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CHRISTMAS CLASSIC: Cascade raises the bar By Kris Henry Updated: Dec 23, 2022 09:36 PM A A 12 View all photos Challengers dial up intensity, use 23-0 run to rout No. 2 Westside Christian It wasn’t so much that Cascade Christian lost its second straight game on Wednesday that irritated boys basketball head coach Brian Morse, it was how the Challengers were completely outworked by Dayton in the process. Given a day of reflection and an ability to refocus their energies, the top-ranked Challengers weren’t about to leave anything on the court Friday night against No. 2 Westside Christian in the Cascade Christian Christmas Classic. A more determined Cascade Christian crew broke open the marquee matchup with a 23-0 run spanning parts of the first and second quarters to thoroughly dispatch the previously unbeaten Eagles, 57-26. “Against Dayton, our intensity level was like maybe a five out of 10,” said Morse. “We didn’t play sharp in that game and we talked about it for the last 48 hours and the guys came out tonight with an intensity level at 10. The dial was all the way up and, like I told the guys, we’re going to be extremely hard to beat if we play like that all the time.” They most certainly were hard to beat Friday despite a talented Westside Christian roster guided by former Challenger David Henry. Junior center Austin Maurer scored 19 points to go with 12 rebounds, two steals, two assists and one block and sophomore guard Drew Hall contributed 14 points and eight rebounds to kick-start the best night of the season thus far for the Challengers (3-2). Both were instrumental in creating confidence early on that Cascade Christian could counter anything the Eagles (8-1) would be able to throw its way. The Challengers held a slight 12-11 advantage when Cannon Anderson and Hall, who had eight of his points in the 23-0 run, started the game-changing run with consecutive drives for baskets to end the first quarter. Jaren Fronckowiak and Austin Maurer quickly got into the fun, and when Triston Wallace powered his way to a bucket and Peyton Maurer knocked down the first of his three 3-pointers it was suddenly 33-11 in Cascade’s favor. “It was kind of a snowball effect and the guys did not let up at all and it just kept compounding,” said Morse. Anderson added another driving basket to end the run that was only halted after Colby Ackerman picked up a loose ball and raced all the way downcourt for a contested layup with 20 seconds to go in the second quarter. Austin Maurer answered immediately to send the Challengers into intermission up 37-13 after nearly holding the Eagles scoreless for about a 10-minute stretch. “It was a great defensive effort,” said Morse. “Our defense was not allowing them any easy shots. We were swarming all over them so we either got a rushed shot or a turnover and we would fastbreak. Against Dayton we had zero fastbreak points, and we made an emphasis on cranking up the pressure and getting out on the fastbreak tonight.” Peyton Maurer finished with nine points, five rebounds, two assists and one block while Wallace had three assists and Colsen Brown came off the bench to grab seven rebounds. Dax Hanzlik led Westside Christian with six points and Kahlid Hodge added five in the lowest scoring effort thus far for the Eagles. “This is the first game that we’ve outworked our opponent, and it was fun to watch,” said Morse. “I told the guys after the game, though, that I see where the ceiling is and this is what I expect every game. Now that I know what they can do, we’re going to hold that bar high and hold them accountable, whether you’re playing the best team in the state rankings or the lowest.” WESTSIDE CHRISTIAN (26): Snodgrass 0, Chiong 3, Hodge 5, Ficker 0, Reinholtz 0, Hanzlik 6, Chandler 4, Ackerman 4, Jones 0, Goodrich 0, Everhart 4. Totals: 11 2-4 26. CASCADE CHRISTIAN (57): Richardson 0, Fronckowiak 6, Anderson 6, Wallace 3, Hoffman 0, Hall 14, Farmer 0, P. Maurer 9, Westlake 0, Brown 0, A. Maurer 19. Totals: 26-45 2-7 57. Westside Christian11276— 26 Cascade Christian16211010— 57 3-point goals — Westside Christian 2 (Hodge 1, Chiong 1), Cascade Christian 3 (P. Maurer 3). EAGLE POINT 48, KLAMATH UNION 43: Eagle Point junior Hugo Perezchica was steady in doling out five assists with no turnovers and 11 points scored and the Eagles used a pair of steals to kick things off in the fourth quarter by Peyton Pierce to pull away for the victory. Pierce finished with 11 points and Hayden Weaver had 15 points and five rebounds for the Eagles (3-8), who outscored the Pelicans 15-10 in the final quarter. Tarence Anderson had four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points for KU (1-5). KLAMATH UNION (43): Ortiz 6, Saluskin 0, Matheney 10, Kjaer 9, Zumwalt 0, Anderson 14, Lassett-Hankins 0, Perdoma 2, Connell 0, McKay 0, Hayden 2. Totals: NA. EAGLE POINT (48): Jackson 4, Pierce 11, Livingston 3, Brionnes 4, Raber 0, Moreno 0, Smith 0, Weaver 15, Perezchica 11, Neyt 0. Totals: 18-41 11-19 48. Klamath Union917710— 43 Eagle Point1212915— 48 3-point goals — Klamath Union 4 (Anderson 4), Eagle Point 1-10 (Pierce 1). Technical foul — Kjaer. HARRISBURG 48, PHOENIX 44: Robin Trenbeath had one 3-pointer