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Disgruntled Forest Grove takes on Comets By Greg Stiles PORTLAND � Greg Evers wonders what he got himself into. The Forest Grove girls basketball coach was a member of the coaches committee that proposed seeding the state tournaments. So in the first year of a two-year trial by the Oregon School Activity Association, guess who got the bottom seed? "The kids need to be rewarded for winning a league championship," says Evers, whose Vikings won the Pacific-9 championship with a 12-4 record and were 14-10 overall. "We would�ve been better off winning one or two games in the sub-tournament. To finish as a league champion and to get dubbed the 16th seed is not fair. I thought there was some kind of protection written in for league champions. I don�t know what happened." What Evers knows, however, is that playing top-seeded Crater is an imposing task. Tip-off is at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Portland�s Chiles Center. South Medford will tip off its tournament action at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday against Jesuit. "I�ve seen (the Comets) in summer league and in the tournament last year," Evers says. "They�re a lot like Oregon City. They put a lot of pressure on the ball-handlers, they get into the passing lanes and try to force you to put the ball on the floor." Crater�s current cast of guards Sarah Pool and Janell Sapienza, forward Amy Denson and center Jody McLeod were all in the lineup when the Comets met Westview for the 2000 state championship. The fifth starter, Bre Johnson, was hampered by a stress fracture. The Comets headed north today, pausing to practice at Wilsonville before taking in Ashland�s first-round game against Beaverton. Forest Grove made its first tournament appearance in 14 years last year and was quickly sent packing by Crescent Valley and Ashland. If the Vikings are to avoid a similar fate this time, it will be largely because of Kristine Knowlton, a 6-foot-3 senior center. Knowlton averages in double figures for points and rebounds and also averages five blocked shots per game. But she missed seven games after straining her back in a weight training class. "I think she�ll block some shots," Crater coach David Heard says. "We can�t worry about it. We just have to keep going at her. They�ll probably play a zone, and I know that Jody and Amy aren�t really scared of anyone in the state." Although Crater has picked its spots to press and run because of its size this season, the Comets will get after the Vikings from the beginning. "The one girl does a good job of blocking the middle, but everyone else doesn�t match up with us," Heard says. "I hope to press and get into a running game with them. We�re going to do a little extra as we can. I don�t want to show anything else for the next round if I can help it." 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 � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.