Varsity 541

Panthers beat alumni team

December 18, 2008

South Medford assistant coach Kirk Daley didn't know quite what to expect when his Panthers faced an established group of South Medford alumni on Wednesday.

"I didn't know if we were going to get blown out by 30," Daley said. "I talked to the alums before the game and said, 'We're all playing this as if it will go on our record. We expect you guys to play hard and play to win. If you blow us out by 30, you blow us out by 30."

But the newest bunch of Panthers made sure that didn't happen.

E.J. Singler had 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and Cameron Kynard had 11 points and 10 rebounds in South Medford's 79-71 victory over the South Medford alumni in a preseason boys basketball contest that will count on the Panthers' overall record.

Josh Havird had 18 points and Mitch Singler added 12 for South Medford (2-0), which plays tonight at 5:30 against Pleasant Valley (Calif.) in the Red Bluff Tournament.

"All the guys stood up to the challenge and not knowing what to expect from an older player," Daley said. "I don't know that it modeled a good high school game. But it was nice to lean and beat on someone else. It was definitely needed and necessary."

Van Dellenback-Ouellette led the South Medford alumni with 21 points and Ryan Fiegi added 19.

The Panthers led the alumni by eight at the break, but the alumni closed to within three late before South Medford pulled away with free throws.

South Medford was 15-of-17 shooting from the free-throw line.

"It's tough when you throw a team together," Daley said. "They (alumni) are probably not in the shape they wish they were. But they are all great competitors. Under the circumstances, they did a great job."

SOUTH MEDFORD ALUMNI (71) — Wightman 12, Anderson 11, Dellenback-Ouellette 21, Boyd 4, Fiegi 19, Grimes 0, Adams 4, Franz 0. Totals: 26 11-17 71.

SOUTH MEDFORD (79) — Brassel 4, McLaughlin 2, Kynard 11, M. Singler 12, Havird 18, E. Singler 23, Mercer 2, Peterson 7. Totals: 31 15-17 79.

South Medford Alumni 14 13 19 25 — 71

South Medford 21 14 21 23 — 79

3-point goals — South Medford Alumni 8 (Wightman 2, Anderson 3, Dellenback-Ouellette 3), South Medford 2 (Kynard 1, E. Singler 1).

ILLINOIS VALLEY 64, EAGLE POINT 62 — At Cave Junction, Antonio Escalante's layin off an assist from Kevin Snook with 11 seconds remaining lifted Illinois Valley to the victory.

Austin Marlia's 3-pointer knotted the score at 52-all before Escalante's winning shot.

The Eagles (4-3) had one last attempt but Zack Reed missed short jumper and Austin Rowley's tip-in rimmed out at the final buzzer.

Rowley, a senior post, led all scorers with 25 points and pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore wing Logan Winter added 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Eagles.

Snook paced four IV players in double figures with 22 points. Sophomore Roger Hults had 14 points, while Escalante and Nathan Heath each scored 10 for the Cougars (4-3).

EAGLE POINT (62) — Rowley 25, Winter 19, Marlia 12, Tuttle 6, VanDyke 0, Gonzalez 0, Reed 0, Morris 0, Holmes 0. Totals: 26 4-5 62.

ILLINOIS VALLEY (64) — Snook 22, Augustadt 6, Escalante 10, R. Hults 14, Heath 10, Mikels 2, F. Hults 0. Totals: 29 3-4 64.

Eagle Point 21 16 8 17 — 62

Illinois Valley 24 13 9 18 — 64

3-point goals — Eagle Point 6 (Winter 3, Marlia 2, Rowley 1), Illinois Valley 3 (R. Hults 1, Escalante 2).

JV score — Eagle Point 55, Illinois Valley 34.

Hockey

CRATER 8, SOUTH MEDFORD 6 — Jake Randol scored four times in the third period for Crater as the Comets overcame a 5-0 deficit to post its first victory of the season at the RRRink.

Crater tied the game on Randol's third goal with 4:06 remaining and then took the lead when Randol scored short-handed with 2:21 remaining. Bryce Crawford added another short-handed goal with 1:06 remaining.

Crater scored seven goals on nine shots in the third.

Dane Irving scored four — including three unassisted — for South Medford (0-2-1).

Daniel Gomez came back after being hit in the face with a puck to score twice and Aaron Asbeck had three assists for Crater (1-3-1).

South Medford 3 2 1 — 6

Crater 0 1 7 — 8

ASHLAND 9, NORTH MEDFORD 2 — Freshman Keegan Healy scored four goals and Casey Skolnik added two goals and four assists as Ashland remained undefeated in the Southern Oregon League against previously unbeaten North Medford (3-1) at The RRRink.

Healy's goal gave the Grizzlies (4-0) a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period. Healy scored one of five Ashland goals in the second stanza and added two more in the third.