in each of the four quarters to finish with 12 points and Dylan Harper added 10 points to lead Phoenix, which opened strong with a 13-5 lead but couldn’t hang on. Julius Bolstad added nine points for the Pirates (6-5). Harrisburg (8-3) outscored Phoenix 14-7 in the fourth quarter to rally for the win, with Jack Lidbeck leading three players in double figures with 13 points. PHOENIX (44): Trenbeath 12, Je. Selden 2, Mooring 4, Ja. Selden 0, Ponce 0, Hernandez 2, Harper 10, Ayala-Talbott 5, Decker 0, Bolstad 9. Totals: 19 1-1 44. HARRISBURG (48): Crabb 10, Baker 4, Lawson 9, Lidbeck 13, Ruiz 0, Smith 0, Davis 12. Totals: 15 12-17 48. Phoenix1313117— 44 Harrisburg5161314— 48 3-point goals — Phoenix 5 (Trenbeath 4, Ayala-Talbott 1), Harrisburg 6 (Crabb 2, Baker 1, Lidbeck 3). DAYTON 61, ST. MARY’S 27: Third-ranked Dayton used a 17-2 surge in the second quarter to separate from St. Mary’s, which was limited to 11 field goals overall. Noah Friesen connected on nearly half of those field goals to lead the Crusaders (1-7) with 12 points, while Kent David had the team’s lone 3-pointer and finished with five points. Caleb Primbs had five 3-pointers to lead Dayton (7-1) with 19 points. DAYTON (61): Hodges 9, Gentry 0, Primbs 19, Salas 0, Wall 11, Smith 0, Garrison 4, Freeborn 2, Cross 6, Gallagher 2, Ashley 8. Totals: 24 6-6 61. ST. MARY’S (27): David 5, Friesen 12, Flowers 0, Kranenburg 1, Foster 0, Walker 1, Delplanche 4, Lad 0, Patel 4. Totals: 11 4-9 27. Dayton1517218— 61 St. Mary’s92124— 27 3-point goals — Dayton 7 (Hodges 1, Primbs 5, Wall 1), St. Mary’s 1 (David 1). Girls EAGLE POINT 57, CASCADE CHRISTIAN 34 : Eagle Point sophomore Thianna Deng-Gomes dominated in the paint to net 26 points and lead the Eagles to an 8-1 start with the victory. Rikki Baldwin added 10 points for Eagle Point, which steadily pulled away after taking a 23-16 lead into halftime. Jordynn Jones had 15 points and seven rebounds for 3A Cascade Christian (3-3). EAGLE POINT (57): Dole 8, Schauffler 0, R. Baldwin 10, A. Baldwin 1, Garlitz 7, Lindstrom 8, Ledbetter 0, Cabrera 0, Deng-Gomes 26. CASCADE CHRISTIAN (34): Akins 0, Lane 0, Vanlandingham 2, Ferreira 4, Coats 0, Jones 15, Law 2, Roberson 5, McCauley 6, Haley 0. Eagle Point 13 10 14 20— 57 Cascade Christian 7 9 9 9— 34 3-point goals — Eagle Point 4 (R. Baldwin 1, Garlitz 1, Lindstrom 2), Cascade Christian 2 (Jones 2). PHOENIX 52, ST. MARY’S 29: Phoenix senior Kynna Nolan stepped up for the Pirates with 15 points and seven rebounds and junior Anabell Delgado chipped in with 10 points, six steals and four rebounds as the Pirates overcame the absence of injured leading scorer Morgan James. Ruby Rector added 11 points and Brooke McConnell had five points and six rebounds for the Pirates (7-4), who erased an 8-7 deficit with a 15-3 run to turn the tide against Class 3A St. Mary’s (0-5). Maddie Ward led the charge for the Crusaders with nine points and Katherine Mejia scored seven. James suffered an ankle injury late in Thursday’s game. PHOENIX (52): Nolan 15, Woodward 5, Mohamud 6, Vos 0, Delgado 10, Shull-Bain 0, Rector 11, McConnell 5, Jacobs-Grigsby 0. Totals: 20 9-17 52. ST. MARY’S (29): Medley 0, Ward 9, Ayala 5, Mejia 7, Bowdoin 5, Jensen 3. Totals: 11 4-8 29. Phoenix1415149— 52 St. Mary’s8759— 29 3-point goals — Phoenix 3 (Nolan 1, Delgado 1, Rector 1), St. Mary’s 3 (Ayala 1, Jensen 1, Bowdoin 1). Fouled out — Ward. Cascade Christian's, from left, Drew Hall and Cannon Anderson battle Westside Christian's Will Ficker for the ball during the second quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Austin Maurer shoots for a score against Westside Christian during the first quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Cannon Anderson drives to the hoop against Westside Christian during the second quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Drew Hall drives to the hoop for a score against Westside Christian during the second quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Peyton Maurer connects for one of his three 3-pointers against Westside Christian during the third quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Austin Maurer scoops in a shot against Westside Christian during the first quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Austin Maurer drives to the hoop for a score against Westside Christian during the third quarter in Medford Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Eagle Point's Bryton Livingston fights for a rebound against Klamath Union at Cascade Christian High School Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Eagle Point's Peyton Pierce drives to the hoop against Klamath Union at Cascade Christian High School Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Eagle Point's Hayden Weaver shoots for two points against Klamath Union at Cascade Christian High School Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Eagle Point's Gabriel Brionnes drives to the hoop for two points against Klamath Union at Cascade Christian High School Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Eagle Point's Hayden Weaver flies to save the ball against Klamath Union at Cascade Christian High School Friday evening. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]