By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– When Adrian Lewis first took over the South Salem Girls Basketball program now going on nearly ten years ago, he knew he’d had his hands full.
He was following a legend in Nick McWilliams, who’s now an assistant coach out at Stayton High School with the Boy’s Basketball program, and high expectations to continue that Saxon success that McWilliams had going on when McWiliams left in 2017.
Through the years, he’s done that. A constant playoff team and an Elite 8 appearance during the 2019-2020 season to his name as the first week of the season is underway.
“It seems like yesterday I was just starting, taking over for McWilliams, who was a legendary coach here and trying to make my own way,” Lewis said “It’s been incredible. I feel like I’ve done a lot and I’m excited for the future. I still have a passion for coaching girls basketball and I love helping girls become more confident people everyday.”
This past season South Salem reached the second round of the 6A Playoffs before falling to Jefferson of Portland to end the season 18-9. And entering this year, they return a solid nucleus from that squad.
Despite graduating Brezlyn Schwalm, they’ll have a strong senior class that features six seniors in three-year starters in Brook Tate and Emma Burlison. Layla Palmer,returns healthy, Palmer suffered an ACL injury last December that sidelined her and will provide some defensive firepower.
“She’s a bulldog out there. She’s tough and she’s very intelligent, she has a high basketball IQ, so it’s good to see her back on the court,” Lewis said of Palmer.
Frankie Hamill, also a senior, returns. Hamill was the Saxons Sixth Man as a junior last year and the addition of Chica Casas from West Salem that could put the Saxons in prime position to not just win the Central Valley Conference, but also make a deep run in the postseason.
“Just making sure that we’re here for each other, and I think we can do that,” said Lewis. “It’s going to be the big thing the next two weeks, our first game is against Century and they were pretty good last year. So making sure we slowly progress. We don’t have to start off hot, I like to build up towards the end of the year.”
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
