2019-20 6A Preview: Three Rivers League

The 2019-20 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. Today we look at the once again ultra-competitive TRL, the Three Rivers League. 2018-19 Review Despite maybe not being picked to win league, Lake Oswego did that and more, not only capturing the conference title going away with a 11-1 record but also securing the overall #1 OSAA ranking. Oregon City, Tigard, Tualatin, and West Linn all battled for places 2-5 and in the end, all four ended up ranked in the Top 16. LO, Oregon City, and Tigard all moved on to the state tournament and while the iron was a bit unkind at the Chiles Center with Tigard and Oregon City losing their first game and the Lakers losing out in the semis, the TRL more than proved that they were the best conference in 6A in 2018-19. State Tournament Threats West Linn – Erik Viuhkola didn't come back to West Linn to take on a rebuilding job and top-to-bottom, the Lions have one of the deepest, most talented teams in the state. It will all likely start with senior Micah Garrett (19.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, .565 fg%, .429 3pt%) and after flirting with transferring over the summer, the 6-foot-3 wing has returned and will be all-in to have an All-State kind of season. Fellow senior Joe Juhala (5.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg) is back up front and his ability to stretch defenses with his shot in combination with his size and athleticism are almost unmatched in the entire state. Exactly when Bryson Crockett (15.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, .447 3pt%) returns from ACL surgery is still up in the air, but when he's at full strength he's another offensive force. Sophomore Mason VanBeenen (0.6 ppg) cut his teeth on the varsity level last season and is ready to step into the spotlight. The 6-foot-8 forward is super skilled for his size and a lot of it may be a matter of playing with confidence. A number of seniors such as Parker Durbin (2.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Kelton Herrick (3.0 ppg, 1.3 apg), and Gus Michelon (3.6 ppg) are all program guys who will play important roles and of course there's freshman Jackson Shelstad, and while it would be unfair to call him the next Payton Pritchard, it's easy to fall into that comparison given the talent the young point guard brings to the table. Lake Oswego – After capturing the #1 seed last season the Lakers will likely be a bit more under the radar this season but that's just fine with head coach Marshall Cho. While the move of Wayne McKinney (11.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) to California certainly hurts - the junior would have challenged for All-State honors - there's plenty back for Lake Oswego to be a state tournament contender. Senior Sam Abere (7.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) leads the charge and the gritty defender is ready to become more of an offensive threat. Fellow senior Casey Graver (4.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .379 3pt%) has never been shy about shooting the basketball and should also see his numbers increase. The middle will open up for junior Trace Salton (7.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, .549 fg%) who is 100 percent healthy and ready to really emerge. A newcomer that will definitely make an impact at several positions is Jack Chlumak (13.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.9 apg at Newberg) who has fit in well with the team over the summer and fall. Other key guys returning to bigger roles are Grant Brauner (2.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and Jack Woolf (1.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and the rest of the rotation will be guys who understand their roles and will take care of the basketball. Post-Season Programs Tigard – Head coach Shawn Alderman sees a talented senior class move on - led by all-time leading scorer Stevie Schlabach (24.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.5 bpg) - but there's plenty of talent left over and coming up, even if it does lack experience. A key returnee of course is star quarterback/shooting guard Drew Carter (14.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and one of the blessings in disguise with Tigard's early exit in the football playoffs is the 6-foot-3 junior will be hooping from the jump. Defensive stopper Max Lenzy unfortunately lost to injury in football but senior big man Dylan Berg is back and he played some varsity minutes but the others are green - yet talented. Senior Steven Long and junior Brett Moss are athletic wings to watch and freshman twins Malik and Kalim Brown will work their way into the varsity lineup. Oregon City – The Pioneers were one of the more overachieving teams last year reaching the state tournament. Head coach Aaron Newkirk has a number of guys back and they will fully embrace the defensive grind-it-out style that causes opponents fits. Andre Best (11.2 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.5 spg) mans the point and should be a more dangerous offensive threat this season. Jake Gettel (8.1 ppg, 1.5 apg) will line up at one wing and exudes grit and toughness and Dalton Welch (7.0 ppg, .343 3pt%) lends experience and shooting. 