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Gutridge, Counts named 1st Team All-State by OBCA
Gutridge, Counts named 1st Team All-State Tournament
Wilsonville makes Oregon boys basketball history with 8th straight final appearance; it's Wildcats vs. Summit (again) for 5A title
McMINNVILLE — There’s a feeling of inevitability when it comes to Wilsonville at the 5A boys basketball state tournament.
From teams led by Zach Reichle to Jack Roche to Kallen Gutridge, all the Wildcats do is win when the calendar flips to March. In fact, the only thing that’s succeeded in halting Wilsonville’s decade-long state tournament assault was a global pandemic.
The astonishing run continued Friday as the second-seeded Wildcats held off a spirited charge from No. 6 Putnam, 57-51, in a semifinal at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. Wilsonville, the three-time defending state champion, will take on top-seeded Summit in a rematch of last year’s final at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
It’s the eighth consecutive title game appearance for Wilsonville, the most in state history for all classifications.
“I am so proud of the kids because you can trip and fall in so many places,” said head coach Chris Roche, who has led the Wildcats to six state titles (2005, 2016-17, 2019, 2022-23). “This tournament is hard. Getting here is hard. Injuries happen. … I’m just amazed at how the tradition that these kids care about so much, they’ve been able to keep it going.”
Wilsonville’s championship game streak began in 2015 with a heartbreaking loss to Silverton. The Wildcats took down Liberty in the following year’s final and haven’t looked back under coach Roche’s leadership
“Coach is so deserving,” senior point guard Kallen Gutridge said. “The amount of time he puts into our program, into the players, the bond we have with him, I’m just super excited to get to another state championship. But the job’s not done.”
Added coach Roche: “We’re not defining everything by making the championship game. That’s not who we want to be, but in the moment we’re trying to get there. … For us to do it eight times in a row is just a tribute to these kids and how special they are. So, I am super proud. And it’s not just this group; it’s a bunch of them. It’s a decade’s worth of these kids, and I just love them to death.”
The Wildcats (25-3) trailed 31-23 at halftime as they looked to defeat Northwest Oregon Conference rival Putnam (22-5) for the third time this season. Facing an aggressive, trap-happy defense, Wilsonville leaned on its size and scored 14 of its 18 third-quarter points in the paint to forge a 41-40 lead heading to the fourth.
With the score knotted at 49-49, Gutridge buried an NBA 3-pointer to put the Wildcats in front for good at 52-49. He then connected with Emmitt Fee on a give-and-go layup for a five-point lead with 56.1 seconds remaining.
“I just have confidence to make that shot, especially if they’re going to give me space,” Gutridge said of the go-ahead triple. “I just took that shot, was confident about it, and it went in.”
Kyle Counts led Wilsonville with 18 points and four assists while Gutridge filled up the box score with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Gutridge also held down Putnam star Jaiden Pickett, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and six steals.
“He’s incredible,” coach Roche said of Gutridge. “Another thing that he does is he’s a tremendous defender. He guarded Jaiden Pickett, who is a great player, one of the best players in the state. … Kallen was able to neutralize him while handling the ball, while getting us into an offense, while scoring some.”
Tyler Adams had 14 points to lead a Putnam team that reached the semifinals for the first time since 1990.
“It was a great game. We just didn’t do some of the things we had success with in the first half,” Kingsmen head coach Ali Mihub said. “We just didn’t keep attacking.”
Counts had the first six points for Wilsonville before Jacob Boss drained an elbow 3-pointer for a 9-5 lead. Triples from Boss and Gutridge made it 15-11 after one quarter.
The Kingsmen opened the second with a 12-2 scoring run, going up 23-17 on a corner 3-pointer by Chase McDonald. The advantage swelled to double figures at 31-21 during a dominant quarter for Putnam, which led by eight at the break.
Wilsonville shot 56 percent (9 of 16) from the field in the first half but turned it over 12 times against the Kingsmen’s pressure defense.
“They just sped us up in the first half,” Gutridge said. “They came out guns a-blazing, like we expected, and we didn’t play our best ball in the first half. We finally caught our rhythm in the second half … took control of ourselves on offense and made great plays down the stretch.”
The comeback win sets up an unusual title game rematch where Wilsonville — the multi-year reigning champion — is widely considered the underdog. Summit was also seen as the favorite last season, but the Wildcats found a way to grind out a 43-36 win.
“I’m excited to play those guys again,” Counts said. “Summit is a great group, and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”
Added coach Roche: “They’re amazing. I think they’re potentially the best team in the state at any level. I don’t know who’s better than them. They’re really good and Pearson Carmichael is an amazing talent. We’re happy to be there. We’ll just show up and see if we can keep it close.”
MCMINNVILLE – Wilsonville seniors Kyle County and Kallen Gutridge are affectionately known in the Wildcat program as “Huey” and “Dewey,” two of Donald Duck’s mischievous nephews.
“Spend 10 minutes with them and you’ll get it,” said Wilsonville coach Chris Roche.
On Friday afternoon, Kyle Counts (Huey) scored a game-high 18 points and added four assists and Kallen Gutridge (Dewey) added 13 points and five assists to help Wilsonville rally from a 10-point first-half deficit to conference rival Rex Putnam to win, 57-51, in a semifinal game at the 2024 OSAA / OnPoint Community Credit Union 5A Basketball State Championships at Linfield University.
The win, the third in as many opportunities this season versus the Kingsmen; put Wilsonville into the state championship game for the state-record eighth consecutive season.
“We’re not defining our program by getting to the championship game,” Roche said. “That’s not who we want to be. But, in the moment, when we’re trying to get there, it’s so hard to do it eight times in a row. It’s a tribute to the kids and how special they are. It’s not just this group but a decade’s worth of kids.”
This particular semifinal win was especially hard against a scrappy, quicker than quick Putnam team that unsettled Wilsonville for most of the first half and parts of the fourth quarter. Indeed, the game hung in the balance, tied at 49-49 with just over two minutes remaining, when Gutridge hit by far the biggest shot of the game, a three-pointer from well beyond NBA range that found nothing but net.
“He has no problems taking the big shot,” Roche said. “He makes a lot of them. If he misses he’s going to take the next one. He’s a special kid.”
Momentum had favored Putnam, which had scored four straight points on lay ins from Jaiden Pickett and Lennon Greenleaf to tie the game; when Dewey decided this was his time.
“The shot clock was winding down,” Gutridge explained. “I have confidence to make that shot, especially if they give me space. I just took that shot, was confident about it and it went in.”
No doubt.
Wilsonville added to its lead on its next possession. After Tyler Adams missed on a tying attempt from long range for Putnam, Emmitt Fee rebounded the ball and fed Gutridge for a lay-up with less than one minute remaining that finally ended Putnam’s upset hopes.
