By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
FOREST GROVE, Ore.– Stayton Head Coach Tal Wold knows ball.
Two years ago, prior to his arrival, the Eagles lost in the 4A State Play-In round 52-40 to Klamath Union. The next season, Wold took over, and they got to Forest Grove. And by his second year.
This year.
The Eagles reached the 4A State Finals for the first time since 2007.
It was their buy-in. They bought into what Coach Wold was preaching and telling them. Defense. Offense. No one was above the team.
And it paid off to get them to this point.
For the third time this season, they played Philomath once again. The two teams split the series during the Oregon West Conference play, and the rubber match would decide the 4A State Championship.
The Eagles jumped out to a 15-8 lead by the 4:23 mark of the second quarter. Their Warriors clawed back and took a 16-15 lead before Stayton pulled ahead, going into halftime ahead 22-19.
It was a highly competitive game, something you would want for the State Championship.
Stayton would make the first run of the second half as they built a 37-28 lead late into the third quarter and led 37-30 after three quarters.
“Just staying together through the ups-and-downs. Being there for each other , picking each other up and saying,’You’ll get it next time. Our defense was also really good, so that really helped out,” said Haley Butenschoen.
Butenschoen was one of five seniors on this team who helped lead this squad this Winter.
And once again they led as their lead grew back to nine early into the fourth quarter and remained there midway through the quarter with Stayton up 39-30 until Brecci Hampton hit a three to push the Eagle lead into double figures 42-30 with 3:32 left in regulation.
It was that team comradery, that team focus and determination to play as one unitv that helped Stayton build their sizable lead.
“We knew we were going to have a second half like that, but we knew it wasn’t going to be easy the two times we’ve played them,” said Hampton. “It felt pretty good, and we sticked together. Positive talk. We always got with the term, ‘don’t listen to yourself, talk to yourself’. So we always think positively and encourage each other and talking to each other through it.”
Aspen Russell hit a trio of free throws to get Philomath back within nine of Stayton with 3:34 left. But the Warriors weren’t able to make a run at it in time as Stayton won their first Girls Basketball State Title since 2007 and third overall as a program and is Coach Wold’s second State Title as a Head Coach.
Kathryn Samek led the Eagles with 18 points with five rebounds. Kenzie Hollenbeck led Stayton with ten rebounds with six points.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
