Gladstone can win a lot of games if the 2-3 zone continues to work as well as it did tonight. Hard to not see Gladstone competing for a Quarterfinal spot right now.
First off, Gladstone is loaded with seniors, and the poise with which they played tonight showed it. Cohen Daves and Carver Mellema aren't a duo that will turn many heads on a state wide level considering the top end of the 4A landscape currently, but they're just dangerous enough that come February and March they could become thoroughly engrained in the consciousness of 4A basketball fans. The toughness factor Gladstone usually possesses is manifestly still there, the hustle is there as well, all that is missing is--and it shows at times--is the A-tier guy. Undoubtedly the favorite in the Tri-Valley right now, it is hard to see Gladstone not hosting a first round playoff game.
Scappoose is better than the 2-6 record would suggest, but the road is still steep for them to make a playoff push. There is some promising youth on the roster, but Gladstone was certainly on a different level than Scappoose--if there was any doubt remaining from the first matchup between these two teams earlier in the season.
