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Click Here 60 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, March 6, 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 February 17, 2004 Comet’s freshman team ends year perfect Prep Notebook By DON HUNT Mail Tribune They survived a two-point victory over South Medford, an overtime win over Grants Pass and a two-point triumph over North Medford after trailing by 16 points at halftime. But when the whistles stopped blowing and the sneakers ceased squeaking, the Crater High freshman boys basketball team had completed an unbeaten season. "They came into the season with a winning attitude and they certainly left with one," says Jay Campbell, the head coach of the squad that went 21-0. Whether the talented bunch can become a building block for a championship-caliber varsity program in another two or three years remains to be seen. Much can happen between now and then. Some players move. Others quit. Still others get injured or become ineligible. Advertisement Matt Meunier, the head coach of the varsity team, has seen those sorts of things happen in the past. But he’s got a good feeling about this crop of frosh. "These kids do well in school and they don’t get in trouble," says Meunier. "And their parents are really involved in their lives. "We think every one of these kids is good enough to keep playing in our program next year." Due to limited gym space, the players had to practice at 6 a.m. each day, a factor that the 29-year-old Campbell believes made them tougher and more disciplined. "I worked them hard," he says. "We made a commitment that no one was going to outhustle us or outwork us, and the kids bought into it." With every player on the team seeing action in every half of every game except one, the Comets wore out their opponents. James Oshel, a 6-foot-4 post, led the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game, but five other players — point guard Derek Hogenson, post Chase Crook and wings Matt Hunt, Cory Staniforth and Nick Tejcka — finished with at least 100 points. Another major contributor was Ben Louie, who sank the winning shot the night the Comets rallied from 16 down to beat North Medford. Other team members were Taylor Rutledge, Cooper Schmelzer, Deric Shults and Zach Uhles. "We didn’t have any big stars on this team," says Campbell, whose father, local football official John Campbell, served as his assistant coach. "But we had a lot of guys who could play, and if one or two guys had off nights, then two or three others would step up. "It’s amazing how deep we were." Before the season began, there was talk of moving a player or two up to the junior varsity. But Meunier decided to keep them all together with the hope of developing a winning attitude that was second to none. "We felt that having a lot of success would help their confidence," Meunier says. "We didn’t know they’d win all their games, but they showed they could win the close ones, and that’s something that helps your program down the line. "When you go on the court truly believing you’re going to win, that’s half the battle." With the freshman season in the books, Oshel, Hogenson and Hunt have joined the JV team for its final three games. THAT BULL’S-EYE on the back of the South Medford boys basketball team grew bigger Monday when the Panthers assumed the No. 1 spot in the Class 4A state basketball rankings. The Panthers have been ranked No. 2 most of the season but moved up a notch after Sunset handed previously unbeaten Jesuit a 62-53 loss last week. South Medford is 20-1 while Jesuit is 18-1. Should the two teams advance to the Class 4A state tournament at Eugene’s McArthur Court, there’s a good chance they’d meet in the semifinals on March 12. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, 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! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times