a whole bunch of good things have been happening for the West Linn squad the Lions picked up their sixth consecutive victory by fighting off Tualatin for a 9-4 win in a Three Rivers League game at Rosemont Ridge Middle School “I think it was really good,” said West Linn senior first baseman Meg Allen “It was a good win,” West Linn junior shortstop Emily Sakys said Working together — that certainly seems to be the common thread when it comes to West Linn’s current streak of playing some strong softball stringing hits together and backing each other up,” West Linn senior second baseman Emery Curtis said “We’re just doing a really good job working together stringing hits together and working on doing all of the little things right,” Allen said “I think a lot of it is everyone’s determination and working together as a team That’s a really big thing for us,” Sakys said “We’re working toward our goals for the season.” the main goal for the West Linn squad is the Three Rivers League championship “We’ve been talking about it for a while,” Sakys said “I think a big thing is just staying humble and to just keep working toward that with all six of those victories coming in Three Rivers League contests improved to 6-1 in TRL games (14-3 overall) putting the Lions one game ahead of second-place Oregon City and two up on third-place Tigard in the league standings We’re going to have to keep pushing through because we have some good teams in the running with us.” “I think we’ve been accomplishing a lot of our goals The effervescent Curtis has a constant smile when she talks about the West Linn team and the Lions’ season We’re having so much fun together,” Curtis said 5 team in the Class 6A power rankings as well as being the No 8-ranked squad in the latest Class 6A coaches poll “Our team chemistry is really good,” Sakys said West Linn junior shortstop Emily Sakys unleashes a throw to first base during the Lions’ 9-4 win over Tualatin at Rosemont Ridge Middle School / Dan BroodIf the Lions are still figuring out their hitting the rest of the state might have a big problem when they do finally get that issue taken care of who also patrols the outfield for the Lions a home run and team-high totals of 27 runs and 20 stolen bases Curtis has a .422 batting average with 18 runs Sakys has a .377 batting average with five doubles junior Piper Ruthrauff and junior McKayla Castro provide the power is batting .311 with six home runs and 14 RBIs is hitting at a .340 clip with three doubles Allen has a .313 average with five home runs and 15 RBIs sophomore pitcher Avery Wolf has a 12-3 win-loss record with a 2.58 earned-run average She has 75 strikeouts and 25 walks in 78 and two-thirds innings West Linn sophomore Avery Wolf fires a pitch to the plate during the Lions’ 9-4 win over Tualatin in Wednesday’s Three Rivers League game / Dan BroodWest Linn is also solid with the gloves and our hitting is getting there,” Curtis said Everyone does their part and goes all-out,” Allen said The Lions have also shown a penchant for good timing with their hitting That was certainly on display in Wednesday’s game with Tualatin The Timberwolves took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning Atwood led off the bottom of the first with an infield single Curtis followed with a single to left field and Sakys was hit by a pitch Castro belted a grand slam over the fence in left-center field West Linn junior McKayla Castro connects for a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning in the Lions’ 9-4 win over Tualatin / Dan Brood“I feel that’s a big thing for us,” Sakys said “We pick each other up and we know when the time is right Tualatin trimmed the West Linn lead to 4-3 with a two-run homer by senior Sadie Guyette the left-handed Allen crushed a home run over the fence in right field “I went up there trying to redeem myself from my first at-bat Wolf pitched three and two-thirds scoreless innings in relief for West Linn We strung some hits together and scored runs “Being able to shut down (the other team’s) energy is a big key to winning as evidenced by the scene throughout the game in the West Linn dugout and with the raucous noise heard from inside the team room after the victory the Lions have gotten really good at having fun “With everyone working together and hyping each other up having fun goes beyond just enjoying time on the field with her teammates was laughing and joking with the four Timberwolves infielders West Linn senior Emery Curtis (10) chats with the four Tualatin infielders after her fourth-inning double in the Lions’ 9-4 victory Wednesday it’s just all about connections and the people you play against.” West Linn definitely has its sights on that Three Rivers League title and maybe something beyond that — not that the Lions are looking too far ahead I think that will help us a lot,” Sakys said We just need to keep lifting each other up and keep grinding “We’re really hoping to win league and go really