6-foot-5 senior TJ Warren (1.4 ppg) is an athletic big man who's ready to step up down low and Lucas Hanson (1.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg) and Alex Newkirk (0.2 ppg), the coach's son, will be primed for more playing time. Tualatin – Tualatin scrambled together under new coach Todd Jukkala last season and made the post-season but a senior class moves on to make way for a talented new group of Timberwolves. Of the returnees, Sam Noland will be ready to shine and the senior stepped into a leadership role over the summer and in fall league. Football star John Miller is also back and the returning TRL Defensive Player of the year adds toughness, athleticism, and plenty of swagger. The rest of the backcourt will be young as guys such as junior Seth Feik and sophomores Noah Ogoli and Malik Ross will fight for minutes. Up front, senior Jeremy Lund should man the middle and forward/wings like Logan Shaw and Carson Denning are promising contributors. In Transition Canby – The Cougars stumbled through Three Rivers League schedule last season but plenty of experience was gained and eight of the top nine scorers are back for head coach Craig Evans. Dynamic junior guard Diego Arredondo (12.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, .377 3ptT) paced the team in scoring and looks to do so again with plenty of help. Juniors Chance Miller (7.2 ppg, 35 threes) and Alexander Evans (4.1 ppg, 26 threes) will stroke it from the outside, Ben Bailey (4.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) adds size and will step into a more prominent role up front, and Tyler Mead (4.9 ppg, team-high 1.8 apg) is rock-solid. It will likely be a bottom division finish for Canby but in many other leagues, this team would contend for the post-season. Lakeridge – Head coach Fred Gold says that the Pacers will have to try and win by committee as it looks like another rebuilding year at Lakeridge. The tough thing is that most of a team that went winless in TRL play last season all graduated or in the case of Cooper Justice (7.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg), decided to focus on baseball. Mason Nelson (3.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg) is the main guy back and the senior could very well lead the team in scoring. Xander Houck (1.3 ppg, 0.9 apg) and Nick Holum (1.2 ppg) also saw some varsity time last season and should be contributors. A player of intrigue on the roster will be senior Eric Struik, who adds size at 6-foot-5 and has some skill as well. The rest of the squad will be filled with young players looking to make a name for themselves this season. League Predictions 1. West Linn 2. Lake Oswego 3. Tigard 4. Oregon City 5. Tualatin 6. Canby 7. Lakeridge Player of the Year Micah Garrett, West Linn. Injuries and other issues derailed what was going be a big junior year, but Garrett is healthy and we see him living up to the immense potential he has exuded since he entered the high school scene. His experiences over the summer becoming a role player with Seattle Rotary and Jefferson have led to him becoming more willing to fit into the system and less of forcing the issue, and a coach such as Viuhkola will be sure to get the most out of him. Garrett has a goal of reaching the Division I college level and will be laser focused on doing what it takes to get there. All-League Predictions: Garrett; Trace Salton, Lake Oswego; Andre Best, Oregon City; Drew Carter, Tigard; Sam Abere, Lake Oswego Top Sleeper/Newcomer Jackson Shelstad, West Linn. How many freshman enter their high school career with multiple Division I scholarship offers? That's the case with Shelstad and the young point guard has the game to back it up. The 5-foot-10 (and likely still growing) floor leader can shoot the lights out from long range and already has the feel of the game of a senior. Obviously there will be a learning curve and veteran coach Viuhkola won't rush anything but Shelstad has the talent to be an all-league performer as soon as this season. Outlook Once again it's looking as if the TRL could stake a claim to being the toughest conference in 6A. West Linn is back better than ever under legendary championship coach Viuhkola and there's no question that the rest of the league - if not the state - is well aware of the impact he will have. The Lions are the deepest, most talented team in the conference and while it won't be a runaway, it's hard to not envision them recapturing the first place finish that eluded them last year in what was - we won't mince any words - a bit of a dumpster fire. Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Tigard, and Tualatin all have solid pieces in place to fight for places 2-5 and capture post-season berths and Canby won't be an easy out on any given night either. West Linn looks to be in good shape to make it to the Chiles Center and Lake Oswego looks to have a good shot depending on the final bracket, with the Lions a real threat to make it to the championship game.