From the moment Crater lost by a single point, in overtime, in last year’s girls’ 5A state championship game, many people assumed that 2025 was the year that the Comets would finally win their first state title after being bridesmaids in four previous attempts.
After all, Crater would be returning all of its best players, including its most athletic guard, Sage Winslow, and its towering 6-4 center, Lydia Traore. Then came news that a standout from South Medford, Taylor Young, the Panthers’ leading scorer in 2024, was transferring in. Well, then, expectations just ratcheted up a few notches, didn’t they?
Funny thing is, Crater’s team performed exactly how one would expect a team this talented would. The players clicked together, new coach Amber Lease stepped in well for last year’s bench boss, Scott Dippel, after he resigned to become school principal; and the team thrived, going undefeated in Oregon, and 25-1 overall, by scoring more points than any other 5A team while allowing fewer points than just about anyone.
So, now, on the eve of the state tournament, why is Crater not an even more prohibitive favorite than it was at the end of last year?
The answer is simple: most of the other teams at State are at least as good or better than they were last year, too!
Five of the eight teams that participated a year ago will lace them up starting tomorrow at Linfield University. That includes the defending champion, Silverton, the other three semifinalists and the fifth-place team. 1-2-3-4-5 from last year…all back. Also back is Wilsonville, which lost both of its games, but returns with all of its impact players after just two losses this year to 5A competition.
If Crater manages to win the state tournament and fulfill its goal, it will have earned it.
First up is Wilsonville and you’d better believe that Crater is not looking past the Wildcats.
“We are taking it one game at a time,” Lease said. “Wilsonville is a team with a lot of talent and different weapons. In my opinion, personnel to personnel, they give us the best match up we’ve seen in a while.”
If the Comets pass that test, they will face a tough opponent from the Intermountain Conference, likely Redmond, which was fifth last year and returns all of its standouts.
If Crater is fortunate enough to win its first two games, the Comets are likely to be staring down the winner of South Albany, with its junior stars; and Silverton, the reigning champion with a talent infusion from Central HS in Hadley Craig.
Nothing will be easy this state tournament.
“We have been lucky to have had a difficult schedule this year to prepare us for this week,” Lease said. “We have had the opportunity to play three out of the other seven teams at the tournament.”
Crater is 4-0 in those games – 2-0 versus Springfield, which was fourth last year; 1-0 versus South Albany, which was third; and 1-0 versus Redmond. But this is State. Anything can happen when talented teams face off.
“Our girls have been eager to get back to Linfield this season,” Lease said. “At this point in the season every team has the same goal, but only one team will get to live out that dream.
“We are going to do everything we can for that to happen.”
Let’s take a look at the quarterfinal state tournament matchups:
5A girls quarterfinals, Wednesday, Linfield University
No. 8 Wilsonville (17-9) vs. No. 1 Crater (25-1), 1:30 pm:
This quarterfinal features a team that hasn’t lost in 11 games versus a team that hasn’t lost to any team from Oregon all season. Wilsonville hasn’t won a state title since going back-to-back 23 years ago. Top-seeded Crater has been to the final four times, including last year, without a title.
Wilsonville is seeded eighth here but that’s misleading. The Wildcats have lost nine times, sure, but only two – both to South Albany – have come at the 5A level. Of the seven other losses, four have come to teams in the 6A state tournament, two have been to 6A playoff teams and the last was to a Texas team. Wilsonville will prove to be a tough out here, even though it was 0-2 last year at State. The Wildcats are led by three double-digit scorers, the same three that got valuable tournament experience last year. Junior guard Gabi Moultre is both a high-volume scorer (20 ppg) and terrific facilitator (6.5 assists). She is a repeat NWOC co-POY. Senior Audrey Counts, who is 5-10; and senior Payton Ratcliffe, who is 6-3; combine to average 25 points and 13 rebounds. Add senior guard Ryme Jaeckel (10 points per game; First Team All-Conference) and junior forward Fareeda ElManhawy (eight points and seven rebounds) and you have a Wilsonville team that is MUCH more dangerous than its seed.