“We didn’t play our best ball in the first half,” said the 6-4 Gutridge, Wilsonville’s record-setting, state championship quarterback. “We caught our rhythm in the second half, took control of ourselves on offense and made great plays down the stretch.”
Putnam, playing its first semifinal since 1990, appeared ready to spring an upset when it turned a 15-11 first quarter deficit into a 31-21 lead late in the half. The Kingsmen’s brilliant second quarter featured “show and go” back door layups galore (aka “the Princeton offense”), plus triples from Adams, Pickett and Chase McDonald. Putnam turned Wilsonville over repeatedly in the quarter, using a trapping defense both full court and in the half court. Wilsonville finished the quarter with eight turnovers, as Putnam got more and more energy with every play it made.
Roche admitted that the Putnam trap affected his team’s play.
“They’re really good at it,” Roche observed. “They have great guard play and all can shoot and are athletic and quick, so them pressing and trapping makes sense. When we handle it well they get out of it but we struggled with it tonight and they kept going, It bothered us for sure. Even when we would beat their pressure, we didn’t slow down and never got into an offense the whole first half.”
Putnam took the trap off to start the third quarter. That’s when Wilsonville started to find its flow. The Wildcats had more freedom to attack inside and use its pronounced height advantage. Putnam’s eight-point halftime lead evaporated after four minutes on a bucket from junior Jacob Boss. Wilsonville also got nice work during the stretch from Counts, Gutridge and Nick Colyer to get to all square.
“We had an advantage inside so we wanted to pound the ball inside and play inside out,” Roche explained.
Wilsonville scored the go-ahead basket in the paint when Counts fed Ezra Carter for two, but Putnam, which missed the playoffs a year ago, did not go away. Brooklynd Latta, who battled foul trouble all game, made an athletic play in the paint to get Putnam even once more and the teams traded points the rest of the quarter, with Wilsonville finishing on top, 41-40.
Pickett, a junior Roche called one of the best unknown players in the state, started the fourth with a bucket to put Putnam, which started trapping again, back in front. Wilsonville valued the ball a little better this time and scored seven points in a row, capped by Gutridge’s ultra-athletic wing three, to go up 48-42 with less than five minutes to play.
Adams hit a corner three out of a time out to slice Wilsonville’s lead to three and, after a Carter free throw, Putnam’s quickness created those two baskets that brought the game to 49-all and set the stage for Gutridge’s long-distance dagger.
Putnam tried to put pressure on Wilsonville at the end but was unable to trap with the kind of success it had in the first half.
“We fly around,” said Putnam’s first-year head coach Ali Mihub. “Everything starts with us on defense. We just didn’t have our legs late.”
Four Kingsmen did the bulk of the scoring for Putnam. Adams had a team-high 14 points, including two three-pointers. Pickett had 13 points and a whopping six steals. Greenleaf and ultra-quick Chase McDonald scored 11 apiece, most on headlong drives to the cup.
Despite the loss, Mihub was bursting with pride over taking the two-time defending state champions to the brink.
“I’m so proud,” he said. “These kids put in so much work. They deserve all of this.”
Besides Huey and Dewey, Wilsonville’s roster was full of unsung heroes in this game. Fee was huge on the glass, scored six points and added four impressive assists. Colyer and Boss both scored from distance and up close. Carter provided great energy and five big rebounds off the bench.
Roche lauded his team for its determined second-half comeback.
“We didn’t get completely out of sorts in the first half; we were just sped up,” he said. “We regrouped and I thought we responded like champs in the second half.”
Wilsonville boys basketball withstands Redmond, advances to 5A semifinals
By Jackson Naugle, The Wilsonville Spokesman, 3-6-24
The Wilsonville boys basketball team advanced into the semifinal round at the 2024 OSAA 5A Basketball State Championships at Linfield University on Wednesday, March 6, thwarting a gritty effort by Redmond to win 56-51 and preserve its chances of repeating as state champion.
Senior Kallen Gutridge led the way for the Wildcats, scoring several clutch buckets in the second half on his way to a game-high 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
Kyle Counts and Emmitt Fee added 10 points apiece for Wilsonville, which improved to 24-3 on the season with the win, while Redmond dropped to 18-9.
In the first quarter, the Wildcats’ defense did what it does best, smothering the Panthers on their way to an early 12-4 lead. From there, the Panthers cut the deficit to 14-11 on a 7-2 run, but Gutridge drilled a three as time expired on the period to keep Wilsonville ahead by six.
In the second frame, the Wildcats gave up 18 points to let the Panthers back into the game, taking just a 30-29 lead into the halftime break.
By the time the contest reached the end of the third quarter, Redmond had knotted the game at 43 and stolen the momentum of the gym, but Wilsonville did well to weather the storm.
The Wildcats opened the fourth quarter with the same defensive intensity they used at the beginning of the game, trading multiple stops with the Panthers before a crowd-pleasing block by Counts put the ball back in the hands of Wilsonville, nursing a 48-46 lead.
From there, Redmond turned the Wildcats over and Wyatt Horner tied the game at 48 with just over four minutes to go. Then, Counts scored a bucket on a nice dish from Gutridge before Horner drilled a clutch three-pointer to go back ahead 51-50.
With his back against the wall, Gutridge delivered a clutch turnaround bucket with just over a minute left to play to push Wilsonville in front 52-51. Then, the next time down the floor, the senior made another nifty pass to Counts, who extended the lead to 54-51 inside.
From there, Redmond’s desperation jump-shots couldn’t find the bottom of the net, and the Wildcats advanced to the semifinal round.
While Gutridge scored 19 of his game-high 27 in the second half, senior guard Nick Colyer added five points and four assists for Wilsonville, while Horner led the way for the Panthers with 19 points.
With the win, the Wildcats advance to take on league foe Putnam in the semifinals on Friday, March 8, while Redmond falls into the consolation bracket, where it will meet third-seeded North Eugene.
Wilsonville isn’t set to tip until 3:15 p.m., while the Panthers will get going at 10:45 a.m.
Oregon State quarterback commit Kallen Gutridge lifts Wilsonville to 5A semifinal date with NWOC rival Putnam
McMINNVILLE — One of the top 5A boys basketball contenders received a bigger test than expected during the opening game of the state tournament.
The other prime contender — three-time defending champion Wilsonville — got off to a sizzling start but also found itself in a quarterfinal war Wednesday evening. The Wildcats needed a second-half spark to put away feisty Redmond, and Kallen Gutridge came to the rescue.
Gutridge had 19 of Wilsonville’s 26 second-half points in a hard-fought 56-51 victory at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. The Oregon State football signee hit the go-ahead basket with 1:29 remaining, fed Kyle Counts for a key layup and iced the game with two late free throws.