far in the playoffs,” Allen said “We’re just taking it one game at a time.” “We definitely want to win league and make a good run in the playoffs,” Curtis said we just need to remember that it’s all for each other To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App DAN BROODDan Brood who might be the very last of the straight-on place-kickers has been covering high school sports in Oregon for more than 30 years winning multiple awards for writing and photography He started working with SBLive Sports in 2021 © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not 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Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Tim Tawa flashes a smile before taking infield practice at the Salt River Fields in Scottsdale on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News) PHOENIX – Quiet settles into the Arizona Diamondbacks clubhouse three hours before first pitch Second baseman Tim Tawa is in a reflective mood thinking back on high school days in West Linn The town isn’t exactly a bursting metropolis with a population of 26,000 people but it’s a small factory for big-time athletes Denver Broncos offensive lineman Alex Forsyth ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt and now Tawa have put the city on the map as the list grows Tawa grew up inspired by the talent that grew in his backyard and believed that the big leagues were possible and they were big parts of helping me get to where I am right now so really grateful for them and their coaching But unlike many big leaguers whose careers were built on perfecting one position Drafted by Arizona in the 11th round in 2021 Tawa climbed through the minors by any means necessary he played every position on the field except catcher in Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno That flexibility became his ticket to the major leagues he made his MLB debut on the road against the Washington Nationals and recorded a hit He’s just got good baseball instincts and he was swinging the bat really well in Triple-A,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Part of Tawa’s good baseball instincts come from his strong academic record in high school and college His parents always wanted him to attend an Ivy League university not only for athletics West Linn baseball coach Joe Monahan offered a hand “I talked to his father about his education and he didn’t want Tim to play at an average academic school … And that is when I reached out to Stanford for him,” Monahan said Stanford offered the perfect fit academically and athletically It also meant the end of Tawa’s two other passions: football and basketball Monahan remembers the first time he met Tawa ‘Coach I need you to play catch with my son.’ (I said,) ‘Your son Tawa’s journey to his debut isn’t just a milestone – it’s a moment of gratitude exciting to be here just to be a part of this team and get this opportunity and I feel very fortunate and excited for the opportunity,” he said football caught his eye in middle school and his talents took off in high school Former West Linn football coach Chris Miller told a story about the first time he met Tawa and his father Miller had been offered the coaching job at West Linn but hadn’t quite made his decision yet John sent a letter to Chris that ultimately sealed the deal sent me about a two thirds page email saying this is what you would be getting if you came up to West Linn,” said Miller “He listed all of Tim’s middle school accomplishments Tawa competed for the starting quarterback position West Linn opened the 2014-2015 season against the second-ranked team in the state Tawa started the season on the bench for the first half and Miller and his staff had a tough decision to make Keep the current quarterback in or switch to Tawa “We were talking about which quarterback to play and one of my coaches said Tim brings us more of his escape ability and athleticism.’ So we went with him and never looked back,” Miller said He finished the season with 2,943 passing yards and 38 touchdowns that season Tawa had a 137.7 QB rating that not only led West Linn to a state quarterfinals appearance but earned him Oregon’s Gatorade Player of the Year Award as the first player in the school’s history to earn the honor While Tawa’s sophomore year was impressive it was only the start to one of Oregon’s top high school football careers The junior broke Oregon’s single-season passing record with 4,420 yards in 2015 Tawa also landed in the top 10 in passing touchdowns in a season with 50 He became one of the nation’s best quarterbacks with 3,394 passing yards and 55 touchdowns Tawa was named to the Max Preps-All American team as an all-purpose player and the MaxPreps National Male High School Athlete of the Year Even after setting multiple state football records and compiling numerous awards Tawa still elected to continue his athletic career on the basketball court where he didn’t receive significant