By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
FOREST GROVE, Ore. — They were met with back-to-back chants by their student section that has been supportive and made the long commute up to Forest Grove High School the last three days to see this result.
And the Stayton Girls Basketball team found a way to thank them by battling through yet another tough challenge in St. Helens Saturday night.
“Last year a lot.of people showed up for us and I think they knew we had the talent to do it again. Everyone kept showing up and everyone was super excited to watch us, it was great. It kept our energy up all game and I think that’s what helped us win the game,” said Kathryn Samek.
It felt like Groundhog Day all over again for the Eagles. Like Philomath and like Henley before, the Lions gave the Eagles all they could handle. But it was this State Title Game in which it took a team to go the distance with Stayton.
It was 14-8 at halftime and it was 16-12 with 4:40 left in the third quarter before the Eagles made their move.
A 16-7 run between the 4:40 mark and the 5:17 mark of the fourth quarter was the spark they needed. The offense was their shots and their defense made the stops needed to build that lead, which reached 32-17 by that 5:17 mark.
“I think the main thing that clicked was focusing on being teammates for one another…i think that’s what did it for us, being confident in one another,” said Makenzie Schacher. “The battles, especially yesterday, was a little nerve racking, but we just kept the fight up and told one another that we believed in each other.”
The Lions made a run, cutting the lead back down to six with 31.8 remaining in the game, but St. Helens ran out of time to complete the comeback with Stayton taking the game 34-26. And in the process completing the back-to-back feat, a first for the program.
Samek contributed ten points with 13 rebounds. Schacher led the Eagles with 11 points
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