“He’s done that for us all year,” Wildcats head coach Chris Roche said of Gutridge, who transitioned from wing to point guard midway through the season. “We moved him to point guard and asked him to share the ball. He’s really moved it around, so his scoring is down just a touch, but he’s a tremendous all-around player and I thought he was just magnificent today.
After top-seeded Summit eked out a 50-48 win over No. 9 Mountain View in the first game of the day, No. 2 Wilsonville appeared to be headed for a romp in its quarterfinal. Seventh-seeded Redmond, which trailed 28-15 midway through the second quarter, closed the period on a 14-2 run to quickly get back in it.
The Wildcats (24-3) trailed for extended portions of the second half, but Gutridge put the team on his back. The 6-foot-4 left-handed quarterback scored or assisted on Wilsonville’s final eight points and finished with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
“It was just one of those days where it felt like everything was falling,” said Gutridge, who made 9 of his first 10 shots. “We really kept our composure on offense. They got a lot of buckets a little too easily for my liking, but we stayed composed on offense and found great shots. I just think staying composed got the job done.”
Redmond (18-9) sophomore Wyatt Horner went toe-to-toe with Gutridge and recorded 19 points. Jack Snyder added 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals for a Panthers team that erased a 19-point deficit in the round-of-16 to reach the state tournament.
“We had no fear at all,” Redmond head coach Reagan Gilbertson said. “We were ready to go. We expected to win this game. I know a lot of people didn't expect us to win, but we did.”
Roche noted that Redmond had advanced to the semifinals each of the past two seasons before placing fifth.
“Even though they lost some to graduation, these kids have been here,” Roche said. “They’re tough, they’re very well-coached, and we definitely had all we could handle today.”
Counts, Gutridge, Jacob Boss and Emmitt Fee had early baskets as Wilsonville jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Gutridge’s second 3-pointer of the quarter made it 17-11 heading to the second, and the lead hit double-digits for the first time on a layup by Ezra Carter.
Trailing by 13 halfway through the second, Redmond closed the quarter with a furious rally to pull within one at 30-29 by halftime. After a double-technical dust-up between Gutridge and Ian Pearson, the Panthers went on a 9-1 run before the break.
“Our offense put us in some tough spots tonight,” Roche said. “We had a rash of turnovers at the end of the first half, and that took what was a 13-point game right back to one. Credit to their pressure and some of the things that they did, but we also turned it over a bunch.”
A steal and score by Wyatt Horner gave Redmond its first lead at 33-32 early in the third quarter. Gutridge did the same near the end of the period to make 43-43.
Horner buried a 3-pointer for a 51-50 lead with 3:18 to play, but Gutridge and company closed it out as the Wildcats moved to 19-1 in their past 20 state tournament games.
“I’m proud that we hung in there,” Roche said. “We trailed quite a bit in the third and fourth quarters. But we didn’t panic, stayed the course and found a way to get it done.”
The Kingsmen trailed 36-19 late in the second quarter and outscored the Highlanders 42-18 the rest of the way.
Tyler Adams and Lennon Greenleaf scored 15 points apiece to lead a balanced Putnam (22-4) offense. Jaiden Pickett added 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
India Mohiuddin paced the Highlanders (22-5) with 14 points.
Wilsonville went 2-0 against Putnam during Northwest Oregon Conference play, but both games were competitive. Gutridge expects another battle with the Kingsmen at 3:15 Friday in the semifinals.
“They’re a really good team this year,” he said. “They’ll want it pretty bad, but so will we. I’m excited.”
With a victory Friday, the Wildcats would advance to their eighth consecutive state final. Wilsonville has won six state titles under Roche (2005, 2016-17, 2019, 2022-23).
Wilsonville's Kallen Gutridge is the NWOC Player of the Year;
Kyle Counts & three more also honored
Northwest Oregon Conference boys basketball all-league selections and individual awards for the 2023-24 season, as determined by a vote of the league’s coaches
—
Cats down Canby 63-55;
first NWOC team to go 16-0
WILSONVILLE, OR - Monday, 2/26/24 - It was another historic night for the Wilsonville Wildcats on Monday night in Wildcat Gymnasium.
The first matter of business was taking care of business against a good Canby team in the team's final NWOC game for the 2023-2024 season. Led by senior guard Kallen Gutridge's 21 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and a spectacular performance by junior post Emmitt Fee, who had 21 points and 8 rebounds on 10 of 11 shooting from the field, Wilsonville defeated the Cougars, 63-55 to win the Northwest Oregon Conference.
With the win, the Wildcats 17th in a row on the season, the Cats ran their overall record on the season to 22-3 and NWOC record to 16-0. It was not the first time WHS went undefeated in league - the Cats won a boys basketball record 77-straight conference games at one point - but it was the firt time any team in NWOC history went unblemished against a 16-game schedule with the conference expanded to 9 teams.
"It's great to win the league, anytime and any way," said Wilsonville Coach Chris Roche, "but to go undefeated, in a 16-game schedule, and with Kyle (Counts) out the majority of the season... in a league this good and this competitive... Well, it's impressive. I give all our kids credit, but especially our seniors, who have been great leaders throughout this season."
Senior wing Nick Colyer chipped in 12 points and senior post Ezra Carter 7 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the Cats.
Up next for the Cats will be a state tournament Sweet 16 game against 15th-ranked Central on Friday, March 1. The Wildcats expect to have a rested Counts back for that game. "We're excited about that," said Roche. "He makes us bigger, more skilled, deeper and better... He's one of the best players in the state, and we're not sure how much he will be able to play, but we're ready and excited to have him available against a really tough and athletic team in Central. And I'm so proud of all of our other guys for 'holding down the fort' and finishing off the goal of winning the league without him able to play for the last 10 games. It's been a great team effort, with contributions from many.
"Now we'll show up Friday and let it rip."
Oregon State lands in-state QB
Kallen Gutridge
Wilsonville (Ore.) quarterback Kallen Gutridge thought he'd be playing D-I sports, he just thought it would be on the hardwood.
With offers to play basketball, a late offer from Oregon State for football has him switching his college sports future from the basketball court to the football field.
New Beaver offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson, like Gutridge, an Oregon high school football product, watched him throw and extended an offer after a visit.
And the coaching staff, with Gunderson and new head coach Trent Bray, quickly won Gutridge over, though it was much easier considering his lifelong affinity for the Beavers.
"I picked Oregon State because of the coaching staff and close distance to family," said Gutridge. "I also grew up a Beaver fan as well."
The visit sealed the deal for Gutridge.
"After my visit, I knew that Oregon State was the place for me," said Gutridge.