playing time but still made an impact but it wasn’t like he got major minutes but he was a great teammate,” West Linn basketball Eric Viuhkola said wasn’t scared of Peyton (Pritchard) and would challenge him It was just two great athletes going at it all the time in practice.” Tawa played basketball to strengthen his skills on the baseball diamond and improve his conditioning and agility “I always just admired him so much for that when he knew he wasn’t going to have an integral role … I think it said a lot about him and the competitor he is and just an all around athlete,” Viuhkola said The additional work in other sports only helped Tawa on the baseball field Monahan told Tawa that he would have to start in center field His athleticism that came from the basketball court would suit him for the demands of the position After leading the team in hitting and playing a pivotal role toward league championship as a freshman Monahan had no choice but to slot Tawa in at shortstop I asked him to play shortstop and I explained to him and his father when you look at right hitting outfielders a good majority of them played shortstop in high school,” Monahan said Sophomore year saw Tawa return to the outfield Tawa put in a request with Monahan that would stick to this day ‘I am ready to go back to shortstop,’” Monahan said Tawa went on to hit .434 and post a jaw-dropping 0.69 ERA over 33 innings to earn Oregon’s Gatorade Player of the Year It was clear before the age of 5 that he wasn’t just another mult-sport athlete “I’ll try and follow along as best I can with Just see how you know the high school alma mater is doing,” he said Cooper Burns expects to graduate in spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism Burns has interned as a broadcaster in the Coastal Plain League in North Carolina Samuel Nute expects to graduate in spring 2025 with his master’s degree in mass communication Nute has covered ASU sports for three years the Big 12 Championship and the Peach Bowl Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Staff members are listed here Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast Find out how your news organization can use Cronkite News content Sign up for daily headlines [email protected] Creative Commons Privacy statement It was a beautiful day in downtown Portland on Saturday and the only thing nicer than the sun rays outside was the music being played at Portland State University for the 2025 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union State Solo Music Championships Hundreds of students from across the state descended upon PSU's Lincoln Hall to put their musical talents on full display in pursuit of a state championship West Salem led the way with wins in four categories while West Linn followed with three of its own West Salem's Dante Caballero had a standout day winning both the High Saxophone and Low Saxophone categories But Caballero wasn't the only musician to take home multiple first place medals as Liam Andrews of Mountainside took the title in both Orchestral Snare Drum and Timpani 18 different schools claimed a winner over 26 categories in total The winners of each category are below, with a full list of results available here Rudimental Snare Drum: Jeramyah Acosta Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season. Team previews touch on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball Oregon Preseason Power 25 Rankings Team Previews are generated through a mixture of coaches' responses gathered through our perennial coaches questionnaires as well as insight from Prep Baseball Staff Stay tuned the next several weeks for the unveiling of Team Previews and the complete Power 25 we spotlight the #1 ranked West Linn Lions High School: West Linn Lions    Head Coach: Joe MonahanDivision: 6ALeague/Conference: Three Rivers2024 Record (Finish): 26-42024 Playoff Finish: 6A state champions   of Returning Pitchers: 3Key Players Lost: Ryan Vandenbrink Starting Pitching: Carson Boyer Bullpen: Ryan Hemsley Top Seniors: Danny Wideman, Carson Boyer, Maverick Harper Top Juniors: Ryan Hemsley, Hank Curdy, Caden Klouda, Kai Sugiuchi, Zach VandenBrink Underclassmen to watch: '27 Sloan Baker, '27 Gabriel Cruz, '27 Gavin Thaut, '28 Cohen Bissell Coaches Outlook: “This team will be similar to our 2022 team we will have a mix of young players and a few veterans The team as a whole boasts plenty of speed and athleticism with several position battles to watch as the season unfolds Head coach Joe Monahan is circling games against Sunset and Barlow to open the Lions' season as key matchups Look for West Linn to put out a strong side that once again should be in the mix for a 6A state title Find more information on the 2025 West Linn program below: + Follow them on IG: @westlinnbsb+ Visit the Prep Baseball Oregon Preseason Power 25 homepage + New Recruiting Rules, Early Impacts+ College Calendar: The Summer and Fall+ Putting Yourself Out There           .