2019-20 6A Preview: Metro League

The 2019-20 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. We kick things off with 6A and the tradtionally tough Metro League, which certainly had another banner year - both figuratively and literally as the conference brought home another state championship. 2018-19 Review At the end, the Metro League reigned supreme as Jesuit shocked the world and captured the state title but the conference was deeper than just that. Southridge, Westview, and Sunset were all Top 20 teams all season long and fought hard all season long behind the Crusaders to end up tying for second at 8-4. Beaverton was just behind and also qualified for the post-season. Individually, seniors Justin Bieker (Jesuit) and Brock Henry (Southridge) shared Player of the Year honors, with Bieker also earning First Team All-State and Henry Second Team. Both have moved on to the college level as redshirt freshmen at San Francisco (Bieker) and Lewis-Clark State (Henry). State Tournament Threats Westview – The Wilcats were one missed shot at the buzzer away from knocking off Lake Oswego making it to state and return a lot of young talent. Wayne Jamison (6.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg) is back at guard and the two-way athlete is a legit contender for league player of the year honors. Juniors Jalen Grable (4.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Brady Grier (2.4 ppg) really improved on their games in the summer in high-level club ball and others such as sophomore Keshav Anand will be ready to make a bigger impact. The key will be at point guard as standout wide receiver London Smalley (8.5 ppg, 1.1 apg) was extremely effective in the summer and the team played a lot differently without him in the lineup. Other veterans such as Cade Whitaker (3.8 ppg) and baseball standout Mason Guerra (3.7 ppg) add depth. Jesuit – As if last year wasn't evidence enough, with Gene Potter at the helm Jesuit will always challenge for the Metro League title and a state tournament appearance. It may be a little tougher to repeat the performance this year but there's certainly enough back to be one of the state's best. Senior Matthew Levis (9.5 ppg, 2.2 apg) will lead the charge, Connor Kollas (3.3 ppg) can knock down shots, and Roy Bunn (2.8 ppg, 0.9 apg) is ready for an elevated role. Several players will be elevated from the extremely successful JV squad and guys like Joe Lairson, James Lang, Liam Rutledge, and Mike Brittingham will be set to step up. Post-Season Programs Sunset – The Apollos faded late in the year but head coach Todd Sherwood's team is ready to make amends in 2019-20. While quite a few seniors move on, the returnees are impact players starting with point guard Braeden Sato (13.9 ppg, 2.7 apg). The 5-foot-9 senior had a big summer playing club basketball and should be one of the more electric shooters and scorers in the league. Colby King (10. ppg, 5.2 rpg) missed much of the off-season due to injury but is now healthy and a tough matchup with his size and skill. Other players who played significant minutes last season such as Reece Arenz (5.1 ppg) and Kell Estep (5.3 ppg) are also back and varsity newcomers such as Tate Reese are set to shine. Beaverton – The Beavers might actually be one of the biggest teams in the league, which will enhance the more deliberate pound-it style that head coach Andrew Vancil employs. Dane Erikstrup (3.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg) is potentially the best big man in the conference and the now 6-foot-9 post will be a load to handle for opponents on both ends of the floor. First Team All-League honoree John Oleson (11.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is back with his mid-range game and others such as Trent Walker (5.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Finn Barkenaes will settle into more prominent roles. Mountainside - Things are ramping up quickly for head coach Dustin Hewitt at Mountainside. The Mustangs certainly took some tough losses last year but they have everyone back and have also added some impact transfers which may make them the deepest team in the league. Senior post Andrew Ingalls (9.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg) leads the way and should once again man up the middle on both ends. Senior transfers Connor McClean (5.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg at Southridge) and Bennett Giebels (10.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg at Beaverton) will instantly add size and scoring and experienced guards such as Nzube Mekkam (11.1 ppg), Mitch Rose (5.3 ppg, 2.8 apg), Grayson Rowell (9.3 ppg, .415 3pt%), and Alex Roman (5.0 ppg, .423 3pt%) are also back. Young players such as Dezman Baker (5.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Nate Mouzong (4.9 ppg), Brett Linhart (1.2 ppg), and Christian Rowell are ones to watch. In Transition Southridge – Scott Entinger takes over the Skyhawks program with long-time head coach Phil Vesel on sabbatical and while the team is definitely young he's got some pieces to work with. Juniors Jha-Barrie Portis (5.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg), Ams Juwara (3.6 ppg, 1.7 apg at Beaverton), Brett Hanna (3.0 ppg, .382 3pt%), and Sean Pak will be the top guys leading the way and all four have varsity experience at some level. Josh Calo (1.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg) is also back but the rest of the team is raw and untested. There will be some expected bumps along the way but there will definitely be lessons learned for next season. Aloha – The program at Aloha continues to build and the Warriors will certainly lean on their overall athleticism with the majority of their team coming over from the football squad. Caleb Turner (11.0 ppg) led the team in scoring last year and is an all-around offensive threat and other significant contributors such as Timothy Dennis (7.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Regan Wilson (6.3 ppg, 2.4 apg) are also back. It's tough for Aloha as in any other league, they could challenge for the Top Three but in the Metro it's likely a bottom division finish. League Predictions 1. Westview 2. Jesuit 3. Sunset 4. Beaverton 5. Mountainside 6. Southridge 7. Aloha Player of the Year Braeden Sato, Sunset. The lone returnee from last year's First Team All-Metro selections, Sato is our pick for player of the year but not just by default. The dynamic 5-foot-9 point guard is the best shooter and scorer in the league and we fully expect him to lead the conference in scoring and three-point field goals made. Sunset will also be a legit contender for first place as well with Sato at the helm, so it's not a case of someone putting up big numbers for a bad team. All-League Predictions: Sato; Matthew Levis, Jesuit; Wayne Jamison, Westview; Dane Erikstrup, Beaverton; Andrew Ingalls, Mountainside Top Sleeper/Newcomer Joe Lairson, Jesuit. The Crusaders have some holes to fill from graduation and of all the guys moving up from JV, Lairson may have the most impact. He's long, athletic, and a pretty good shooter which means he'll fit right in with what Jesuit does offensively. There will be plenty of shots to go around and look for Lairson to really emerge as a threat from the perimeter. Outlook It's going to be a dogfight every night in what is likely the deepest 6A conference in the state. When it's all said and done, we feel that Westview will come out on top. Aside from Mountainside, the Wildcats have the most returning production from a team that was a three-point shot away from making the state tournament. It may go down to the final couple of games of the season but head coach Mike Wolf has the talent and depth to capture the Metro League title and make a state tournament run. Don't count Jesuit out though - we certainly learned that from last season and until someone knocks them off their perch, the Crusaders will be there right until the end. Look for the Metro League to send most of the league to the post-season with Westview and Jesuit moving on to the state tournament. Sunset, Beaverton, and Mountainside are solid picks to make the playoffs as well. Individually there doesn't initially appear to be as much star power as the rest of the state but you can be assured someone will rise up like Bieker did last season at Jesuit.