So Gutridge let Gunderson know he wanted in.
"I told coach Gunderson about my commitment and he was excited about my decision," said Gutridge.
And the Beav coaching staff had a big impact on his decision.
"The coaching staff was a big factor," said Gutridge. "Everything, from the relationships to their knowledge for the game, was big in my decision."
Gutridge said his family was fully behind the decision.
"My family was just super proud and excited for the opportunity in Corvallis," said Gutridge.
As for basketball, he's not quite ready to hang up the sneakers - he had a game on Tuesday night after announcing his decision and if the opportunity presented itself at Oregon State, he would explore it.
"That would for sure be a cool opportunity if it could work out without interfering with football," said Gutridge.
Regardless of what he does on the hardwood, Gutridge is thrilled for his opportunity to play less than 70 miles from his high school and his family nearby.
"I am definitely happy to have my family close," said Gutridge. "I have a lot of family in Eastern Oregon that will support my career in Corvallis and make the trip to watch me play."
And after leading Wilsonville to a state title in 2023 with no football offers coming in and thinking his career was going to take him to basketball, he's now set to play for Oregon State and in football, bringing him tremendous relief.
"It is for sure a relief to finally seal the deal on my recruitment," said Gutridge. "I am super excited to join the Beaver family and it feels like home in Corvallis."
A three-star by 247Sports, Gutridge is the No. 20 prospect in the state of Oregon in 2024 and is one of three in-state products that will sign with the Beavers on Wednesday in Bray's first class.
As a senior, Gutridge led Wilsonville to the 5A state title with a 12-1 record, throwing for 3,773 yards and 57 touchdown passes, both top ten single-season numbers for Oregon. He finished 226-for-350 with a 65% completion rate to 11 interceptions. He ran for 670 yards on 76 carries and rushed for six touchdowns.
"We are very proud of Kallen, and excited he will be competing at Oregon State, close to him, a place he loves," said Wilsonville basketball coach Chris Roche. "He had many opportunities to play basketball on scholarship, too, but the chance to play for his home-state favorite school trumped those. In my mind, there is no question he can play Division 1 basketball, and he may get the opportunity to do that at Oregon State. I think that is something he might explore. It's a tough thing to do in college, playing two sports, and it would need to work with football obviously... but if he gets the opportunity, I would not bet against him to make a contribution in basketball as well. He's very talented, he's very good, and he's a winner, too."
Gutridge is on pace to become the second leading scorer and all-time steals leader in Wildcat Basketball history. Wilsonville has won back-to-back state championships (2022 & 2023) with the 6'4 lefty guard in the lineup.
"If they had a Gatorade All-Around Athlete of the Year for the State of Oregon, like they do for individual sports, Kallen would get my vote 100%," said Roche. "He's had a phenomenal high school career, and he's not done yet. We are very excited for him."
Wilsonville's Kyle Counts commits to play
basketball at University of St. Thomas
The current Wildcat will travel to Saint Paul, MN sometime after graduating next
spring to continue his basketball career at the collegiate level
- Updated
Rising Wilsonville senior Kyle Counts has committed to continue his basketball career at the collegiate level, he announced on Instagram on Saturday.
The 2023 5A All-State honorable mention will head to the University of St. Thomas sometime after graduating next spring, where he will challenge top-notch competition in the Division I Summit League.
“St. Thomas felt special to me from the start,” Counts said. “I’ve talked to a lot of coaches and been to a few campuses, and nothing felt like home like St. Thomas did.”
Thanks to a standout AAU circuit this summer, Counts saw his recruitment skyrocket and ultimately received an offer from St. Thomas on August 8.
From there, it was a quick decision for the current Wildcat, who credits the coaching staff in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for making his decision easy.
“I’m very close to the coaching staff at Wilsonville, so it would be hard to transition to a staff that I didn’t feel a connection with and trust,” Counts said. “St. Thomas has a special story and is doing great things in the Summit League, so it was something I thought would be foolish to pass up.”
While Counts’ future with the Tommies is clear on the horizon, his senior year at Wilsonville and last dance with the Wildcats comes first.
“I’m beyond excited for this upcoming season,” Counts said. “It’s the last ride with all of my best friends that I’ve grown up with.”
According to Counts, the environment he and many of his friends will be leaving next summer has everything to do with the opportunity he’ll be leaving it for.
The rising senior credits multiple figures throughout his life for fostering his basketball skill, and consequently, his opportunity to play at the next level.
“Basketball was always something that was around me. It was something I saw my grandpa and uncle play, but most importantly my dad,” Counts said of his father Brian, who played at Western Oregon University after his father Mel starred for the Boston Celtics.
“My passion for basketball is all because of him. We had a lot of healthy arguments and one-on-one games in the driveway that made me the player and man I am today.”
Similarly, Counts hands a lot of credit to his current coaching staff at Wilsonville, which created a winning environment for the rising senior to thrive in.
“I tell people all the time, coach [Chris] Roche makes winning easy,” Counts said. “The work our entire coaching staff does would shock you, and the concepts that coach nails into our head throughout the year just make the game easier.”
Now, after being subjected to some top-notch leadership from both coaches and relatives, Counts’ personal goal for his senior season naturally has nothing to do with a stat sheet.
“A personal goal for me this year is to be the best leader I can be,” Counts said. “I’ve been a part of some teams that had great leaders that I’ve looked up to like Cason Dougal, Kellen Hartford, Ryan Soderlyn and most importantly [Coach Roche]. We just need to buy into Wildcat basketball and play together, and I think it could be a fun year.”
Even with his collegiate future looming, the 6-foot-7 wing remains wholly focused on the program that’s landed him two state championships in the last two years.
For now, thoughts of a three-peat trounce those of the St. Thomas Tommies.
“It feels great to find a place to call home for my college career, but I don’t think it changes much about how I'll play for my senior season,” Counts said. “Either way, I’m going to buy into what coach Roche says and play my game. I have great teammates that have all improved a lot this summer and I'm excited to take the floor with them this year and see what we can make happen.”
‘It’s a special thing we’ve got going here.’ Wilsonville meets force with force, shuts down mighty Summit for yet another 5A boys basketball title
“Our competitive spirit was through the roof today, and it was from the opening tip to the final buzzer. And that’s the only way we can compete with them.”
MAR 11, 2023 By Bob Lundeberg | Photos by Leon Neuschwander
CORVALLIS — Wilsonville’s stranglehold over Class 5A boys basketball will live on for at least one more year.
In arguably their greatest defensive performance of the season, the Wildcats held juggernaut Summit to 36 points — nearly half its average — to secure the program’s third straight OSAA state championship. No. 3 Wilsonville, making its seventh consecutive title game appearance, smothered the top-seeded Storm 43-36 Friday night at Gill Coliseum for the program’s sixth state title under coach Chris Roche.
