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Panthers place two on star team Photos by Andrew Mariman Eric Fiegi, left, South Medford�s 6-foot-8 post, was second in the SOC in scoring with an 18.6 average. South�s Fiegi, Heil chosen among best By Kris Henry Boys Basketball All-Stars First Team -- Joe Newton, Roseburg 6-7 Jr.Eric Fiegi, South Medford 6-8 Jr.Ian Elseth, Grants Pass 6-7 Sr.Ryan Heil, South Medford 6-1 Jr.Andy Dobner, Grants Pass 6-2 Sr. Second Team -- Danny Acrey, Eagle Point 6-0 Sr.Tyler York, Grants Pass 5-10 Jr. Jered Moss, Roseburg 6-0 Sr.Ben Anderson, North Medford 6-3 Sr.Andy Haas, Crater 6-7 Sr. Third Team -- Brennan Garrelts, Roseburg 6-7 Jr.Brant Minor, Grants Pass 6-2 Jr.John McKay, South Medford 6-3 Sr.Gabe Burchfiel, North Medford 6-4 Jr.Tyler Baker, Klamath Union 5-10 Sr. Honorable Mention -- Kyle Allred, Ashland, 6-4, Sr.; Ryan Beugli, Ashland, 6-5, Sr.; Andrew Norum, Crater, 6-4, So. ; Steve Darnell, Crater, 5-10, Sr.; Greg Horn, Eagle Point, 6-2, Sr.; Matt Campbell, Eagle Point, 5-8, Sr.; Paul Burdick, Eagle Point, 6-3, Jr.; Jeff Mortenson, Klamath Union, 6-1, Jr.; Jason Mortenson, Klamath Union, 5-10, Sr.; Travis Poulton, North Medford, 6-4, Jr.; Jared Mulhollen, South Medford, 6-4, Sr. Player of the year -- Joe Newton, Roseburg. Coach of the Year -- Mike Pardon, Roseburg. All-Defensive Team -- Andy Dobner, Grants Pass; Jered Moss, Roseburg; Joe Newton, Roseburg; John McKay, South Medford; Brennan Garrelts, Roseburg. Ryan Heil had all the makings of an all-star back in the sixth grade. Eric Fiegi, however, his partner in crime, did not. Flashy ballhandling, pinpoint shooting and the drive to succeed made Heil the leader of that sixth-grade squad. Fiegi was known more for the player he could become than the one he was. A few years and countless hours on the basketball court have helped Heil maintain his status and propelled Fiegi to amazing heights. Both South Medford High juniors have been honored by the Southern Oregon Conference coaches as first-team all-SOC selections. "In sixth grade Ryan, was the one who was scoring and trying to throw the ball to me, bouncing it off my head when I couldn�t catch the ball," recalls the 6-foot-8 Fiegi. "The roles have started to reverse now, and he�s realizing I can catch the ball and score, so he�s really passing the ball to me these days." Fiegi finished second in league scoring at 18.6 points per game with 260 points in 14 games. SOC player of the year Joe Newton of Roseburg scored 263 points for an 18.8 average. Heil finished third at 14.9 points per game. "He�s one of the best big men in the state, not just this conference," Heil says of his South teammate. "He�s improved a lot and works really hard, so he definitely deserves it." Fiegi actually leapfrogs Newton to 10th in the state if you consider overall scoring, with the Panther posting a 19.2 average and Newton a 17.3 average heading into the playoffs. Fiegi says much of the credit for his scoring goes to Heil, who handles the brunt of the ballhandling for South. "If he�s not passing the ball, he�s shooting that shot that he makes all the time, and he�s scoring 19 or 20 points a game instead of me," says the center. "I definitely think he sacrificed some of his scoring for me." Joining the junior trio of Fiegi, Heil and Newton on the first team are seniors Ian Elseth and Andy Dobner of Grants Pass. Elseth was last year�s SOC player of the year. Roseburg�s Mike Pardon was named SOC coach of the year by his peers after guiding the Indians (19-4) to a 13-1 SOC record and league title. "I think our kids really performed well this year, and when you have talent it really makes you a better coach," says Pardon. "The thing that I�m most proud of is we had some ups and downs as a team and our kids just seemed to come together. They played well together and we feel real fortunate to be in the position we�re in." Grants Pass (22-2) finished second in the league standings at 12-2, with South Medford third (20-5, 11-3) and North Medford fourth (9-15, 6-8). Although Heil and Fiegi got most of the kudos, South Medford coach Dennis Murphy says his team�s success in 2000-01 was due to team play. "There�s no question that they have been the people scoring-wise who have led us," Murphy says. "Our seniors have great heart and are our true leaders, but they don�t have the ability to go out and score and aren�t bothered by Ryan and Eric doing that." The respect shown by the SOC coaches isn�t lost on either junior. "It�s a great honor to be recognized," says Heil. "It makes you feel good that you worked hard and were rewarded for it. If anything, it motivates you to work harder to get to the next level." Second-team honors went to Eagle Point�s Danny Acrey, Tyler York of Grants Pass, Jered Moss of Roseburg, Ben Anderson of North Medford and Andy Haas of Crater. Newton, Dobner and Moss were joined on the all-defensive team by South Medford senior John McKay and Roseburg�s Brennan Garrelts. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.