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Eye on the prize photo by Andrew Mariman Panthers hope for a return to glory By Don Hunt Dennis Murphy admits he got a little spoiled during the 1990s when his South Medford High basketball teams ruled the Southern Oregon Conference. The Panthers won the SOC five times during the decade, finished third at the 1996 Class 4A state tournament and during one stretch between �96 and �98 won 46 of 48 league games. But South�s dominant ways ended abruptly two years ago and now Grants Pass is king of the mountain. The Cavemen, who return four starters from last season�s squad that won the SOC title and posted a 17-8 record, are a unanimous choice to repeat. Grants Pass has won all 10 of its games this season and has soared to a No. 4 ranking in the state poll. "With all the kids they�ve got back they�re obviously the team to beat," Murphy says. "It�s going to take a good team on a good night to beat them." South Medford and Roseburg tied for second in the preseason coaches poll, with North Medford predicted to grab the fourth and final state playoff berth. The Panthers, fresh off a victory over highly-touted St. Mary�s of Berkeley, Calif., in the championship game of the Abby�s Holiday Classic, travel to Roseburg in the SOC�s marquee opening game Tuesday night. Other SOC openers Tuesday find Ashland at North Medford, Eagle Point at Crater and Grants Pass at Klamath Union. Elseth, a senior post, is averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game this season and can become the first player to win back-to-back player-of-the-year honors in the SOC since Rob Fellows accomplished the feat 14 years ago. "He�s quite a bit better than he was last year," Grants Pass coach Bill Cowell says of the 6-foot-7 Elseth. "He�s worked hard on his shooting. He�s already hit a few 3-point baskets this season. "He�s also been lifting weights for three years now and it�s really starting to pay off. He�s stronger and tougher and that�s helped him on defense and the boards." The Cavemen also welcome back senior wing Brant Minor, senior off-guard Andy Dobner and junior point guard Tyler York to their starting lineup. The fifth starter is Craig Berg, an undersized but athletic senior post who was a second-team all-league linebacker in football. "He jumps well and is very good around the basket," Cowell says of the 6-foot Berg. "People are keying on Ian (Elseth) and that opens up opportunities for Craig." Dobner is hitting at a 15-point clip this season and has shot a sizzling 48 percent from the 3-point line. Minor and York are no slouches from the perimeter, either. "The neat thing is, no one cares who scores the points," Cowell says. "This team has great chemistry and camaraderie, and that�s one of the big reasons we�re as good as we are. These kids work hard and leave their egos at the door." South Medford, meanwhile, is a team on the rise. The Panthers return only senior forward John McKay and junior guard Ryan Heil to their starting lineup, but junior post Eric Fiegi has gotten off to a great start and could be the most improved player in the SOC. "He�s a lot stronger and a lot more confident," Murphy says of the 6-foot-8 Fiegi. "He�s gotten to be very tough on the low block." Senior post Jared Mulhollen and senior guard Craig Tomlins have earned the other two starting berths, and the Panthers have several other players logging meaningful minutes off the bench, namely sophomore post Boomer Marshall and junior wings Pat Lower and Alan Johnson. Marshall had a 19-point outing two weeks ago when Fiegi was sidelined with a sprained ankle. "We�ve got very good depth and that�s allowing us to press people from the opening tip to the last whistle," Murphy says. Murphy believes South can challenge Grants Pass for the SOC crown, even though many of the Panthers� best players are underclassmen. "The thing I like is that we�re showing we can compete against the good teams," says Murphy, whose Panthers faced a more difficult preseason schedule than Grants Pass. "We�re doing a lot of good things to win games in the fourth quarter, and that�s something we just haven�t done the last couple years." Roseburg is probably the only other team capable of upsetting the Cavemen, but the Indians suffered a big setback last month when starting point guard Ole Sheldon broke his wrist. Sheldon, who was averaging 16.5 points and five assists per game when he got hurt, isn�t expected back for another three to four weeks, which means he could miss half the conference season. Roseburg still has a marquee performer in 6-7 junior post Joe Newton, who just missed being named player of the year last season, and another quality post in 6-6 junior Brennan Garrelts. But size means little when it comes to breaking presses, and the Indians will see plenty of those with Sheldon sidelined. North Medford is coming off a third-place finish at the Abby�s Holiday Classic and features a talented point guard in senior Mike Olson. The Tornado will beat some teams with its hustle and tenacity on defense, but has struggled to score against quality opponents. North received strong efforts from Gabe Burchfiel and Ben Anderson during the preseason as it dealt without the likes of Olson, Kevin Foreman, Brian Weeks and Travis Poulton. With the football foursome in the fold, the Tornado could be a thorn in the side of any SOC team this season. 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 � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.