Lebanon High School athletes are solidly into their winter schedules, and so far things are looking good – “really solid,” as Athletic Director Kraig Hoene put it.
Boys Basketball
The Warriors opened the season with non-league wins over The Dalles (68-49) and Hood River Valley (66-60), both at home, during the first week of the season.
They are scheduled to play again Tuesday evening, Dec. 17, in their first league game, at Corvallis, before playing at the Elmira Tournament and Oregon Holiday Hoopfest at Summit in Bend, both during the Christmas break.
The Warriors resume league play Jan. 7 against Dallas at home.
Girls Basketball
After winning the Mid-Willamette Conference title outright last year for the first time ever, the Warriors are 2-1 going into their first league match-up, at home Tuesday, Dec. 17, against Corvallis. Lebanon beat Ridgeview 54-48 and Pendleton 65-50 at the Ridgeview Tip-Off Tournament, followed by a 61-46 loss at home to Willamette (ranked No. 6 early in the season).
Lebanon will play in the Century/Hillsboro Tournament Dec. 26-28 before returning home Dec. 31 to host Philomath, which is ranked an early No. 1 in the 4A Division.
The Warriors welcome back all-leaguers Ellie Croco and Mary Workman from last year’s team.
Hoene said the Warriors are easing Croco, a senior who was last year’s conference Player of the Year and has signed to play at St. Mary’s, into the lineup after a knee injury suffered last spring in club play.
“We’re not pushing anything,” he said.
Wrestling
It’s going to be a busy season for the Warriors, who are wrestling a tough schedule. It started Dec. 4 with their own Weisbrodt Invitational, which featured a variety of 6A, 5A teams as well as Sweet Home, which is one of the favorites this year in the 4A Division.
“They’ve seen more action than anybody,” Hoene said of the wrestlers.
Back this year are a core of state qualifiers Andy Vandetta, Austin Dalton, Tucker Drummond, Jacob Jimenez and Rafael Ramos.
Lebanon tied with Dallas for seventh, with 84 points, in the 25-team Perry Burlison Invitational at Cascade Dec. 7, finishing two points behind Silverton and eight behind Central.
Junior Rafael Ramos finished second at 285 pounds and freshman Landon Carver was fourth at 106, while several other Warriors finished with mutual forfeits in fifth-place matches.
Lebanon is at the Rose City Championships at Westview High School, one of the most competitive tournaments of the season, Dec. 13-14, will host North Salem, Silverton and small-school power Culver at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, then compete in the Liberty Tournament Dec. 21. The Warriors will compete Jan. 3 at the Linn County Wrestling Championships, hosted by West Albany.
“The wrestling team is going to be very solid,” Hoene predicted, though he noted that Crescent Valley is primed to be one of the top teams in the state, at any level, so competition in the Mid-Willamette Conference will be fierce.
Swimming
The Warriors opened with a dual at home against North Salem and visit Crescent Valley for a dual on Tuesday, Dec. 17. They will host the Lebanon Invitational Saturday, Jan. 4, featuring Marist, North Bend, South Albany and Sweet Home – some of the top teams in the 5A and 4A/3A/2A/1A levels.
Back this year after qualifying for last year’s state meet are Drew Charley for the boys and Elizabeth Beck and Devony Beckett and alternates Kara Breshears and Teri Knaup for the girls.
“We’re solid,” Hoene said of the winter teams. “We just need to keep it up and carry into league.”