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Warriors off to ‘good start’ in winter

Less than a month into the winter sports season, Lebanon High School teams are off to a “good start,” Athletic Director Kraig Hoene said. 

Boys Basketball

Lebanon is 2-2, with wins over Hood River and McLoughlin, but the Warriors suffered a league-opening loss at home against Corvallis Dec. 11, 67-55. 

“It was a good, competitive game,” Hoene said. “We’re in a tough league.” 

Girls Basketball

After a 3-0 nonleague start, the Warriors lost their first game of the season, and their first league game, 40-42 at Corvallis Dec. 11 on a buzzer-beater.

Lebanon is ranked 11th in the state, but Hoene said the Mid-Willamette Conference is so competitive that it’s going to be a challenge for the Warriors to finish in the top four, which would guarantee them a trip to state.

“Our girls can be really good and not be in the top five,” he said. “It’s going to be a battle to stay in that top five.” 

Wrestling

“Wrestling is off to a strong start,” Hoene said. “When it all shapes up at the end of the day, I think this team can make a run at a trophy at the state wrestling tournament.” 

Sophomore Keith Brown, at 220 pounds, won his division at the 30-team Rose City Championship tournament at Westview High School in Portland Dec. 8-9, as the Warriors finished ninth. 

Senior Chase Miller (152) was fifth and junior Rian Howard (120) was sixth. 

“In a tournament like that, just placing is a win,” Hoene noted. 

Senior Wyatt Richardson is recovering from a knee injury and should add some punch to the team when he returns. 

The Mid-Willamette Conference is loaded, with returning state champion Dallas and the addition of West Albany and North Salem, which was a “very solid” team in the 6A division, Hoene said. 

“As usual, Dallas is loaded,” he said. “Crescent Valley has kids capable of winning a state title.”

Qualifying for state in wrestling in the conference is “probably” tougher than any other sport, Hoene said, due to the number of wrestlers in the league. Four will qualify for state in each weigh division. 

 

The Warriors will compete in the Linn County Championships at Harrisburg Jan. 4, which will feature all the teams in the county. 

Swimming

The Warrior boys, who were ranked sixth in pre-season polls, have swept their first three meets with Silverton, Marist and Crescent Valley. 

“That’s hard to do,” Hoene said. “Pretty impressive.” 

The girls have been competitive in all their meets, he said. 

The Warriors will host Marist, North Bend and Sweet Home in their home invitational Jan. 5 at noon. 

Dance

With 31 girls out for the team, the Warriors should be strong again. They won their first competition and “I think they are going to be really solid,” Hoene said. 

“(Coach) Megan (Sharp) has a pretty solid core of senior leadership with some younger kids. She’s pretty happy where they’re at.”