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Nik Streng | The Oregonian/OregonLiveAfter spending the last two years at Idaho, former Oregon high school football standout Mark Hamper is headed to California. Hamper announced on social media on Thursday that he is committing to Cal after entering the transfer portal. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cal Football (@cal_football) Hamper was one of the top two-way players in Oregon when he played at West Linn He helped lead the Lions to the 2022 Class 6A state championship and was named a first team all-state selection at receiver and was a second team all-state linebacker Hamper spent the past two seasons at Idaho and became one of the Vandals’ top offensive producers He recorded 49 catches for 961 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 season (No Hamper originally announced that he was committing to Wisconsin Subscribe to the High School Sports+ newsletter Sign up here to get exclusive news and insights from high school sports editor Nik Streng -- Nik Streng covers high school sports in Oregon. Reach him at nstreng@oregonian.com or @NikStreng Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cal Football (@cal_football) Get email updates Joint investigation leads to arrests in West Linn and Wilsonville burglaries WLPD Case # 24-06912 | CCSO Case # 24-022050 West Linn Police responded to a reported burglary at NW Self Storage on Willamette Falls Drive in West Linn officers discovered that thousands of dollars’ worth of business equipment had been stolen from one of the storage units West Linn Police returned to the same storage unit and found it had been burglarized again at approximately 4:30 a.m resulting in the theft of additional equipment valued at thousands of dollars The storage unit belonged to Non-Profit Home Inspections a charitable organization that assists low-income households by providing home inspection services Just days later, at around 3:00 a.m. on October 20, deputies from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to the City of Wilsonville Police Department, were dispatched to Stafford Beverage on Jack Burns Boulevard in response to a burglary in progress Deputies determined that a group of suspects had forcibly entered the business by smashing a glass front door the suspects stole thousands of dollars in cash and liquor before fleeing the scene Investigators identified several similarities between the two incidents including matching suspect descriptions captured on surveillance footage Video from the West Linn storage unit burglary also revealed a suspect vehicle which provided investigators with a crucial lead ultimately leading to the identification of a person of interest uncovered additional suspects and advanced the case significantly pointing the investigation across state lines into Washington Working with law enforcement partners in Clark and Cowlitz counties search warrants were obtained and executed at multiple locations on December 4th including items taken during the West Linn storage unit burglary as well as additional goods linked to other burglaries across the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area Through the collaboration of both agencies investigators were able to link the two burglaries This led to the arrest of Kyle Dean Runyon on a Clackamas County warrant related to the burglaries Runyon was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail was also arrested and booked into the Clark County Jail on a related Clackamas County warrant Both suspects will face charges in Clackamas County.  This investigation demonstrates our commitment to conserving community safety through responsiveness Investigators are actively pursuing additional leads as the case remains ongoing Three Clackamas County cities -- Happy Valley Estacada and Wilsonville -- contract with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office to provide municipal police services ADDITIONAL TIPS & INFORMATION WANTED: Anyone with information about these cases is urged to contact either the West Linn Police Department or the Sheriff’s Office by calling the Tip Line -- by phone at 503-723-4949 or by using the online email form at: http://www.clackamas.us/sheriff/tip Public Information OfficerClackamas County Sheriff’s OfficeCommunications Unit SIGN UP for ClackCo Sheriff News Releases in your inbox: Click Here Popular Sheriff's Office Services A Safe Place: Family Justice Center for Clackamas County Leadership Team Concealed Handgun Licenses Reports a little slice of humility went a long way for West Linn's football team the Lions avenged a humbling regular-season defeat in the state championship game turning back Lake Oswego 44-30 in the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 6A Open final Saturday afternoon at Hillsboro Stadium The second-seeded Lions (11-1) scored on their first four possessions to take a 24-0 lead and spent the day fending off top-seeded