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Hesia's turning heads at Mazama Here's a multiple choice question: Who's the best high school basketball guard in Southern Oregon? A) Ryan Heil, South Medford. B) Tyler York, Grants Pass. C) Derek Petersen, Crater. D) None of the above. If you answered D, then you just won a free ticket to a Mazama High boys game, where you can get an up-close look at Levell Hesia, the Vikings' 5-foot-7, 140-pound dynamo who dazzles onlookers every time he takes the court. "In the 20 years that I've been associated with basketball in Southern Oregon, I've never seen a kid as quick or who handles the ball as well as he does," Mazama coach Randy Rose says. Only a junior, Hesia (pronounced Hay-sha) is averaging 29.3 points and 7.5 assists for the Vikings, who have gotten off to a 4-0 start with victories over Modoc, Calif., Yreka, Calif., Crater and Klamath Union. He had 29 points and eight assists in last Saturday's 79-66 win over Klamath, which is projected as a playoff team in the Southern Oregon Conference. "They ran three guys at him just trying to deny him the inbounds pass, but he still got open every time," Rose says. "He's super quick, and once he gets the ball, that's when the fun begins. "I have yet to see anyone who can guard him one-on-one." Hesia's outside shooting was dubious last season but it has improved markedly, Rose says. "He still doesn't have the prettiest shot you'll see - he doesn't get enough rotation," Rose says. "But it looks better than it did last year, and the main thing is, it's going in." Indeed, Hesia is shooting a sizzling 75 percent from the field (36 of 48) and 81 percent from the free-throw line (21 of 26) thus far. The Vikings' star is a veritable gym rat, finding his way into the nearest gym almost every day of the year. He doesn't play any other sport and can be seen during the summer months scrimmaging with players at nearby Oregon Tech. "I've tried to get him to play football and run track, but basketball is the only sport he wants to play," Rose says. Hesia will be in the Rogue Valley on Jan. 4 when the Vikings travel to Merlin to meet North Valley. Mazama plays at Rogue River on Jan. 25 and at Phoenix on Feb. 12. BRENT BARRY HAS resigned his job as offensive coordinator at North Medford High. Barry, 31, who was a finalist for the head coaching job that was handed to John Beck last May, cited school and family obligations as the reasons for leaving one of the top football programs in the state. Barry is taking graduate courses at Southern Oregon University - he hopes to have his masters in another year or so - and his wife, Sara, is pregnant with their second child. "I'm still not sure what route I want to take in education," Barry says. "I'd like to become an administrator at some point, but I still have a desire to be a head football coach. "But I would like to get my (master's) degree and give myself some options." Barry has coached football for the past seven years, including the last three at North. ANOTHER LOCAL football coach to turn in his whistle is Dick Maurer, who resigned as the St. Mary's High head coach last week. Maurer spent seven seasons leading the Crusaders. "I started out 10 years ago with the idea that I would help my brother (Andy Maurer, the head football coach at Cascade Christian) for one game," Dick Maurer says. "It went a little longer than that, but it's time for me to retire." Maurer owns a local lumber broker firm and some of his busiest months are in the fall. WITH ONE FLICK of her wrists last Saturday night, Whitney Grant became the career leader in assists for the South Medford girls basketball program. The senior point guard has 194 assists in 56 career games with the Panthers. Grant surpassed Kelly Thomas, who finished her Panthers career at 191. Thomas, who graduated last spring and now plays basketball at George Fox University in Newberg, remains the Panthers' career scoring leader with 920 points. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.