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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, April 14, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 31, 2004 Johnson earns first-team all-state honor By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune Nobody gets more out of their physical frame than Craig Johnson. The 6-foot-4 post battled taller, heavier basketball foes in the paint but none could match the grit and determination of the South Medford senior. Coaches around the state witnessed as much and voted Johnson to the Class 4A boys first-team all-state squad. Johnson’s senior teammate Ryan Fiegi was a third-team selection, while Roseburg’s Seth Bauman and Grants Pass’ Matt Cowell made honorable mention. "I’m really happy for the kids," said South Medford coach Dennis Murphy. "They were our two leaders and they worked very hard this season. Advertisement "I’m glad they were recognized for their abilities." Johnson, who was also voted the SOC player of the year after averaging 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the regular season, saved some of his best outings against much taller competition at the state tournament. He averaged 20.7 points and a shade over 11 rebounds during the Panthers’ three-game run to the state’s fourth-place trophy and a school-record 27 wins. "I’m pretty excited, it’s a big deal for me," said Johnson of the honor. "Most of the guys I was going up against up there (at the state tournament) had at least four or five inches on me. "I thought I played pretty well, so I knew there was a chance I’d make it. It’s a nice way to end the season." At the tournament, Johnson squared off with University of Oregon-bound Maarty Leunen (6-9) and Lake Oswego freshman Kevin Love (6-8). "The biggest thing (I learned) was you can’t shoot over guys like that," says Johnson, who heads off to the Coast Guard Academy in two months. "I had to really use my body and work on head fakes." Johnson saved his biggest game for South’s season finale. During the Panthers’ four-overtime victory over Oregon City, Johnson poured in 27 points and grabbed 11 boards. He nailed two free throws with 3.4 seconds left to send the game into a third overtime and later knotted the game up to assure a fourth OT. Fiegi, who made honorable mention last season, also played a major role as South reeled in its third-straight SOC title. The 6-5 point guard averaged 14.4 points in conference to go with about five assists and two steals per game. He finished with eight points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals during the victory over Oregon City. "Ryan has great size and is a great ball-handler," says Murphy of his Western Oregon University-bound guard. "He directs things out there and is kind of like having another coach on the floor." Bauman, a 6-7 post, led the SOC in scoring, averaging 16.4 points in conference play in leading Roseburg to second place in the SOC with a 10-4 record. He finished with 18 points and seven boards during the Indians’ first-round, state-playoff loss to Hillsboro. Cowell, a 6-1 point guard, led Grants Pass to the SOC’s No. 3 seed and an upset win over Central Catholic in a first-round state-playoff game. He notched a career-high 35 points against North Medford and led the Caveman with 14.3 points, six assists and five rebounds per game. 2003-04 Class 4A All-State BOYS First Team Player School Yr. Ht. Jeremiah Dominguez South Salem Sr. 5-6 James Loe Hillsboro Sr. 5-10 Maarty Leunen Redmond Sr. 6-9 Riley Luettgerodt Putnam Sr. 6-4 Craig Johnson South Med. Sr. 6-4 PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Jeremiah Dominguez, South Salem. COACH OF THE YEAR — Rick Havercroft, South Salem. Second Team Brian Morris Jefferson Jr. 6-8 Kevin Love Lake Oswego Fr. 6-8 Josh Tarver Jesuit Jr. 6-2 Jesse Worcester Churchill Sr. 5-9 Seth Tarver Jesuit So. 6-5 Third Team Brent Satern Silverton Sr. 5-9 Corey Allen Cent. Catholic Jr. 6-5 Brett Casey Cres. Valley Jr. 6-0 Rocky Pedden Ore. City Sr. 6-4 Ryan Fiegi South Med. Sr. 6-5 Honorable Mention — Sherrard Watson, Sunset, Sr., 6-6; Joe Wolfinger, Aloha, Sr., 7-0; Mark Carollo, Hermiston, Sr., 6-4; Matt Bramow, South Eugene, Jr., 6-3; Dominic Waters, Grant, Jr., 6-1; Donnie Harriston-Davis, Grant, Sr., 6-3; David Cernin, Century, Jr., 6-3; Sam Rayburn, Sunset, Sr., 6- 11; Jake Glisson, Barlow, Jr., 6-5; Seth Bauman, Roseburg, Sr., 6-7; Matt Cowell, Grants Pass, Sr., 6-1; Phil Harbaugh, Corvallis, Sr., 6-7. Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! 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