“I think it starts with our tradition here,” said junior wing Kallen Gutridge, who scored a game-high 17 points with four steals. “We’ve been to the last seven, won five of those. It’s a special thing we’ve got going here, and it’s all because of Coach Roche and what he has us do every year.”
Added sophomore post Emmitt Fee: “I feel like we do stuff differently than all the other teams. Coach Roche, he’s just an amazing coach. We game plan how we play defense, and I think that just separates us.”
Roche won his first state title at the old 3A level in 2005. The Wildcats are tied with Jefferson for the most in 5A history, placing first in 2016-17, 2019 and 2022-23. No trophies were handed out in 2020-21 because of COVID-19.
With a young roster and the addition of three tough Central Oregon teams to the classification, Roche said this year’s title was the most improbable of the bunch.
“We knew that if we kept getting better and stayed together, we had enough players that were pretty talented that maybe we could get here,” he said. “And if we get here, maybe we’d create a little havoc.”
Summit, the 6A runner-up last year, entered Friday averaging just under 70 points per game with a season-low of 57. With four starters standing 6-foot-4 or taller, the Storm netted 75 and 79 points in their first two state tournament games.
Pearson Carmichael, a 6-7 Boise State commit who torched Redmond for 30 points in the semifinals, finished 3 of 14 from the field with 10 points. Summit shot just 14 of 36 overall (38.9 percent) and 0 of 9 from beyond the arc.
“Their defense is unbelievable,” Carmichael said. “I want to be humble, but holding me to 10 points, like, I don’t know. Just the way they play team defense and their help and everything, it’s just really hard to score.”
Roche said stopping Carmichael was priority No. 1 for a Wildcats defense that led 5A in scoring defense entering the state tournament at 42.2 points allowed per game. Wilsonville was even better at Gill Coliseum, shutting down Woodburn (26 points), Crescent Valley (24) and Summit.
“(Carmichael) is so good,” Roche said. “We were so worried about him because he can shoot 3s, he goes left, he goes right, he O-boards. He can do everything, so we had to watch him.
Meanwhile, they’ve got (Mac) Bledsoe and (Hogan) Carmichael and (Collin) Moore. There’s all these talented guys around him, so it’s very tough.
“I just thought our competitive spirit was through the roof today, and it was from the opening tip to the final buzzer. And that’s the only way we can compete with them.”
Summit took its first lead of the second half on a Moore fast-break layup that made it 30-29 early in the fourth quarter. Kyle Counts, who sat out most of the third with four fouls, checked back in at the 6:23 mark, and Wilsonville promptly pulled ahead for good on consecutive jumpers by Gutridge.
Gutridge had the play of the game in the final minute, going coast-to-coast for an old-fashioned 3-point play following a Carmichael miss at the rim. The tough finish put the Wildcats up 39-32 with 36.1 seconds to play.
“I saw an opening,” Gutridge said. “I beat them before they could get in front of me and draw a charge. I thought if I went up strong, maybe I could get a foul or an open layup.”
Wilsonville played keep-away for a good chunk of the fourth quarter in both teams’ final game without a shot clock. After a Maxim Wu layup with 4:45 remaining, no points were scored for nearly four minutes.
Moore led the Storm, now a two-time state runner-up, with 16 points and three assists.
“We tried to use last year as motivation, but not a lot of us played on that team,” Carmichael said. “This is motivation, and next year we’re coming for it.”
Gutridge canned a 25-footer in the final seconds of the first quarter to give Wilsonville a 12-10 lead. Wu added another to open the second and Gutridge muscled his way for a layup that made it 17-10 Wildcats, completing a 13-0 run.
After a basket by Miguel Taylor, Nick Colyer converted a 3-point play for an eight-point Wilsonville lead. The Storm scored the final six points of the second and trailed 20-18 at the break.
Counts picked up his third foul late in the first half on an illegal screen. The 6-foot-7 junior was then whistled for his fourth with 5:13 remaining in the third, but the Wildcats survived with Counts on the bench.
Fee said it was important for the smaller Wildcats to stay physical with Summit.
“Meet force with force,” Fee said. “All throughout playoffs, my coaches have said that if you meet force with force, good things are going to happen.”
Fee had four points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Wu, a senior point guard, had eight points and three assists in his final high school game.
“Maxim Wu has been as good a leader and teammate as I ever could’ve imagined him being as a quiet, little, skinny freshman,” Roche said. “Now he’s out here running the show against darn near a college team, and he was awesome.”
5A boys basketball final: Wilsonville defends
Wildcats hold favored Summit to lowest point total of the year to repeat as state champions
March 11, 2023 by John Tawa, OSAAtoday
Wilsonville won its second consecutive state title Friday night, and fifth since 2016, by holding favored Summit to just 36 points, 21 fewer than any other game the Storm has played this year. The Wildcats dictated tempo and valued every possession in their 43-36 win at the OSAA /OnPoint Community Credit Union 5A State Basketball Championship at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis.
Facing a team of athletes, most of whom stood between 6-4 and 6-7, Wilsonville, using a short bench, took the air out of the ball, dug in and defended. Relentlessly.
“We came into this game knowing it had to be a dogfight and we fought it out,” said senior guard Maxim Wu.
“If they get in the open court they’re almost unstoppable,” said Wilsonville coach Chris Roche. “They’re tremendous athletes. You have to try to bottle them up a little bit. We tried to do that through taking great shots, sprinting back and digging in.”
Summit, which played for the title in 6A a year ago, returned to the state championship stage last night in 5A despite having an all-new starting five comprised of four juniors and a senior. The Storm competed hard. They trailed by a bucket after the first quarter, the same margin at halftime, by just one after three and were within a bucket of tying the game with four minutes remaining. The game was that close.
“Our kids battled until the final buzzer,” said Summit coach Jon Frazier. “We did everything we could to give ourselves the chance to win. Ultimately, we came up just a little short.”
Wilsonville scored first on Friday night, on a determined baseline drive from Kyle Counts. Summit answered on a backdoor layup from Collin Moore, assisted by Pearson Carmichael. Another Moore bucket in close followed, this time set up by a sweet Miguel Taylor pass, and it appeared that Summit’s interior passing would be able to solve Wilsonville’s tough man-to-man defense all game long. Indeed, the Storm extended their lead to 10-4 on a Mac Bledsoe layup, assisted by Moore; a Moore layup, assisted by Bledsoe, and two Pearson Carmichael free throws, all in the first five minutes. The points weren’t coming easily, but they were coming.
Wilsonville just continued to play its game.
