talented kid and that’s really his natural spot, he just hasn’t played it for a few years,” said Plankenhorn. Polataivao, senior Jared Faust and junior Alex Brothers are undersized players on the block but the Tornado makes up for it with their shooting touch and guile. “We’re really looking to open the court up to drive and slash and use the cutting lanes to get inside shots that way,” said the ninth-year coach. “We made the change to be more perimeter-based in the summer because we have a whole bunch of guys that can shoot the 3-point shot and shoot it at a good rate.” GRANTS PASS Grants Pass theoretically returns three starters but that list likely is down to two in seniors JC McKinley and Sean Ryan after point guard Kirkland Meadows suffered a torn labrum during the football season and is expected to have surgery this week. Head coach Jeff Huston is excited about his team’s versatility, with Ryan (6-1 forward) and senior Larry Cotton (6-3 forward) expected to pace a balanced scoring attack. “Sean Ryan will have a pretty solid season,” said Huston, “and Larry Cotton has highlight plays in him with his athleticism. He can produce because he really gets after it.” The Cavemen don’t boast a player taller than 6-3 in the program but offer up a host of quick, athletic players in the 6-foot range that are good at pressuring on the perimeter. “We’ll never win the height challenge but our guys understand that and are used to that,” said the fourth-year coach. “They’ve got to be scrappy and make up for that lack of size with the size of their heart.” ROSEBURG Head coach Mike Pardon returns to the sidelines as the winningest coach in program history with 204 victories during his 13-season run from 1994-2006. The Indians return three proven performers in seniors Jake Stephens (6-1 forward) and Dylan Knapp (6-3 forward) and junior Chris Stone (6-2 forward). Junior guard Stephen Patoine (5-10) is a 3-point threat with the ability to score off the dribble, while 6-3 junior JD Fairbairn provides a nice complement in the paint for a program that shared the conference title in 2011. THURSTON Patrick Adelman takes his first turn as varsity coach with a young program that returns two starters in seniors Eric Vejar (5-9 point guard) and Monte Haas (6-2 forward). Adelman is the adopted son of veteran NBA coach Rick Adelman and played his senior year at Lake Oswego High in 2007, finishing as state runner-up to Murphy’s Panthers. Thurston went 15-11 last year, including wins over South Medford and South Eugene, and expects to be feisty on the defensive end. Sophomore Cade Bates (6-6) provides the most interior presence for the Colts but the team has a host of players who stand 6-foot or taller. WILLAMETTE Returning standouts Austin Murray (6-1 wing) and Patrick Goddard (5-8 guard) were honorable mention all-Midwestern League picks last year at the 5A level and will provide the backbone to Willamette’s success as the only seniors on the roster for second-year head coach Chad Carpenter. Junior Dominic Cantu (5-10 guard), Brycen Hill (6-0 wing) and Chris Steiner (6-3 post) also return with varsity experience for a lineup that carries five sophomores and one freshman. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 13, 2014 at 3:56 PM Updated Dec 14, 2014 at 10:03 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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