Crater has been white-hot and the 5A state favorite all season. The Comets returned almost all of last year’s impact players, added a star in South Medford transfer guard Taylor Young and won 25 of 26 games this year, including 16 in a row coming to Linfield. Their only loss came by nine points to a 25-5 team from Southern California. Crater will, undoubtedly, be motivated. The Comets were poised to win last year’s state final until foul trouble got in the way. Crater is led by two dynamic guards, Young and senior Sage Winslow. The two combine to average 36 points, 10 steals, nine assists and eight rebounds per game, true all-around performers who impact the game in myriad ways. Senior post Lydia Traore, who stands 6-4, also is a menace who averages 12 points and eight boards. She can discourage teams from trying to come anywhere near the basket. Crater also returns guard Addi Dippel, who can score from deep; and athletic interior player Alexa Gugliotta. Both are seniors and experienced multi-year starters.
No. 5 Summit (20-6) vs. No. 4 Redmond (20-5), 3:15 pm:
This quarterfinal pits Intermountain Conference rivals that have never before played for a state title. The teams met twice this season, with Redmond winning each by double digits.
Summit is making its first appearance at the state tournament in 16 years and only its second appearance all time. The Storm went 13-12 last year but have improved seven games in the win column under first-year head coach Austin Crook, who asked his girls to embrace “Our Way,” which means building confident, gritty and loyal players and teammates. Summit is a young team, with only three seniors. Its top players are all underclassmen: junior forward Kalyn Christ, a six-footer who averages 14 points and five rebounds; sophomore guard Jade Durfee, who averages close to 10 points per game; and junior post Lucy Cross, who averages five blocks per contest.
Redmond was a young team when it came to Linfield last year and competed well, taking fifth overall. The Panthers have a nice blend of youth and experience this year and come in red hot, winners of 17 in a row. Key returnees include IMC POY Mylaena Norton, a dynamic junior scorer and playmaker; senior guard Dylan Cheney, the team’s leading scorer; Aspen Morris, a senior center who scored 18 and collected nine boards in Redmond’s first-round win; Freya Snow, a First Team All-Conference post in her sophomore year; and senior guard Azlynn Ure, the conference Defensive Player of the Year. Coach Alex Carlson said that he hopes last year’s experience at State will lead to an even higher finish in 2025.
“I think it will be a big advantage for us this year,” Carlson said. “We have talked a lot as a team about how to handle all of the different aspects of being at the state tournament. We didn't shoot the ball very well at last year's tournament and I am hopeful that the experience helps our shooting.”
No. 6 Springfield (18-7) vs. No. 3 South Albany (22-4), 6:30 pm:
This quarterfinal matchup features a team used to playing for championships against one trying to make the title tilt for the first time in program history.
Springfield has been the best 5A team in the state post-COVID, with two titles to go along with last year’s fourth-place finish. The Millers aren’t quite the same team as in years’ past, as superstar Danaeja Romero-Ah Sam has graduated and Diamond Wright, an All-State Tournament pick in 2024, transferred to Willamette. Coach Joe Williamson is back, however, meaning that Springfield will be a well-coached and disciplined team that will be hard to beat. The Millers will rely on guards Sailor Hall, a sophomore; and Darissa Romero-Ah Sam, a junior. Both were First Team All-League performers. Romero Ah-Sam also was Defensive POY. Two other youngsters, freshman Lia Jones and sophomore Iyahna Woodard, and seniors Mylah Wilson and Ikunaday Filipe are impact players to watch.
South Albany is at the state tournament for the third straight year. After going 0-2 in 2023, the RedHawks placed third a year ago. South Albany comes to Linfield riding a 16-game winning streak and with its two stars, junior forward Taylor Donaldson and junior guard Kaylee Cordle, both back. Donaldson was Mid-Willamette Conference POY after averaging 23 points and nine rebounds a game. Cordle scores at 14 points per game. The RedHawks got a boost this year when rugged interior player Taelyn Bentley, a volleyball star with a basketball state championship ring at Crescent Valley, went out for the team her senior year. She adds toughness, athleticism, experience and 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. South Albany may be the third seed at the state tournament, but it would not be a surprise were the RedHawks not only to make the championship game, but also to raise the blue trophy on Saturday.
No. 7 West Albany (20-6) vs. No. 2 Silverton (23-3), 8:15 pm:
Two Mid-Willamette Conference foes square off in this quarterfinal, one a team making its first appearance in the state tournament in at least 10 years; the other returning as the defending state champion after raising the blue trophy last March for the fourth time in program history. The teams met twice in conference play, with Silverton winning each by double digits.