“We’ve been down before,” Roche said. “We just hang in there. At the end of the day, it’s who scores the most for 32 minutes, not for five.”
A sweet pass inside from Counts to Emmitt Fee got Wilsonville back on the board after a scoreless stretch and provoked a rally, which included 3-balls from Wu and Kallen Gutridge; to put the Wildcats back in front, 12-10, at the first quarter horn. Summit, which had played clean most of the period, was hurt by three turnovers in the last two minutes, limiting its shot opportunities.
The second quarter saw Summit unable to connect from long distance -- a trend that continued for the entire game – and struggling to convert in the paint as well. Wilsonville took advantage with efficient offense.
The Wildcats, who scored the last eight points of the first, scored the first five points of the second, on another Wu triple, set up by Nick Colyer’s determined rebounding; and Gutridge bulling his way to the basket for a layup. After Taylor scored inside on a pass from Pearson Carmichael to break the drought, Wilsonville came right back with a Colyer floater, and-1, to go up 20-12, its biggest lead of the game.
“Wilsonville, they’re a tremendous team and they made things really hard for us, which is what they do,” Frazier said. “They defend at a really high level.”
Summit was able to breach that defense for three late buckets in the second quarter to make the margin two, 20-18, going to the locker room. Ben Strang scored twice inside, off of feeds from Moore and Taylor, respectively, and Pearson Carmichael made two free throws.
The halftime stats showed a very close game. Summit had seven field goals, six assisted, and five turnovers. Wilsonville also had seven field goals, five assisted and three turnovers. The two-point difference can be explained by three Wilsonville triples compared to zero for Summit, which was 0-for-5 from long range over the first 16 minutes.
Coming out to start the third quarter, Wilsonville had to feel good about its chances. The Wildcats defended beautifully from the three-point line in. That wasn’t going to change. The only concern was that Counts was in foul trouble with three. When you don’t play more than five guys…
The second half started and Wilsonville immediately locked in. This was intense! Two Wildcat blocked shots on Summit’s first possession reminded the Storm that nothing was going to come easily.
The 6-7 Counts was whistled for his fourth foul with 5:13 remaining in the third and headed to the bench, but Wilsonville’s defensive efficiency was not impacted. Neither team scored much or sustained any offensive rhythm, as the teams traded baskets for most of the quarter until two Pearson Carmichael drives late pared the Wilsonville lead to one, 29-28, with eight minutes remaining.
In the fourth quarter, with Counts still out for Wilsonville, Summit took its first lead since the first quarter, 30-29, on a run out basket from Moore, assisted by Pearson Carmichael. When Wilsonville could not convert on three chances in its next possession, the momentum appeared to be fully in favored Summit’s corner.
Momentum, however, can be as fickle as the next turnover. After Gutridge scored on a jumper in the key to put Wilsonville back on top, a Summit turnover led to Gutridge scoring on a turnaround jumper to extend the Wildcat lead to three.
Moore scored at the rim to get Summit within one with less than five minutes left, but Wu answered when he took advantage of a Storm defensive lapse to get all the way to the hole on a determined drive from the wing.
With a three-point lead and just four minutes remaining, Wilsonville’s pace slowed even more dramatically. The Wildcats ran clock when they possessed the ball and prevented Summit from playing fast and getting easy buckets when they were on defense. The three-point lead with four minutes to go became a three-point lead with under a minute remaining.
The clincher came in a 10-second sequence with under 60 ticks left on the clock. Down 36-32, Pearson Carmichael drove to the hoop for Summit and took contact, but no call was made. Colyer rebounded and the ball eventually found Gutridge, who scored from in close under pressure, was fouled and converted the free throw, making the margin seven with 36 seconds left. Summit could not get closer than four points the rest of the way.
Frazier was asked afterwards what his team might have done differently.
“I don’t think there’s anything to do different,” he said. “You have two really good teams. They made a couple more plays than we did. Two-point game two minutes to go. It could have gone either way. Our kids competed really hard.”
Frazier lauded Wilsonville’s defensive effort, which was the key to the game.
“They did a good job of taking away our transition game,” he said. “We weren’t able to force turnovers, so that didn’t generate any easy offense for us so we were constantly going against a set defense. They don’t break down. They made you earn it. We just didn’t hit enough shots against that kind of defense. It was one of those nights where we didn’t have any elite shot making.”
Gutridge finished with 17 points for the victors. Colyer had seven. Fee, the Moda Health Player of the Game for his rugged work inside, scored four and had 10 huge rebounds. Wu finished with eight points and three assists. All four players played all 32 minutes.
“Coach always says ‘tough not tired,’” said Wu. “We condition for this in the pre-season. We weren’t tired. We just fought through it and wanted it more. It feels amazing. Better than last time. We worked so hard.”
Wilsonville repeated as state champions despite losing three key players off of last year’s team, two to graduation and one, 6-7 Tristan Davis, to transfer. That made this year’s title extra special, Roche said.
“They’re all awesome,” Roche added. “The things that makes them great are the experiences of all the kids involved. I think about the kids. Right now, I’m thinking about this group, which persevered through a lot of adversity. They hung in together. They got better. This feels great, too, because of how great Summit is. Summit is a formidable opponent. They were the favorite for a reason. They’re great. But our kids competed today. I’m super proud.”
Moore scored 16 and Pearson Carmichael added 10 for Summit, which remains in search of its first title in basketball. With all but senior Hogan Carmichael (eight rebounds) back among the starters, the Storm will likely be favorites again.
“Each year is its own journey,” Frazier said. “Our kids live in the gym. They just want to get better. Hopefully we will put ourselves in position to be here again and hopefully win one.”
‘Whatever it takes to win.’ Wilsonville does a lot of that, clinching 7th consecutive championship game appearance; Wildcats will face No. 1 Summit for 5A boys title
“You have to embrace the moment, embrace the challenge, or you’re not going to end up on top.”
By Bob Lundeberg 3-10-23 | Photo by Leon Neuschwander
CORVALLIS — Few things are more reliable at the OSAA Class 5A state tournament than Wilsonville’s defense.
The third-seeded Wildcats, who entered Thursday’s semifinal with No. 15 Crescent Valley surrendering a 5A-low 41.6 points per game, take pride in their defensive prowess. The results speak for themselves.
After holding Woodburn to 26 points in the quarterfinals, Wilsonville was even stingier against the Raiders, riding its disciplined man-to-man defense to a 34-24 victory at Gill Coliseum. The Wildcats, who are making a 5A-record seventh consecutive championship game appearance, will defend their title against No. 1 Summit at 8:30 p.m. Friday.
