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Cascade finally finds a home By Greg Stiles Cascade Christian High�s boys basketball team has hop-scotched from gym to gym in Medford and Central Point during recent seasons. Coach Brian Morse often rummaged around for gym space like an expectant father who misplaced the car keys. The gym the Challengers called home for two decades at First Baptist Church in Medford is generally tied up by Grace Christian�s middle school teams. The Jacksonville school�s on-campus gym, built more than a half-century ago, has linoleum tile floors and is unsafe � even for practice. Thus, the Challengers, more often than not, have been vagabonds. "The biggest problem for the past 12 or 13 years is that we�ve been in a different place almost every night," Morse says. "There was no consistency." For that reason, Cascade Christian is more than happy to call Superior Gym & Fitness on Chevy Way home for the 2000-01 season. "The main thing is that we get to practice at the same place on a wood floor at consistent time every day, 4-6 (p.m.)," Morse says. No more rug-burns at Grace, no more late-night rendezvous at Scenic Middle School, no doubt that the floor is available when it�s time to practice. And there�s a better chance everyone will show up. "I�d have to tell the guys to listen to the announcements for where practice was going to be," Morse says. "Sometimes we�d show up and were told the school had a program scheduled or another team would be there and we�d get bumped. "One thing for sure, it helped our performance on the road." The majority of the school�s 1999-2000 home games were played at Scenic, but availability declined and the rental cost went up. Last year, Cascade�s girls coach Loren King arranged to practice at the Superior facility. "Our gym at school is about 30 feet short and just doesn�t have the same feel," King says. "Both Brian and I like to press. When our team would go on a big court, they�d get lost in space." When games were played on Grace�s carpeted floor, there was no home-court advantage. "We didn�t practice at Grace," King says. "If Bonanza, or somebody else walked in there, they had as much experience playing there as we did." Cascade athletic director Wally Nye found Superior�s basketball director Manny Crump willing to deal when he approached him about this season. "Manny was very receptive," Nye says. In exchange for practice time and use of the facility for games Cascade is purchasing portable bleachers for the club and dividing gate receipts. The only draw back, says Morse, is that there are only two baskets on each of the gym�s two courts, thus limiting shooting drills. "I tell the guys they�ve got to find a place to practice shooting free throws and jump shots at home or wherever they can find a basket," Morse says. On the other hand, the coach is happy that he won�t be playing games on the carpeted court. "We�ve lost four starters the last 13 years to either a broken leg or an ACL tear," Morse says. Cascade�s boys won�t play a game at Superior until January. But next Tuesday, Cascade�s girls team plays the school�s first home game at Superior against Glendale. "It still isn�t like a home court, because we don�t have regular locker rooms," King says. "But we�re so used to being on the road that it�s as close to home as we�ll get." TOM MURPHY PROMISES his second stint as Phoenix High�s boys basketball coach will be a short one. Murphy, 51, coached the Phoenix Pirates to three state basketball tournament appearances, including a second-place finish in 1992, before stepping down in 1993. When Randy Shipley resigned after seven seasons, point guard Sean Murphy, asked his dad to comeback for one more season. "It was pretty hard to turn him down," Murphy says. "It�s a good opportunity for me and I hope its real positive for the kids too. But I�m committed to volleyball now." The Pirates won two of three games last weekend at the Gold Beach Tournament. "I do have high expectations, whether it�s volleyball or basketball," Murphy says. It mostly revolves around playing hard and playing as a team then letting the scores be what they are at end the of 32 minutes." The coaching faces in the Skyline Conference have changed since Murphy last coached basketball. Only Henley�s Jess Schefstrom remains. "I�m coming back without a real knowledge of who�s strong and who does what," Murphy says. "You seem to view a game differently as a parent in the stands. By the time I�ve driven home from games I couldn�t remember if a team ran a zone or what offense they ran. Those are the things coaches need to know." Murphy�s volleyball team missed earning a trophy by one game in last month�s Class 3A state tournament in Eugene. His goal for the basketball season is more postseason action. "I want to get into the league playoffs," he says. "Then maybe win those games and make it into the state tournament." To get there, his point guard will need to stay healthy. Sean Murphy was hampered by a bad back much of last season and missed three or four games. "That�s something we have to watch," says Tom Murphy. "Bad backs and basketball are not a good mix." The Metro League , led by top-ranked Jesuit, takes a 6-3 record into Saturday�s Class 4A state championship football game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The Pacific-9, which advanced Tualatin to the semifinals and Newberg to the quarterfinals, is 6-4. The Southern Oregon Conference, led by North Medford, is 5-3, and the Midwestern League finished 5-3. On the other end, the Intermountain Conference went three and out for its first winless post-season since 1991. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.