{OR} Cascade Head

We spent our Memorial Day enjoying a gorgeous, sunny day at the Oregon Coast, hiking Cascade Head.  Jake and Ty were rarely, if ever, within our site but they were patient with the old folks pace that Rich and I kept.  I guess we need to up our hiking game a bit!

{T} a boy and his dog

{C} Wilsonville Wildcats (5-0) vs Molalla

Wilsonville hosts a rugged Molalla team on Friday, featuring four players who are 6'4 or taller in their starting lineup. The Indians already have swept Madras this year, winning at one of the tougher places to play in the state before coming back and duplicating the feat just a couple of days later at home.

Molalla is led by athletic 6'4 junior wing Jacob Watson, a slasher who makes a lot happen for Molalla. James Sanders, a 6'5 strong post, holds down the interior for the Indians, while point guard Brock Sandberg provides some zip. Throw in talented young 6'4 frosh Jack Davies, a southpaw, and sharp-shooting Jordan Stogner, and you have the makings of a good team in Molalla.

As WHS approaches this game, the team continues to search for consistency over the course of an entire game... while a 32-minute, sustained and focused effort remains a goal the team is pushing toward, the good news is the "Comeback Cats," who have trailed in the second half of three of four games this year, have responded well to adversity and found ways to succeed in tough situations this year... Even so, the questions tonight for the Wildcats are whether the team can put forth a great, determined and sustained effort for 32 minutes, pressure the ball without fouling, and attack on offense with purpose and pace...

Tonight's game against Molalla wasn't much of a competition....WHS won by over 40 points and that was with WHS putting in their 2nd and 3rd string players.  It was nice that Cason was able to get a bit of a break since the first four games have all been so close that the starters have had to play the entire game with no break.  

Cason tweaked his back even more earlier in the week at practice and he is barely functioning (but somehow still pushes through for basketball.....suspect, yes).  He still has three more weeks (9 games) left and a potential culmination week and we are all hoping he makes it.  

Wilsonville wins 69-22

{K} how come I wasn't invited?

It kind of feels like someone is breaking the rules...

but I won't tell!

 

{C} Wilsonville Wildcats (4-0) vs La Salle Prep

LaSalle comes into this game undefeated at 3-0, having won their first three games of the season by 30 over Parkrose, 31 over Valley Catholic and 22 over Scappoose... The Falcons are scoring at about a 75 point per game clip on their way to steam-rolling the teams they have played thus far.

For LaSalle, this has been a season to which they have been pointing for some time, with guards Nic Boyd and Ian Simmons leading the way as seniors. Both experienced scorers and playmakers, they give the Falcons zip and are complemented by a bevy of sharp-shooting wings, including 6'2 sophomore Nick Robertson.

For the Cats, besides playing a good team, this game offers another chance to push toward playing a more complete 32 minutes. WHS has certain advantages over most opponents they face, and capitalizing on those is always a goal. This game is no different in that regard. In a "normal" season, a game like this might have considerable playoff implications. That's not necessarily going to be the case this season, with no OSAA post-season tournament planned, but the game should be great fun nonetheless. It will be interesting to see how the Cats respond to the opportunity and challenges presented by LaSalle on Monday... Hopefully, the Cats will LET IT RIP!

Cason had an AMAZING basketball win tonight against LaSalle.  LS took the lead right at the start and led the entire game with maybe a couple of times that they were tied.  That gave the LS players huge energy and excitement but WHS didn't give up and Cason really led the team in keeping their heads in the game.  He and Riley had 18 points each and in the end they held LS to one basket the entire fourth quarter!!! WHS took that chance to catch up and, with one minute left, Cason got a steel that gave WHS possession. They ran the clock to 4 seconds left, Cason passed the ball to Riley who took a 3-point shot and made it which gave WHS the win by one point!!!!!  It was nuts and SO amazing!  