Sam Taylor tallied twice and Josh McLaughlin once for the Grizzlies.

Both Black Tornado goals came in the third period on scores by Taylor Covey and Alan Evans.

North Medford freshman goalkeeper Chase Myers recorded 22 saves, while Gabe Dean needed just five stops in net for Ashland.

North Medford 0 0 2 — 2

Ashland 1 5 3 — 9

Swimming

NORTH MEDFORD SWEEPS ROSEBURG — North Medford upset perennial powerhouse Roseburg in a Southwest Conference dual at the Rogue Valley Family YMCA.

The Black Tornado boys posted a 100-68 victory, while the North girls triumphed 105-67.

Ko Suzuki and Kyle Wehage sparked the North win with double individual victories.

In girls, Julie Cendejas had a big meet for North. Cendejas won the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. She rallied North to the victory in the 200 free relay with a strong final leg and was also part of the winning 200 medley relay.

Nilsa Gibson also picked up two individual wins for the Black Tornado and was part of two winning relays.

BOYS

TEAM SCORES — North Medford 100, Roseburg 68.

200 MEDLEY RELAY — 1, North Medford (Davis, Wehage, Suzuki, Kastner), 1:53.15; 2, North Medford, 2:09.60; 3, Roseburg, 2:20.50.

200 FREESTYLE — 1, Wehage, NM, 2:00.53; 2, Becherer, R, 2:18.48; 3, Reen, NM, 2:31.47.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1, Suzuki, NM, 2:13.57; 2, Mehlcum, R, 2:14.52; 3, (Roseburg), 2:37.44.

50 FREESTYLE — 1, Davis, NM, 24.36; 2, Leigh-San, R, 25.06; 3, Hill, NM, 26.81.

100 BUTTERFLY — 1, Kastner, NM, 1:08.20; 2, Becherer, R, 1:10.47; 3, Hill, NM, 1:12.07.

100 FREESTYLE — 1, Suzuki, NM, 54.38; 2, Zelmer, NM, 58.63; 3, Leigh-San, R, 58.80.

500 FREESTYLE — 1, Wehage, NM, 5:28.01; 2, Miller, NM, 6:39.46; 3,

200 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1, North Medford (Suzuki, Davis, Kastner, Wehage), 1:39.48; 2, Roseburg, 1:44.64; 3, Roseburg, 2:03.96.

100 BACKSTROKE — 1, Davis, NM, 1:07.51; 2, Cruz, R, 1:16.05; 3, Kastner, NM, 1:17.14.

100 BREASTSTROKE — 1, Mehlcum, R, 1:06.93; 2, Trza, R, 1:19.72; 3, Zelmer, NM, 1:21.13.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1, Roseburg (Mehlcum, Bech, Trza, Leigh-San), 3:59.75; 2, North Medford, 4:13.75; 3, Zelmer, NM, 1:21.13.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES — North Medford 105, Roseburg 67.

200 MEDLEY RELAY — 1, North Medford (Houck, Gilder, J. Cendejas, Gibson), 2:11.81; 2, Roseburg, 2:14.10; 3, North Medford, 2:23.44.

200 FREESTYLE — 1, Gibson, NM, 2:26.49; 2, Lee, R, 2:30.43; 3, O'Connel, R, 2:43.54.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1, Murphy, R, 2:23.68; 2, Gilder, NM, 2:48.87; 3, Zuver, R, 2:58.01.

50 FREESTYLE — 1, Newton, NM, 30.63; 2, Kohl, NM, 30.65; 3, Fum, 31.02.

100 BUTTERFLY — 1, Murphy, R, 1:05.96; 2, Houck, NM, 1:06.53; 3, Lee, R, 1:22.27.

100 FREESTYLE — 1, J. Cendejas, NM, 1:05.80; 2, Zuver, R, 1:09.65; 3, Sinner, NM, 1:14.81.

500 FREESTYLE — 1, Gibson, NM, 6:34.58; 2, Gilder, NM, 6:49.34; 3, Freda, NM, 7:05.53.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1, North Medford (Houck, Kohl, Newton, J. Cendejas), 1:58.76; 2, Roseburg, 1:59.48; 3, Roseburg, 2:18.51.

100 BACKSTROKE — 1, Houck, NM, 1:10.99; 2, A. Cendejas, 1:19.08; 3, Fum, R, 1:30.15.

100 BREASTSTROKE — 1, J. Cendejas, NM, 1:24.28; 2, Totom, R, 1:28.46; 3, Kohl, NM, 1:32.90.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1, North Medford (Gilder, A. Cendejas, Sinner, Gibson), 4:46.85; 2, Roseburg, 5:03.73; 3, Roseburg, 5:24.20