“I’m ecstatic,” said coach Chris Roche, a five-time state champion at Wilsonville: 2005, 2016-17, 2019 and 2022. “This team has struggled a little bit with immaturity and competitive consistency. We’ve had some lows this year, and they’ve hung in there and they’ve gotten better.
“When you’re at a program like ours, you don’t get the same grace to stumble. Everybody makes a big deal out of all that, so (the players) have to deal with that. But they handled it and kept competing, and here we are. I’m super proud of them.”
The Wildcats (23-5) had 11 steals and limited Crescent Valley (16-12) to 11 made field goals on 36 attempts (30.6 percent). The Raiders missed on all six of their 3-pointers and took just four free throws, making half.
Senior guard Adam Temesgen found some space in the paint en route to a team-high 15 points. The rest of the Raiders combined for nine points.
“Those guys have got length, they’re physical, they’re big-bodied guys,” Crescent Valley coach Adam Hastings said. “We hadn’t gone against a team that had that much size really all season long. They forced us into a lot of tough shots. They did a good job of staying vertical and we just couldn’t make enough tonight.”
Both teams played sticky half-court defense during a brisk opening quarter that ended in an 8-8 tie. Defense remained the theme in the second as the Wildcats led 14-12 at the break.
“I thought today we would have to play great defense,” Roche said. “They are really good on defense. They are athletic and quick. They’re not real big, but they’re strong and they defend very well.”
Four points apiece from Kyle Counts and Kallen Gutridge helped Wilsonville take a 22-15 lead midway through the third. Temesgen answered with seven in a row to tie it, but Maxim Wu rattled in a straight-on jumper that put the Wildcats up 24-22 early in the fourth.
After another Temesgen basket, Wilsonville regained the lead for good on a smooth Gutrdige elbow jumper with 3:07 to play. The junior then hit two free throws to make it 28-24 with 86 seconds left.
The Wildcats went 8 for 8 at the line in the final quarter to salt it away.
Wu said Wilsonville is comfortable playing high-stakes, low-scoring games. In last year’s state championship game against Silverton, the Wildcats trailed 11-6 at halftime before coming back for a 34-30 victory.
“Whatever it takes to win, whether it be a defensive game or an up-and-down game,” Wu said. “Our identity is defense. I take pride in that, personally.”
Added Roche: “We’ve played in those a lot. You have to embrace the moment, embrace the challenge, or you’re not going to end up on top. And I thought our kids did a good job of finishing this game strong.”
Gutridge paced Wilsonville with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and four steals. Wu added seven points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Until the final seconds of the game, the Wildcats used only their starting five of Nick Colyer, Emmitt Fee, Counts, Gutridge and Wu.
“We run a lot in practice for that and we’re mentally prepared for that,” Wu said. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”
Roche said that even though the rotation has tightened in the postseason, multiple bench players are capable of providing important minutes in the final.
“Our first unit is so good defensively together that we’re not going to sub for no reason,” he said. “We love all our guys, but these are the guys that have earned it, so they’re playing. But tomorrow, you never know how that story is going to unfold. We could have two or three guys play a big role off the bench. We’ve had that a lot this year. Not in the tournament yet, but it’s possible.”
With four state titles since 2016, Wilsonville will be an atypical underdog in Friday’s final.
Summit, the Class 6A runner-up last season, has more size and athleticism than the Wildcats. But the Storm have never won a state title, and Wilsonville is closing in on a half-dozen.
“I think we’ve got to come out and let it rip, and see what happens,” Roche said. “They’re playing five guys, too, last time I checked, so we’ll see. I know they’re talented and big and great and everybody picked them to win it. And everybody might be right, but we’ll find out tomorrow.”
Added Wu: “If we stick to our core philosophies of defense, I think we’ll have a shot.”
‘We’re comfortable here.’ Wilsonville up to its old tricks at Gill Coliseum, will face Crescent Valley for shot at another 5A boys title
“I love this place. We have the benefit of having been here a bunch, and I do think that’s a real plus.”
BOB LUNDEBERG; MAR 9, 2023
By Bob Lundeberg | Photos by Leon Neuschwander
CORVALLIS — Over the past several years, Wilsonville has done some of its best work in the friendly confines of Gill Coliseum.
The Wildcats are five-time state champions under coach Chris Roche, and all five blue trophies were secured in Corvallis. The past four have come at the Class 5A level, the second-most in the history of the classification behind Jefferson’s five.
After dispatching sixth-seeded Woodburn 46-26 on Wednesday night in an OSAA state quarterfinal, No. 3 Wilsonville sits two wins from matching the Democrats’ 5A title count. A victory over Crescent Valley in Thursday’s semifinals would send the Wildcats to a seventh consecutive 5A state championship game.
“I love this place,” Roche said of Gill Coliseum. “I think we’re comfortable here. We have the benefit of having been here a bunch, and I do think that’s a real plus. We’ve not only been here, but we’ve seen success here. But you’ve still got to go do it.”
Wilsonville, the Class 3A state champion in 2005, last missed a 5A tournament in 2008. The Wildcats secured their first 5A title in 2016 and won three more in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
If not for COVID-19, Wilsonville might have earned one or two more in 2020 and 2021.
“We just try to build upon something that’s pretty special, and it’s all led by our coach,” junior wing Kallen Gutridge said. “He’s been here numerous times and he knows how to get us right. I’m biased, but he’s one of the best around. We’re super grateful to play for him.”
Added junior forward Kyle Counts: “We have a great coaching staff. Our coach, I call him a legend. I thank God he’s my coach and I’m very blessed to have him. All the coaches around us work super hard and are very positive guys. I also think we build leaders in this program, and that helps our team bond together.”
While proud of his program’s success over the years, Roche was quick to point out that this season’s team is its own group.
“We know what happened in the past isn’t going to help us win tomorrow night; it didn’t help us win tonight,” the coach said. “We have to show up and compete. If we don’t show up and compete tomorrow, nobody is going to feel bad for us. Everybody is going to want to beat us, so we just have to be ready to go.
“I give the kids credit for answering the bell and meeting the challenge that’s in front of us right now. Because if you start thinking big-picture too much, it gets in the way.”
Wilsonville (22-5) stayed in the present Wednesday night and turned in a spectacular defensive performance against Mid-Willamette Conference champion Woodburn (20-6).
The Bulldogs finished 8 of 45 (17.8 percent) from the field and 3 of 20 from beyond the arc. Star guards Cruz Veliz and Spencer Karsseboom netted 13 combined points.
“Woodburn’s offense is great and it was definitely important for us to guard some of their key players,” Counts said. “We didn’t have our best offensive game, but we can always rely on our defense. We played pretty good defense and rebounded well.”