West Albany is the newcomer, a young, hungry, athletic team that plays an up-tempo style. The Bulldogs come to Linfield winners of 20 games on the season, and seven in a row, with just one senior and a slew of strong transfers on the roster. The biggest impact players are all sophomores, led by Payton Starwalt, a First Team All-Conference guard who averages 22 points and six assists per game. Sophomores Karlee Martirano and Natalie Tidwell both score in double figures on average while controlling the glass. Two others to watch are sophomore interior player Lola Chamberlain and junior guard Cate Kurth. “I was really fortunate this year to have a few kids drop into my lap that didn't have positive experiences last year at their other schools,” said coach Shawn Stinson. “They fit beautifully in our environment, and believe they were meant to be here.”
Silverton won an overtime thriller for the 5A state title a year ago and is the second seed, despite being 0-2 in conference play against conference champion South Albany, the third overall seed. The Foxes graduated standout Kyleigh Brown and several other seniors off of last year’s title team, but have rebuilt around dynamic First Team All-Conference guards Grace Hayashida and Hadley Craig, both seniors. Hayashida, who averages 14 points, four rebounds and three assists per game, was a centerpiece of last year’s team, while Craig is a transfer from Central, where she was a high-volume scorer. She’s averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Others to watch include junior Allie Mansur, a defensive stopper and double-digit scorer; Brooklynn Pfeifer, another plus defender playing post; and Marley Wertz, a sophomore who plays with energy and succeeds on both ends of the floor.
5A boys quarterfinals, Thursday, Linfield University
No. 9 La Salle Prep (18-8) vs. No. 1 Caldera (18-7), 1:30 pm:
This quarterfinal matchup pits a team that’s been on the fringe of the top 10 all year versus a team that assumed the No. 1 spot in the OSAA’s computerized rankings in early January and never relinquished it. Both teams lost in the first round of the playoffs last year, but are ready to clash on Thursday, La Salle Prep in search of its first title since winning its fourth in 1986 and Caldera looking for title No. 1 in its first trip to the state tournament.
La Salle Prep comes to Linfield 11-2 over its last 13 games, the only two losses to Wilsonville. The Falcons made the tournament after being a Woodburn team in Round 1 that more highly regarded by 5A coaches all season long. The team is led by a talented sophomore and three veteran seniors. Ridghen Khyungra, a 5-11 sophomore, is averaging 23.4 ppg. The First Team All-League pick had 16 on Saturday in the playoff win at Woodburn. Senior Aidan Kelly stands 6-5 and is a rugged rebounder averaging almost 10 points per game. Paul Skoro and Vance Sheffield are senior guards who combine for 20 points. Skoro is the team’s assist leader. The team plays fast on offense and fires away from beyond the arc; and loves to ramp up the pressure on defense.
Caldera’s playoff win over Crater on Saturday was the first playoff win in the young school’s four-year history. The Wolfpack are senior-led and pride themselves on playing fast on both ends of the floor. Two First Team All-Conference players lead the way, 6-9 senior Will Jenson, the team’s leading scorer; and 6-2 senior Miles Macomber. The two combine to score 30 points a game, with Jenson also sweeping the glass to the tune of 10 rebounds per contest. Senior guard Jack Bents also is a double figure scorer, while two other seniors, Aiden Cruz and Seb Fievet, fall just short of that mark.
No. 5 West Albany (20-6) vs. No. 4 Wilsonville (23-3), 3:15 pm:
This quarterfinal matches a team on the rise against the most successful 5A program of the past decade. Both went 2-1 at the state tournament last year, with one finishing fourth, while the other suffered an excruciating loss in the championship game.
West Albany followed up last year’s 24-win campaign with 20 so far this year, the first time in Bulldog history for back-to-back 20-win seasons. Since head coach Drew Halvorson took over the program three years ago, West Albany has become a consistent winner, while playing a crowd-please up-tempo style that produces points and pressures opponents into turnovers. Senior guard Gavin Aguilar and junior forward Tyson Walker lead the way. Both were voted First Team All-Conference in the tough MWC. Aguilar averages 17 ppg but had 41 in West Albany’s first round win. Grey Nieman, Jonah Lasselle and Owen Hopkins were all HM picks, but all have the ability to complement Aguilar’s output with double digit efforts.