Lake Oswego (11-1) making up for a 21-17 home loss to the Lakers in a Three Rivers League game when West Linn suffered its only regular-season loss to Sheldon and beat the Irish to take the title “Sometimes when you're winning all the time you kind of drink the poison that comes from articles and that stuff,” said West Linn senior left tackle Jake Normoyle and it makes you come out on top in the end.” West Linn senior tight end/defensive end Baron Naone said the loss to the Lakers stuck with the Lions “We came into this game with a chip on our shoulder We knew we had to come out fast and physical and punch them in the mouth and I think we did just that.” The Lions were hungry to prove themselves against Lake Oswego “Even if they weren't the team we were playing but it came down to the players making a few plays.” Junior Viggo Anderson rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and senior Baird Gilroy threw three touchdown passes to senior Danny Wideman for the Lions Anderson's performance overshadowed Lake Oswego junior star tailback LaMarcus Bell who rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and caught a scoring pass because obviously their offense runs through him,” said Anderson who rushed for 1,508 yards and 15 scores for the season “But I just had to show everybody that I can do the same thing lacked the firepower to keep up with the Lions “I've said all along that's the best team in the state,” Lakers coach Steve Coury said The Lions drove 80 yards on the game's first series starting with a 37-yard run by Gilroy and ending with a five-yard touchdown run by senior Hudson Hardy Gilroy's 10-yard scoring pass to Wideman made it 14-0 After senior Zander Morris drilled a 32-yard field goal Anderson ran for a 14-yard touchdown as the lead grew to 24-0 early in the second quarter Lake Oswego battled back to within 31-14 at half and made it a two-score game in the third quarter when the Lakers came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter we didn't finish a lot of our drives,” Naone said West Linn's defense came through in key moments The Lions got sacks from Naone and juniors James Johnstone and Cole Dickson and interceptions from Dickson and senior Xavier Harris Wideman finished with four catches for 46 yards and three touchdowns giving him 18 scoring catches for the season He was among a handful of seniors that played on the 2022 championship team I'm just glad to leave it all on the field.” Gilroy completed 12 of 22 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns raising his season totals to 2,638 yards and 36 touchdowns Gilroy threw three interceptions in the first game against Lake Oswego That's a good place to start,” Lions coach Jon Eagle said We wouldn't have won the game without him.” It's also the second title in three seasons under Eagle who won two Washington big-school titles at Camas We want kids to learn that hard work pays off We told them good things happen to good people who work hard the title had a different feel than in 2022 we had some ballers who are now in college,” Normoyle said “I think what made this team special is we've been playing with each other since the fourth grade.” which kept fighting back but was undone by penalties and an inability to get off the field on defense PORTLAND – West Linn knew it couldn't afford to let hot-shooting Southridge get comfortable Thursday at the Chiles Center 4 Lions jumped to an early lead and used their length and athleticism to harass the No emerging with a 56-50 win in the quarterfinals of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 6A boys basketball tournament Southridge couldn't find a rhythm from deep connecting on 4 of 19 three-point attempts when the Skyhawks made 18 three-pointers and scored a season-high 96 points in a rout of West Salem That's why we won,” West Linn senior wing Kevin Benson said “We made sure they weren't shooting that many threes the Skyhawks also missed several shots near the basket as the pressure mounted They finished the game shooting 33.3 percent from the field (19 for 57) West Linn first-year coach Travis Myers said that playing from ahead made a big difference for the Lions opening an 11-point lead early in the second quarter “It's huge with a team that can shoot it like that,” Myers said “Because if you let a team that can shoot it at the percentage they shoot from three and you get down … it can get out of hand early We were able to play the way we wanted to play and not let them do what they wanted to do.” Southridge coach Phil Vesel said some of the shots his team missed were “great looks looks we've been hitting,” but credited the Lions for their defense “Sometimes when you're coming off a game where it was easy and then you're playing a great team like West Linn “I just felt like a couple guys played a little bit tight today.” The 6-foot-6 Benson led West Linn with 13 points Senior wing Gavin Gross had 11 points and seven rebounds and sophomore