Counts scored his team’s first eight points and had 10 in the opening period as the Wildcats forged a 12-3 lead after eight minutes. Woodburn started 1 of 14 from the field with three turnovers against Wilsonville’s impenetrable defense.
As both offenses sputtered, Veliz knocked down a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the second quarter that trimmed the deficit to 16-12. The teams combined to shoot 12 of 51 (23.5 percent) in the first half.
Wilsonville seized control with a 10-1 run to begin the third quarter and rode its defense back to the semifinals.
“They are a machine defensively,” Bulldogs coach Raul Veliz said of Wilsonville. “Their physicality got us early. We were trying to respond and be a little more physical, but we just never responded.”
Counts shined at both ends of the court and compiled a stat line of 16 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Gutridge added 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals; Maxim Wu had 11 points and three assists.
The Wildcats used only six players with the starting five of Counts, Gutridge, Wu, Nick Colyer and Emmitt Fee logging all but seven of the 160 total minutes played.
“I feel like people say that we lost some size, and some people have said we’re not deep,” Gutridge said. “I just say that we focus on ourselves and just give our best effort, play tough and together and see what happens.”
Added Roche: “I love these kids. They’re great kids. We’re really talented, but we get in our own way a little bit and we’re still learning the game. But they want to be great and they want to do the right stuff.”
‘For everybody who couldn’t do it the last couple years because of COVID.’ After far too long of a wait, Wilsonville finally defends 5A boys basketball title by grinding out win over Silverton
It's the Wildcats' fifth state championship under Chris Roche. “That’s the GOAT right there,” senior guard Enzo Chimienti said while nodding at his head coach.
BOB LUNDEBERG | MAR 12, 2022 | SCOREBOOKLIVE.COM
Points were at a premium as two defensive juggernauts squared off for the 5A state title.
No. 3 Wilsonville, which won the last completed state tournament in 2019, endured a tougher offensive first half than fourth-seeded Silverton. The floor opened up for both teams after the break, but the Wildcats converted more of their chances — particularly in the third quarter — to secure another blue trophy for head coach Chris Roche.
Behind a 17-point third-quarter eruption, Wilsonville earned its fourth state title in five tries with a 34-30 victory over Silverton at Gill Coliseum. The Wildcats, who have played in six consecutive finals, are five-time champions under Roche (2005, 2016-17, 2019, 2022).
“That’s the GOAT right there,” senior guard Enzo Chimienti said while nodding at his head coach. “It don’t get much better than him.”
Wilsonville rode stars Dakota Reber, Gabe Reichle, Zachary Rivers, Jack Roche — coach Roche’s son — and Keegan Shivers to the 2019 title. Reber, Reichle and Shivers were all back the following season when the tournament was abruptly canceled due to COVID-19.
Two years later, the Wildcats finally got the opportunity to defend their crown.
“The last tournament ended with Crater, Silverton, Churchill and us,” wing Kallen Gutridge said. Wilsonville and Churchill were slated to play in the semifinals with the winner advancing to face Crater or Silverton. It’s a little ironic because we got to play every one of those teams at the tournament this year. I’m just glad that we got to put on for the class of 2020. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Wilsonville’s 2020 senior class of Andrew Classen, Finlay Dunn and the three aforementioned stars didn’t get the chance to close their careers with titles. Neither did the class of 2021, a group that left an impression on Chimienti.
“I remember last year, we still wanted to win every game, but it kind of felt like we were playing for nothing at times,” Chimienti said. “The seniors that worked so hard last year in Cason (Dougall), Riley (Scanlan), Hayden (Nichols) and Rowan (Bush), seeing them all here today supporting us, it means the world to me. We’re doing it for them, doing it for everybody who couldn’t do it the last couple years because of COVID.”
On a day when every basket counted, Chimienti made 6 of his 8 field goal attempts and finished with a game-high 15 points. Chimienti, who also had four rebounds, always seemed to deliver when Wilsonville needed a spark.
“I’m so proud of that kid,” Gutridge said. “A couple years ago, he was splitting his time between JV2 and JV. He worked all of quarantine to get his game right. He grew a little bit, got stronger and came out here today and was the man.”
Senior point guard Jordan McCarty had 11 points and three assists to lead the Foxes, who edged Wilsonville 33-32 for their lone state title in 2015. Silverton turned it over just six times to Wilsonville’s 14 but shot 10 of 36 overall and 3 of 13 from beyond the arc. McCarty was 2 of 13 from the field and sharpshooter Neil Efimov made his only triple of the game in the closing seconds. “I thought we had some really good looks in the second half, four or five point-blank lay-ins and they didn’t go,” Silverton head coach Jamie McCarty said. “And that’s the difference.”
Silverton (23-6) scored on its first three possessions, going up 7-2 early on a Ryan Redman-Brown three off a kick-out pass from McCarty. Redman-Brown scored the only points of the second quarter — a long two 62 seconds into the period — as the undersized Foxes rode their smothering defense to an 11-6 halftime lead.
Dealing with pesky Silverton hands on nearly every dribble and pass, Wilsonville (27-2) shot 2 of 9 from the field in the first half with nine turnovers. Joseph Haugen provided a fitting end to the first 16 minutes of play by flying in to swat a Tristan Davis corner three-point attempt out of bounds.
“I think you had two pretty dang-good defensive teams out there,” coach McCarty said. “I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a team of mine playing such a great first half (defensively), holding them to six points. We just frustrated them and I thought we had a lot of good things going.”
Added Chimienti: “They are a great defensive team, credit to them. We just had to tough through it, play our game, be confident and play strong.”
Gutridge converted two free throws with 7:11 remaining in the third quarter, Wilsonville’s first points since the 1:39 mark of the first. The sophomore then had a transition layup after blocking a shot on defense to make it a one-point game, and Maxim Wu rattled in a three to give the Wildcats their first lead at 17-15.
Chimienti knocked down another triple later in the period as Wilsonville took a 23-17 lead to the fourth. The Wildcats’ 17 third-quarter points matched their total from the first, second and fourth combined.
McCarty connected on a three to make it 25-21 with 5:37 to go, but Wilsonville put it away with consecutive baskets in the paint from Davis, Logan Thebiay and Chimienti. Wilsonville made enough free throws down the stretch to stave off a late flurry of Silverton points.
It was a disappointing end to a special season for the Foxes, who had four players — including McCarty — from the school’s 2021 state championship football team.
Wilsonville will lose three seniors to graduation: Kellen Hartford, Chimienti and Thebiay. The rest of the Wildcats will be gearing up for another state title push next winter.
“Winning this feels amazing,” Chimienti said. “It’s always been a dream of mine since I started playing basketball to achieve something like this. It’s a part of our history, but every year we’ve got to go do it again. Every year teams are looking to beat us, and we just want to keep going.”