Wilsonville was vying to become three-time state champion last year when a Summit alley-oop at the horn shattered that dream. While the Wildcats graduated most of the catalysts from that team, they have rebuilt thanks to a 6-8 freshman post, Michael Radcliffe, Jr., who averages nine points and seven rebounds a game; and two exceptional transfers. Senior guard Cole Hammack, who played for North Marion last year, is the NWOC POY. He averages 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game, a true all-around talent. Senior wing Drake Devin, who comes from Hermiston, fills it up as 12 points per game. Wilsonville also returns hard-working big man Emmitt Fee and6-4 senior Jacob Boss, who averages 11 and is a staunch defender. Wilsonville comes into this game having won eight in a row and 19 of its last 20. The Wildcats also have an X-factor in head coach Chris Roche, who knows what it’s like to assemble teams that make it to Saturday night as State: his teams have played for the championship every year there has been one since 2015.
No. 14 Canby (16-10) vs. No. 6 Crescent Valley (20-5), 6:30 pm:
This quarterfinal features two teams that probably are surprised to be in Linfield this week. Neither has ever finished better than third in the state tournament.
Canby was just 6-4 over its final 10 regular-season games when it traveled to Redmond and blew out the Panthers in a first-round game to advance to the “State Eight” for the first time in 20 years and only third time in program history. Jaxson Lawson, a 6-0 junior guard, scored 36 in the upset win and is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 19 points per game. Sophomore Jack Brauckmiller, a 6-6 post, is the big inside presence, averaging 12 points and nine rebounds on a perimeter-focused Cougar team that also features senior Dylan Nelson, junior Cohen Vandecoevering and sophomore Cooper Cousin. Canby is 0-4 versus tournament teams, but the Cougars have played three of them close. They have the potential to make the semifinals despite starting the playoffs as a No. 14 seed.
Crescent Valley finished third at State in 2023, but was 6-18 and out of the playoffs a year ago. The Raiders benefited from three transfers from Corvallis to turn the team’s fortunes around quickly. Those three are seniors Truman Brasfield and Jackson Bluhm and junior Kavanaugh Jensen. The trio averages 31 points per game, combined, on a well-balanced offensive team. Senior Lucas Ikjaer chips in with another 11 points per contest. Brasfield is a fun player to watch. A Navy football commit, he is a double-double and dunking machine and one of several key cloggers who can give opponents trouble with their length. Alex Mattson, a 6-7 junior, is the tallest, and averages five boards and two blocks per game. Brasfield, who averages 8.5 rebounds; and the 6-5 Jensen are other shot disruptors and focused rebounders.
No. 7 Summit (18-8) vs. No. 2 Thurston (22-3), 8:15 pm:
The defending state champions are the underdogs in this matchup versus a team that lost in the first round of the state playoffs a year ago. This will be their first meeting this year.
After finishing second in the state tournament the previous two years, Summit won its first championship last year and promptly lost its head coach and everyone in its starting rotation. No one expected much of the Storm this year with Joe Wells, last year’s JV coach, now in charge and a lineup that consisted mainly of JV swing kids who were primarily scout team guys last year for the varsity team. But Summit has responded with 18 wins, including a playoff rout of South Albany to earn a return trip to the tournament. This group works hard and is eager to show the basketball community what they are capable of. Players to watch include senior guard Will Manfredi, a strong shooter who averages almost 15 points per game; 6-6 senior post Ryder Grieb, who averages 12 points and more than seven rebounds; and senior guard Rowan Blossey, a strong defender who also scores nine per game. Keep an eye as well on 6-7 sophomore Andy Bledsoe, especially if you’re feeling nostalgic about Mac Bledsoe’s alley-oop bucket to win State last year.
Thurston lost three games in a row from Dec. 30 through Jan. 7, but was 9-0 before then and 13-0 after. The only game over a 5A tournament team, however, came the second game of the season, a 70-59 win over West Albany. Thurston is a defensive-minded team that went undefeated in league play for the first time in more than 20 years. The Colts are stingy when it comes to allowing points and they have a supreme thief in senior Noah Blair, the school’s career steals leader. Thurston feasts from long distance behind 6-4 junior Lucas LaBounty, the Midwestern League POY who averages 17 points per game; and senior Nate Stiffler, who needs one more triple to become the all-time leader in career three pointers. They also have two players on the roster who won a state title last year with the baseball team. Thurston needed a rally to escape Centennial and the first round of the playoffs. How the Colts respond to the close call could determine the outcome of this game.
johnt@osaa.org
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