Wilsonville Wins 47-46

{C} Wilsonville Wildcats (3-0) @ Scappoose

Wilsonville travels to Scappoose to take on the Indians, who have a nice blend of athletes and size this year which should serve them well....  Leading the charge is junior point guard Colin Stoddard, who pushes the pace, attacking gaps and creating opportunities for his teammates... and around him, Scappoose has more weapons than in recent years, with rugged 6'3" junior post Luke McNabb, 6;3 sharp-shooting junior wing Griffine Elliott, and 6'5 sophomore Tyler Schmidt all capable scorers... Schmidt, in fact, scored 29 points in the Indians season opener at LaSalle.

For the Wildcats, coming off a second straight come-from-behind win over 6A Wells on Wednesday (69-60), tonight will be a big challenge. The "Comeback Cats" is not a nickname we want to embrace, because it reflects the fact the team has not played very well in a first half yet this season... Playing a solid 32 minutes remains a related goal to strive toward... WHS will have to fly around, be energetic and lively, keep Scappoose out of the gaps without fouling, and play with great defensive urgency and discipline tonight to be successful... The Cats continuing focus on taking care of the ball, reversals and playing inside-out also remain crucial objectives...

This is a test of many things tonight, but the biggest Q might be how competitive and motivated is this group? If not RTP and if they don't properly respect Scappoose under Coach Matt Humphreys, the trip, and all the goals and challenges right before this team, this could be a very difficult game... Humphreys, a beloved teacher/coach at Wilsonville, has Scappoose moving in the right direction in his third year with the Indians... It will be fun to see how WHS collectively attacks this game....

Another away game for C's team so we watched from home.

Wilsonville wins 53-34

{C} Wilsonville Wildcats (2-0) vs Wells

HOME OPENER!!!

The Ida B. Wells Guardians -- formerly known at Wilson HS -- are coming off a big season opening win over Cleveland last night. The Guardians have a core group of very good seniors who are tough and experiences, with a nice mix of some very talented young kids, too. Wells has a number of shooters, and in some respects this is "their year," a year when seniors expect to propel them to the upper half of the PIL standings.

For the Wildcats, coming off a nice come-from-behind road win at Milwaukie last night (57-45), tonight will be a big challenge. Wells has shooters and playmakers and is good -- so defending them will require great focus and effort. The Cats also will need to improve in a number of areas from last night to have any chance against the Guardians. Wilsonville also needs to prove it can handle -- mentally and physically -- playing on back-to-back nights and putting forth great efforts both games. We shall see soon on that front.

 

Each student from the home team was allowed two guests at tonight's game, so we were watching tonight's game in person. 

I am grateful for the season. I am grateful for the opportunity these kids are getting to play. I am grateful to be able to be present in person. But man were my emotions raw when we walked into that (nearly empty) gym. It is still hard to come to terms with all the losses these kids have endured - even if the losses are "just" a sport. It is C's senior year and he should have played a 3 month season five months ago. There should have been a full gymnasium with fans and parents and students. There should have been a state championship. There should have been scouts offering these athletes opportunities to play next year at the next level. 

So, while I am grateful for what we have, I shed a few tears at what was lost as that loss truly hit me tonight.

The good news of the night....

Wilsonville wins 69-60

{C} Wilsonville Wildcats (1-0) @ Milwaukie

SEASON OPENER

After more than 14 months, the Wildcats have their season opener on the road against the Milwaukie Mustangs! Both the varsity and JV games will be broadcast on NFHS Network.

Milwaukie was 17-8 a year ago and finished 2nd in the NWOC. The Mustangs play a fast-paced game, looking to press and trap their opponents wherever possible. Leading the way this year look to be high-scoring sophomore guard Logan Law, son of Coach Donny Law, bruising post Jalen Mey, and rugged interior senior player Hector Penaloza. Milwaukie is favored to be one of the better teams in the NWOC this season.

