If there's one thing certain about Crane's boys basketball team, it's that the Mustangs don't hide from pressure.
Last season, they openly pursued their chance to make history, becoming the first team in Oregon's small-school classification to win three consecutive state championships.
So this season, with a chance to extend their 1A title run with a senior-dominated team, the Mustangs once again have it dead in their sights.
“We take pressure head-on,” said coach Eric Nichols, who has guided the team to 31-0, 31-1 and 29-1 records in the last three seasons. “Is it something we've talked about? Absolutely. We sat down last summer, and we just threw it out on the table and attacked it head-on.”
Crane (5-0), the unanimous No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 1A coaches poll, is loaded with size, talent and experience. The Mustangs bring back four starters from last season in senior post Cody Siegner (6-7), senior forwards Josh Zander (6-5) and Joah Friedrichsen (6-3) and senior guard Ross Clark (5-7).
Siegner, a fourth-year starter, averaged 20.0 points and 9.7 rebounds last season. Zander, a third-year starter, put up 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals.
“That core group is the same, but it's still a new team,” Nichols said. “Each year is going to bring a change in roles. There's different dynamics. We celebrate the past, and we're always going to have those memories, but we're going to treat 2024-25 as its own individual deal.”
The biggest question mark for Crane this season is how it will adapt to the graduation of Carter Nichols, the point guard for the last three state title teams. Nichols, the coach's son, averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals last season before moving on to a career at Bethany College, an NAIA program in Kansas.
“He's been that point guard for quite some time,” Eric Nichols said. “He handled the ball a lot, but there are other guys that have handled it. We've never lived around one player. It's a big hole to fill, but these guys are up to it. It's going to look a little bit different. If we're going to be successful, it's going to have to look different.”
Much will revolve around Siegner, a physical force who has committed to Oregon State football as a tight end. Through five games, he is averaging 23,6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 blocks.
“Cody has shown some get-up-and-go, both last summer and at the start of the season,” Eric Nichols said. “It's something that I just haven't seen from him. There's a sense of urgency there. He's being a teacher of our youth. It's been fun to see. He commands that presence.”
Zander, the quarterback for the state semifinal football team, also is showing leadership. He is contributing 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game so far.
Senior guard Casse Roozeboom (6-0) has moved into the starting lineup and is helping pick up the slack at point guard, averaging 10.0 points. Senior forward Tommy Jack Rose (6-2) has been filling up the stat sheet coming off the bench.
The Mustangs take a 5-0 record into the Harney County Crossover tournament Friday and Saturday. They faced two ranked teams in the 1A Preview last week, beating No. 6 Union 59-52 and No. 4 Country Christian 66-56.
Crane has struggled with its shooting early in the season.
“We got off to a start that was not necessarily up to our expectations,” Eric Nichols said. “There's no doubt we have some room to grow. We've got some things to work on.”
