Sneaky 5A Contenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the 5A level, all the predicted elite teams from the start of the season have pretty much lived up to billing. In the current OSAA rankings, it's no surprise the likes of Summit, North Eugene, Wilsonville, Woodburn, and West Albany are all at the top. There are however some other squads who are quietly making some noise and are proving themselves as state tournament contenders as we get going in league play. Here's a quick look (OSAA power ranking listed):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(6) Caldera</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolfpack - who are only in their second year of existence at the varsity level - started off the season a little slow but have really ramped things up as of late. Head coach Ryan Cruz's squad got things going with two big wins at the Oregon Holiday Hoopfest over a couple of 6A squads in Forest Grove and McNary, and have quickly gone 3-0 in IMC play. Not coincidentally the team's success has come with the return from injury from newcomer big man [player_tooltip player_id='1770295' first='Will' last='Jenson'], who's made a huge difference inside on both ends. Fellow junior [player_tooltip player_id='1426709' first='Jack' last='Bents'] has been the main guy from the perimeter and others such as senior Trace Benner and junior Miles Macomber have also been key performers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(7) Putnam</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most that follow the Northwest Oregon Conference knew that Putnam had the potential to be dangerous but head coach Ali Mihub has the Kingsmen running at a high level. The team may lack size, but the guard play is among some of the best in all of 5A. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2204992' first='Jaiden' last='Pickett'] leads the team in scoring but overall there's a ton of balance with experienced seniors such as Chase McDonald, [player_tooltip player_id='1908821' first='Lennon' last='Greenleaf'], [player_tooltip player_id='2387882' first='Tyler' last='Adams'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2387918' first='Brooklynd' last='Latta'] all capable of double-digit points any given night. Putnam reached the finals of the Lakeridge Tournament and has already notched road league wins over La Salle and Parkrose.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(8) Crater</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were mixed feelings on Crater in the pre-season, largely because the Comets lost one of their top scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='1496237' first='Ty' last='Dahlin'] after his transfer to South Medford. But head coach Bryan Scott has seen the guys that returned really step things up and Crater has been racking up the wins. The Comets started off strong with a tournament title in Yreka (Calif.) and the non-league wins also include one over a Top 16 6A team in Roseburg. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1910899' first='Kyle' last='Bittle'] has been a multi-faceted force and Crater has also gotten solid contributions from experienced seniors Cody Dutkiewicz and [player_tooltip player_id='1110807' first='Ashton' last='Acrey'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(9) Redmond</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was hard not to think it would be a rebuilding year at Redmond as the Panthers, especially when you consider they had to replace a Division I player in big man Evan Otten and an all-league guard in Tanner Jones. But head coach Reagan Gilberton has gotten the most out of his young team, which may be performing at a high level sooner than expected. The junior class is strong with point guard Ian Perason running the show and fellow junior [player_tooltip player_id='1775432' first='Jack' last='Snyder'] and sophomore Wyatt Horner providing more offensive firepower as Redmond looks to be in the mix for a playoff spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(12) Silverton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing was for sure, with the return of head coach Jamie McCarty the Silver Foxes would be competitive but potentially in the mix to challenge for the Mid-Willamette Conference crown? That remains to be seen but there's no doubt that Silverton will be a tough out in league play. The Silver Foxes captured three wins over 6A teams in the pre-season and have already knocked off Woodburn and South Albany in conference action, proving themselves a legit threat. The attack is balanced overall, but senior Tyler Pooleon has drained threes while junior [player_tooltip player_id='1910905' first='Brody' last='Kuenzi'] has been a load to handle in the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->