#2 Yoda Ranking Dayton Pirates Preview By: Yoda Coach Ron Hop is optimistic about this season as his kids had a great summer and fall season together with all 8 rotation kids present for nearly all contests. All 8 also play AAU ball and several train year round. Coach Hop feels this team has excellent chemistry from top to bottom and any of the 8 could start(and probably will) on any given day depending on the speed and height of their opponent. The Pirates are coming off a runnerup finish last year to Delasalle and they still feel the sting of that final loss and have it on their bucket list to keep improving every day as a team as they know they can make a run for the Blue Trophy this season if everyone puts the team first. Returning to be the Assistant Coach is Randy Freeborn, Dayton playing legend and who was a key cog in Dayton's former success. Dayton is led by 3 seniors that are also three of the top players in 3A in 5-9 point guard Braeden Nowlin, 6-2 shooting guard Lukas Findley and 6-5 Big Man Shot Blocker Jaysen Howard. Those 3 will do the bulk of the scoring for the Pirates but the talent doesnt stop there. 6-3 Sophomore guard Dawson Ashley is the 4th starter and can do it all and is one of the top sophomores in 3A. 6-4 junior rebounding wizard, Payton Garrison was the 5th starter in summer ball but broke his wrist in football and only got to play the last few days of fall ball as the Pirates won the Hoopsource Division 2 Fall League(they also won all their summer league contests). Brothers 6-1 Jacob(junior) and 6-4 Justin(soph) Morales give the Pirates the speed and size that championship teams need and are very skilled at both ends. Superfrosh 6-0 Tyler Spink rounds out the main rotation for the Pirates and is considered one of the top freshman in all classes of Oregon and the top freshman in 3A. He has great court awareness. The Pirates round out their Varsity squad with swing players sophomore Gavin Arce, freshman Benji Hudson, as well as sophomores Kaden Fergus and Kobin Olivieria, junior Cody Fuller and seniors Noah White and Ramon Pantoja.