point guard Trey Price added 10 points six rebounds and seven assists for the Lions (22-5) who will carry a nine-game winning streak into Friday's semifinal against No for sure,” Lions senior guard Jalen Snook said West Linn led 31-24 at half and pushed the lead as high as 40-29 on a layup by Price midway through the third quarter getting to within 49-46 on a three-point play by senior forward Alonzo Hoff with 4:15 left in the game Skyhawks senior Keenan Reckamp scored to close the gap to 51-48 with 2:16 to go Benson split two free throws after grabbing an offensive rebound then scored on a drive to put West Linn ahead 54-48 with 1:22 remaining Vesel lamented the missed opportunities during Southridge's comeback those are plays you have to finish,” said Vesel whose team fell in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row We had a couple looks right at the rim that could have made it a one-possession game late.” The long and springy Benson was a force on both ends for West Linn slithering to the basket to score and relentlessly pursuing rebounds He showed his quickness on a steal and dunk in the first quarter – following a steal and dunk by senior wing Wyatt Smiley – as the Lions took control “I told Kevin in practice yesterday that he would be the key if we won tomorrow or not,” Myers said … He's match-up nightmare for guys because he's way more athletic than he looks six rebounds and three steals to lead Southridge (22-6) Sophomore guard Nikko Kalish came off the bench to score 11 points and sophomore guard Elijah Thompson added nine points advances to the semifinals for the third time in four seasons The win helped make up for a 72-67 loss at Southridge in the round of 16 last season The Lions have reached the final four despite two talented freshmen from last season – point guard Pat Vialva Jr and wing Alarion Scott – transferring to Three Rivers League rivals Tualatin and Oregon City They have drawn motivation from being underestimated “That's kind of been the chip on their shoulder all year,” Myers said 'No one thinks much of us.' I'd say after about three or four games people started to figure out we weren't bad.” 8 Sprague 47: Senior guard Jalen Atkins and senior forward Mason Bierbrauer combined for 48 points as the Bruins (25-3) cruised past the Olympians (22-5) Atkins made three three-pointers and finished with 25 points Bierbrauer shot 9 of 14 from the field and had 23 points and four rebounds Barlow also got an all-around game from senior forward Brayden Barron The Bruins jumped to a 9-2 lead on a three-pointer by senior Blake Hills and never looked back Atkins and Bierbrauer had three-point plays during a 10-0 run in the second quarter as the lead grew to 34-18 scoring eight consecutive points on two three-pointers and a jumper to extend the lead to 42-25 which lost in the quarterfinals last season advances to the semifinals to meet West Linn making its first appearance in the quarterfinals in school history Senior guard Braxton Long had 18 points and seven assists and senior forward Anthony Best had 10 points and six rebounds 3 Central Catholic 56: The Crusaders (18-10) used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to overcome an 18-point deficit and take down the reigning champion Rams (19-8) avenging a quarterfinal defeat to Central Catholic last year and two nonleague losses this season Central Catholic led 37-19 early in the third quarter on a three-pointer by junior wing Jalen Nicholson before Jesuit turned the game with a massive surge Senior guard Ryan Fraser started the rally with two layups and a three-pointer The Crusaders added four more three-pointers in the run two each from senior point guard Patrick Kilfoil and sophomore guard Isaac Bongen Bongen hit a triple to draw Jesuit even at 37-37 and Kilfoil made another for a 40-37 lead Kilfoil's three-pointer with one second left in the third quarter put the Crusaders up 45-40 Bongen added two more three-pointers in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 58-49 with 2:15 left Jesuit sealed its ninth consecutive win by scoring its last 11 points on free throws Kilfoil finished with three three-pointers and 17 points Bongen shot 4 of 5 from three-point range and scored 16 points The Crusaders shot 9 of 19 from behind the arc giving them 32 three-pointers in three postseason games Nicholson had 17 points and six rebounds and senior guard Isaac Carr added 13 points for Central Catholic Jesuit will play in the semifinals for the first time since winning the 2019 title Friday when it meets Metro League rival Westview Jesuit and Westview have played three times this season with the Wildcats winning the first two and Jesuit taking the third game 2 Tualatin 56: The Wildcats (22-5) earned their first semifinal berth in 14 years by dispatching the Timberwolves (21-6) Senior James Kefgen scored 21 points to lead Westview made four three-pointers and finished with 17 points Senior forward James Grady