For the Wildcats, led by seniors Riley Scanlan, Cason Dougall, Rowan Bush and Hayden Nichols, this is a tough game to have as your season opener, because Milwaukie tests their opponents many ways. The Cats will have to play with discipline, urgency and with some force, taking care of the ball to utilize any advantages the team might have to be successful on this night. The Cats also will have to overcome injuries, as junior Kellen Hartford and Chase Hix are out, and a third player, a potential starter tonight, is laboring today and may be out as well. In the end, the question will be how much this team wants it and is urgent... will they be lively, loud and go to Milwaukie with the intention of fully imposing their will, letting it rip and having fun? Or will they be timid in what for many will be their first significant varsity playing time? In this respect and many others, the team will lean on the experience and leadership of Scanlan, Dougall and Logan Thebiay, all of whom might just be plenty urgent... Time will tell, as they say, and soon.

One thing is for certain, the Wildcat Basketball program, its coaches and its players alike are all grateful for the opportunity to be playing high school basketball this school year. Activities like basketball and so many more offered at WHS are integral, foundational, educational experiences that offer both fun and real-life growth. These activities matter, and many of our kids love them! These are healthy, active ways for young people to get involved and expand their horizons. They add a lot of excitement, some joy, some heartache, some struggles and some triumphs to the lives of young people. All of this is good stuff. So, we are thankful to the OSAA, the State of Oregon, Wilsonville High School and everybody who has made this possible for our kids... and we are especially grateful for our outstanding Class of 2021... who will get to play after all.

GO CATS!!

Varsity Team Roster

0 Tristan Davis (6'7 so p)

1 Toshi Kondo (5'8 so g)

2 Enzo Chimienti (5'9 jr g-w)

3 Maxim Wu (6'0 so g-w)

4 Rowan Bush (5'8 sr w)

5 Riley Scanlan (6'5 sr w-p)

10 Hiro Kondo (6'0 jr w)

20 Amari Hodges (5'10 so w)

21 Kallen Gutridge (6'2 fr g-w)

23 Cason Dougall (6'6 sr w-p)

24 Kyle Counts (6'4 fr p)

33 Hayden Nichols (6'1 sr w)

44 Logan Thebiay (6'10 jr p)

Chase Hix (6'1 jr w) *injured *

Kellen Hartford (6'2 jr p) *injured*

Coaches:

Chris Roche (19th season at WHS, 22nd overall as varsity coach)

Mike Weston (13th season with WB)

Davis Martin (9th season with WB)

Shane Wardle '09 (6th season with WB)

Kevin Marshall '12 (2nd season with WB)

With the COVID restrictions, we were not able to attend Cason's first game in person but we were able to watch and cheer him from home. And lots of cheering there was.

Wilsonville Wins 57-45

{C} priorities

welcome to basketball season.....

 

{T} exhaustion or narcolepsy?

Apparently Ty got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and never made it back to his bed.  The worst part is that both Rich and Cason saw him lying there at some point during the night (Cason even snapped the photo) but both of them just left him on the floor.  Why????

Mother's Day 2021

Today we celebrated two things....

#1: Mother's Day &

(it would appear that in the very near future I will be the shortest person I'm in a photo with my three handsome boys!)

#2: Sister Dougall's six month mark of being in the Utah Provo Mission!!!

Thanks to facetime I was able to get my annual Mother's Day photo with all four kiddos....even with Kaitlyn being two states away.  Love!

In regard to both motherhood and "missionhood", this quote seems an appropriate summary of the day.....

"The days are long but the years are short"

{C} MRI, ESI, L5-S1....so many letters!!!!

Poor Cason has been dealing with some pretty severe pain since mid-late December.  Initially we went to a chiropractor and they were treating him for a hamstring injury.  When the pain got worse we went to physical therapy and they diagnosed a back issue.  Initially Cason saw some improvement with PT but then he plateaued with that treatment and so we had to get an MRI and see a neurosurgeon.  

The MRI showed foraminal stenosis and a bulging disc at L5-S1.

Ultimately he is going to need surgery but OSAA just approved a high school basketball "season" and Cason has worked towards his senior year basketball season his entire life so we are going to do everything that we can to make sure he can play.  At this point Cason has tried oral steroids but the headaches associated with the steroids were debilitating so that was a bust.  Today he had an epidural steroid injection in hopes of "numbing" the pain enough for him to play for the short six week season.

We are all praying that this will give him enough relief to allow him to realize his basketball goals.  

{T} Mama Bear & Little Bear