Road to Coos Bay will not be an easy one..
This year could go down as one of the most entertaining league playoffs, Sweet 16 and elite eight games we had in recent memory. With the addition of 4A teams and new leagues, the usual suspects in Coos Bay will have there work cut out for them to make it again. There are a ton of teams out there that has the potential to make a run at State come February. Good luck to Everyone!
Transfers will play a major impact on a few teams. Here are three teams that stands out the most as of today.
The biggest one of them all is the departure of RJ Veliz. RJ was my Preseaon Player of the Year but he decided to take his talents to Woodburn. We wish him nothing but the best and thanks for an awesome three years at Blanchet. With that being said, Blanchet loss two studs in RJ and Diego Torres, which ultimately made them go from a title contender to a team looking for an identity.
St. Mary’s has four foreign exchange students from London, England that will be on their roster. I haven’t seen them play but I am hearing some good thing about them. If true, Sutherlin and Cascade Chrisitan will need to make some room for St. Marys to be in the league title hunt.
Santiam Christian has won the preseason lottery with addition of Lebanon two transfers in Sophomore Joe MaQatish and Junior Koby Williamson. Both kids are well over 6’5 and coming off a solid aau circuit with International Elite. Adding these two with #1 Senior and #1 Sophomore Baugher brothers and they are the biggest threat to win the State Title!
Game of the week
Dayton @Catlin Gabel
This game will showcase a lot of talent including (Yoda players to watch) #2 Senior Braeden Nowlins, #2 Sophomore Ubedei McGautha, #3 Junior Jett Sheng and #6 Senior Lukas Findley. This should be a game you don’t want to miss.
Dayton travels to Catlin for an early Top 5 showdown. Dayton has two key components that makes them a title contender and those are both depth and experience. They will be lead by there three seniors Braeden Nowlins, Lukas Findley and Jaysen Howard. Coach Hop is no stranger in coaching in big games so expect him to have his guys ready to compete.
HUGE opportunity for Catlin tonight! Catlin is in the conversation as a title contender and has a chance to prove it against Dayton. Catlin may not have the amount of depth Dayton has but their top four players can compete with anyone in the state! Catlin will be lead by there four stars in senior Sasha Agapiev, Junior Jett Sheng and two super sophomores in Jonah Zeller and Ubedei McGautha. Coach Malloy is coming off an historic season and is ready to go even further this year. Starting with Dayton!
I will be there tonight. What an awesome opening night matchup as two top 5 teams face off and both are loaded with talented kids. Dayton has one of the top of not the top coach around and Catlin has one of the freshest aau coaches leading his young talented squad. This should be a rolling highlight film so Brandon get your camera ready.