added 13 points Russell hit three three-pointers in the first half as the Wildcats built a 20-10 lead Tualatin went on a 10-1 run to start the second half pulling ahead 31-29 on a three-pointer by 6-7 senior post Javier Diaz Westview responded by scoring the next 10 points getting back-to-back three-pointers from Kefgen to lead 39-31 Tualatin answered with the next seven points to move within 39-38 on a layup by junior guard Jemai Lake Russell ended the third quarter with a three-pointer for a 42-38 lead He made a free throw to push the edge to 45-38 early in the fourth quarter and Tualatin got no closer than five points the rest of the way Lake scored 19 of his team-high 25 points in the second half for Tualatin made its fourth consecutive semifinal appearance The West Linn girls' basketball team came through in the clutch to score a 43-41 win over Benson for a minor upset in the second round of the OSAA 6A girls' basketball playoffs Friday night Alya Arnold hit a 3-pointer to put the Lions up 41-38 late but Benson answered with Kyoko Beasley sinking a triple of her own to tie the score once again West Linn’s Sophie Maxwell drove the lane and finished a contested layup for what proved to be the winning points I just couldn’t be more happy,” Maxwell said The higher seeds won the other seven playoff matchups Friday night setting the stage for the 6A girls' state tournament which begins Wednesday at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center PORTLAND – Top-seeded Barlow turned a small spark into a raging inferno against West Linn in the semifinals of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union boys basketball tournament Friday night at the Chiles Center the Bruins used lock-down defense to create offense igniting an 18-0 run that was the impetus for a runaway 69-42 win over the fourth-seeded Lions Barlow converted back-to-back turnovers into baskets the first one an emphatic dunk by 6-foot-7 senior Brayden Barron and the second a layup by 6-6 senior Mason Bierbrauer momentum was just up through the roof,” Bierbrauer said Senior guard Jalen Atkins said that coach Tom Johnson “kind of got fired up at us at a timeout and I think that really just flipped the switch for us … Those momentum plays really helped us put our foot on the gas and just keep going.” Atkins scored a team-high 21 points for the Bruins nine rebounds and two blocks and Bierbrauer had 20 points and six rebounds Barlow (26-3) advances to the final to meet No with Jesuit winning 67-58 at the Les Schwab Invitational on Dec 26 and Barlow prevailing at home 62-58 on Jan The Bruins' only other appearance in the championship game came in 1996 when they lost to Barry Adams-coached South Salem 53-39 They not only can win their first state title but can deliver the first championship for Johnson who has won 710 games in 39 seasons at Barlow “We understand that just getting there isn't good enough for us We're just hoping to take care of business and get the win.” were part of teams that lost in the semifinals in 2023 and quarterfinals in 2024 That disappointment is part of what drove them to reach the final this year and we finally got to it this year,” Bierbrauer said The Bruins kept their heads despite trailing for much of the first half “I felt the most comfortable I've been out here in a long time,” Atkins said just helped us come out here and play our game.” West Linn (22-6) entered on a nine-game winning streak and held the upper hand early Senior guard Sawyer Young made three three-pointers and when he converted a layup off an assist by sophomore point guard Trey Price the Lions led 27-22 midway through the second quarter But that would be their last basket for nearly seven minutes as Barlow went on an 18-0 run to pull ahead 40-27 early in the third quarter The Bruins built the lead to 50-31 late in the third quarter “They came out and kind of punched us in the mouth early on,” Johnson said “I'm obviously really glad how we responded midway through the second quarter with our defensive energy.” First-year West Linn coach Travis Myers said it felt as if the game turned around “in about four seconds.” They did a good job defensively of keeping us in tough situations.” The Portland State-bound Barron was the catalyst using his long frame and jumping ability to close off driving lanes and change shots at the rim allowing the Bruins to get out in transition “Brayden causes so many problems with his length and athleticism,” Johnson said “That was a big factor for us defensively getting back in it Brayden is one of the most improved players I've ever coached from his freshman year to his senior year.” You can't teach anything about that,” Atkins said and to have him be as active as he was tonight … it's hard to beat us when we have a guy like that who can just play on the perimeter and also come down low and block shots.” Young scored 15 points and Price had nine points and four assists for West Linn which was bidding to make the final for the second time in three seasons “They were capitalizing on every mistake we made and they also hit some really tough shots with guys in their face,” Myers said “When you play a team as talented as they are and I don't think we played our best tonight.” 