Surprise Teams in 6A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With many leagues heading into conference games in mid-January, a number of squads are hoping to cement their status as true state tournament contenders. While many of these teams were considered playoff-worthy going into the year, a strong performance in the non-league schedule has these squads looking to prove themselves in league play further. Here's a look at some of the surprise teams so far in 6A (OSAA power ranking listed).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(5) - Oregon City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Until a recent close loss to Grant at home, the only squads Oregon City had lost to were state tournament favorites Southridge and Roosevelt, and the third loss was to national team Rancho Solano from Arizona in The Hardwood Classic. With West Linn figuring things out as a young team, it's the Pioneers that look to be the main challengers to Tualatin for the Three Rivers League title. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1450157' first='Gylan' last='Payne'] has emerged as an all-around force, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1346388' first='Dylan' last='Westermeyer'] has been solid on the wing, and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2054510' first='Miles' last='Daly'] has had his moments as well. And whenever senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1110739' first='Deon' last='Best'] is given the medical clearance to play, head coach Aaron Newkirk will have a full squad ready to take on anyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(9) - Jefferson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's strange saying Jefferson and surprise in the same sentence, but it's been a strange past couple of years with the Demos out of the spotlight. Head coach Pat Strickland has his squad back in the mix again this season and while they may not be the powerhouse team that struck fear into opponents in the past, the Demos are a solid squad that has had some success early. Jefferson opened up the season with an impressive win over Jesuit and cruised through the field at the Lakeridge Tournament. There's been a relatively slow start to PIL play but behind the talented backcourt of senior [player_tooltip player_id='1197478' first='TJ' last='Latu'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1582927' first='Adrian' last='Montague'], Jefferson is looking like a solid post-season squad. A big matchup against Roosevelt awaits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(10) - Gresham</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While many might be surprised that Gresham ranks so high at the moment, head coach [player_tooltip player_id='2427510' first='Corey' last='Lockhart'] and his group never doubted they wouldn't be good. The Gophers have been impressive with their up-and-down style of play and until a recent loss to rival Barlow, had racked up a number of impressive wins in their non-league slate. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1110591' first='RJ' last='Alexander'] has been sharp with his shooting from the outside and junior swingman [player_tooltip player_id='1368248' first='Khaled' last='Artharee'] has elevated his game to be a solid number two option on offense. There are barely any breaks in the Mt Hood Conference schedule but Gresham is looking like a rock-solid third-place squad after Central Catholic and Barlow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(12) - Sandy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We pegged Sandy as a "sleeper" squad going into the season - an assessment head coach Paul Henderson was on board with - and the Pioneers haven't disappointed. While their non-schedule wasn't necessarily full of heavyweights, the Pioneers won all the games whey were supposed to win, including a couple of victories over top 5A squads in Woodburn and on the road at Mountain View. Sandy has been led this year again by point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1744015' first='Marcos' last='Ramirez'] in the scoring department and their long and lengthy forwards such as senior [player_tooltip player_id='1953760' first='Hunter' last='Dunham'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1751485' first='Jacob' last='Brown'] have posted some impressive efforts. The true test will come in conference play where a three-game home stretch of Barlow, Gresham, and Nelson could show how good the Pioneers really are.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(14) - Roseburg</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roseburg has gotten off to a good start going into league play, taking on a number of top teams from 5A to bolster their ranking. Head coach Jordan Humphreys has been relying on a key trio of players - seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1661357' first='Mykah' last='Mendoza'] and Asher Vredenberg and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1953759' first='Owen' last='Bentea'] - to carry the load offensively, with Mendoza in particular one of the state's most explosive scorers few are aware of. Roseburg lost its Southwest Conference opener to favorite South Medford but hopes to bounce back with a number of big home games later on this month.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->