Last season, Amity's bid for its first girls basketball state championship was shot down in the 3A final by Corbett sisters Ally and Lilly Schimel, who combined for 14 three-pointers and 72 points in a 77-51 rout.
The Warriors left the court at Marshfield High School feeling a bit shell-shocked, especially considering they lost to Corbett by four points the teams' previous meeting.
“Corbett was unbelievable that night,” Amity coach Jed McMullen said. “I've never seen two kids shoot the ball like that.”
Fortunately for the Warriors, who return their entire starting lineup, they are in position to chase the title again this season. And with a 4-0 start and No. 1 ranking in the OSAAtoday 3A coaches poll, they are making early progress.
“They want to get back there again and prove to themselves that they can win on that stage,” McMullen said. “They're pretty hungry to get back and try to win the championship.
“You could see it in summer ball, just this different level of confidence and determination. You can see a different level of maturity and drive. They want it pretty bad.”
Amity has two PacWest Conference first-team selections from last season in junior wing Alyssa McMullen (5-6) and junior guard Eliza Nisly (5-6). They also have three second-team picks in senior point guard Mya Haarsma (5-5), junior guard Adie Nisly (5-6) and senior forward Saralynn Grove (6-0).
Haarsma and Grove are fourth-year starters, helping lead Amity to the first of three consecutive conference titles and 3A tournament appearances as freshmen in 2022. McMullen and the Nisly sisters are third-year starters.
Kylie Wilson, a 6-2 junior post, is back in her reserve role. Junior guard Haley Miersma (5-6), a transfer from 2A No. 1 Western Christian, and junior wing Lily Rideout (5-7) provide improved depth.
“The thing I'm most happy about is how deep we are this year,” Jed McMullen said. “We haven't been this deep in the past. We can go eight deep with kids who can play.”
Amity already boasts two wins over 4A ranked teams, defeating No. 4 Cascade 45-42 in overtime Dec. 7 and No. 9 Astoria 66-57 on Dec. 18. Against Cascade, Eliza Nisly and Adie Nisly scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, and Alyssa McMullen came through in overtime with two clutch three-pointers. Adie Nisly scored a game-high 19 points in the win over Astoria.
“Both teams were very physical,” Jed McMullen said. “That 4A level is more physical.”
With a deep, experienced roster, the Warriors have cranked up their pressure defense. They are picking up opponents full-court more often this season, adding fuel to their transition game.
“Definitely that's our game plan,” Jed McMullen said. “We want to speed teams up and really put a lot of ball pressure on. We fly around. We try to wear teams down.”
Amity's depth showed up in the win over Cascade. The Warriors encountered foul trouble but were able to navigate it.
“Last year, foul trouble was a big issue for us,” Jed McMullen said. “This year, we don't have to worry about that as much. We can roll another kid out there and we don't really miss a beat. Last year, a lot of our starters didn't get breaks.”
Amity shared the PacWest title last season with Jefferson, splitting two conference games against the Lions. The Warriors are likely to be challenged again by Jefferson, which is No. 9 in the coaches poll.
Amity will be tested in tournaments during the holiday break. The Warriors will play Dec. 26-28 in the Vince Dulcich Tournament in Astoria, an event that includes Astoria, 3A No. 5 Sutherlin and 4A No. 8 Tillamook. They also will participate Jan. 2-4 in the Crusader Classic at Salem Academy, a tournament loaded with top teams from 3A, 2A and 1A.
Philomath prevails at South Coast
Philomath, No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 4A coaches poll, bounced back from a loss at 5A No. 4 South Albany to capture the title of the South Coast Les Schwab Holiday Tournament at Marshfield High School last weekend.
The Warriors (6-1) came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat 3A No. 3 Coquille 40-37 in the first round, handled Junction City 45-31 in the semifinals and turned back 3A No. 5 Sutherlin 49-39 in Saturday's final.
Senior guard Anneka Steen and sophomore forward Reagan Heiken made the all-tournament team for Philomath. Senior guard Aspen Russell also stood out on the defensive end.
“It was really a team defensive effort that made the difference,” Philomath coach Ben Silva said. “To hold three good teams below 40 points each night is really a difficult task.”
For the three games, Steen racked up 36 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and 16 steals. Heiken had 18 points, 10 rebounds and two steals against Coquille and 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals against Sutherlin.
Stayton improves to 7-0
Stayton stayed unbeaten by going 3-0 in the Battle of I-5 tournament last weekend.
The 4A No. 2 Eagles (7-0) dispatched Cottage Grove 55-11, Creswell 45-31 and Marist Catholic 54-23. Stayton is holding opponents to 24.7 points per game this season.
In the championship game, senior captain Kenzi Hollenbeck had 16 points and 12 rebounds and senior Korbin Schmidt added 12 points.
Sophomores Kathryn Samek and Breeci Hampton stood out for Stayton at the tournament. Samek averaged 15 points and three blocks and Hampton averaged 10 points and five assists.
Frosh paces Corbett
Freshman Adia Fancher scored 32 points to lead Corbett to a 49-48 win over Cascade Christian in the final of the Seaside Holiday Classic on Saturday.
Cascade Christian had a chance to take the lead on the final possession, but Cardinals senior guard Lilly Schimel came through with a blocked shot and rebound to seal the victory.
Schimel was voted the player of the tournament by averaging 15.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in three games. Fancher averaged 29.3 points and 3.0 assists and was named to the all-tournament team.
Reigning 3A champion Corbett (5-2), which is unranked, defeated Elma (Wash.) 58-41 in the first round and 4A No. 10 Baker 51-47 in the semifinals before topping Cascade Christian. It marked the fourth year in a row that the Cardinals have won the tournament.