7 Westview 48: The Crusaders (19-10) made 11 three-pointers – giving them 43 in four postseason games – to bury Metro League rival Westview (22-6) in the semifinals Jesuit connected on seven triples to lead 26-4 early in the second quarter sophomore Isaac Bongen made three three-pointers and junior Joe Stimpson and senior Ryan Fraser added two each from behind the arc who won two of three games against Jesuit this season rallied to within 33-20 at half behind 12 second-quarter points from senior Jason Grady Senior James Kefgen scored two baskets to start the second half But Jesuit junior Ryan Barone hit a three-pointer to make it 36-24 and the Crusaders led by double digits the rest of the way Bongen finished with four three-pointers and 20 points to lead Jesuit and Stimpson and senior point guard Pat Kilfoil added 10 points each The Crusaders shot 52.8 percent (19 for 36) who were in the semifinals for the first time since 2011 will go for its eighth state championship Saturday against Barlow All seven titles have come under coach Gene Potter OREGON CITY – Unheralded Oregon City has quietly taken the inside track in Three Rivers League boys basketball who haven't won a league title in 15 years gained sole possession of first place Friday night with a 64-54 home win over No It's becoming clear that Oregon City (14-3 With 6-foot-5 senior guard Gylan Payne doing a little bit of everything – and 6-5 sophomores Eli Hopkins and Alarion Scott providing length athleticism and scoring punch – the Pioneers are building momentum with every win Every game I feel like we've got something to prove.” Oregon City took the lead for good late in the first half The Pioneers led 46-41 after three quarters and pushed their edge to 61-46 with 1:30 remaining led the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds Hopkins had 15 points and Payne chipped in 10 points 11 rebounds and about a half-dozen assists It's been a gratifying senior season for Payne who averages a team-high 21.2 points per game Oregon City has not made the 6A tournament since 2019 losing in the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons With the marked improvement they have made on defense and we struggled defensively,” coach Aaron Newkirk said “We knew we had to take a lot of steps to be competitive against teams like West Linn.” Newkirk said his team learned a hard lesson in the season opener at Century The Pioneers blew a 15-point lead in the second half and lost 66-64 “The kids learned right away we have to be more consistent on defense,” Newkirk said “Every week we have gotten better on defense That's why we're in the situation we're in now.” West Linn coach Travis Myers was impressed with Oregon City They do a really good job with what they do I thought their bigs played really well tonight Payne didn't have his usual game on offense but left his fingerprints all over the victory “I noticed early that my shot wasn't falling but I've just got to affect the game in any way that I can,” Payne said Newkirk raved over Payne's passing ability “He has a knack to see the floor like no kid we've ever had,” Newkirk said Payne drove down the middle of the key and flicked the ball high toward Hopkins who ran the baseline and threw down a thunderous dunk The play illustrated the chemistry they have developed we're just getting more comfortable with it,” Payne said “We've had a couple during league that have been big Me and him have probably the most chemistry on the team.” and it's just been bread-and-butter since then Scott was outstanding inside for Oregon City Scott was a little extra fired up to play against his old teammates Sophomore guard Trey Price led West Linn with 15 points Senior wing Kevin Benson and senior guard Jalen Snook added 13 and 11 points Myers said his team did not defend well Friday “It's something that we've done well all year we didn't guard the ball well,” Myers said “I thought we rebounded it as poorly as we could … We were letting them have second chances.” The Lions played their sixth consecutive game without senior Gavin Gross 10 against Clackamas and is expected to miss up to six weeks (KATU) — The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board has decided to keep three elementary schools open following strong opposition from parents and Stafford Primary School—have the lowest student enrollment in the district The school board had initially proposed consolidating these schools with others nearby to reduce costs closing the schools would have saved nearly $1.5 million the board announced that it would not proceed with the closures the district continues to face a significant budget shortfall of approximately $15 million.