Western Christian. That is it. That is the preview.
You honestly could have it this way, but in reality, it’s never that easy. Throughout our time covering the 2A level, upsets happen almost daily, so if we saw someone knock off the Pioneers this season, we wouldn’t be shocked. It’s a long road from December to March, and any team can win on any given night. It was Western Christian’s (WC) night two years ago against Salem Academy, and the Crusaders night against the Pioneers last year. While another rematch in the Title Game is unlikely, it can’t be ruled out just yet.
Western Christian – After falling in the 2023 State Championship game, The Pioneers return their entire squad, and with a coach like Gary Hull, the sky’s the limit. WC will turn to players like Gavin Hall (2nd Team All-State), Lucas Zook (2nd Team All-League), Kuga Matsumoto (3rd Team All-League), and Logan Hill (3rd Team All-League) to return them to the promised land. WC’s depth and experience will be what they lean on all year, and at this level, that makes a huge difference. The Pioneers will face Pleasant Hill on December 7th, which will be a great test early on for a group who are State Title favorites.
Mannahouse Academy, Portland – The Lions burst onto the scene in 2023, earning the top-seed for the State Tournament. However, in our opinion, a lack of quality opponents set them up for failure. Mannahouse were upset in the Quarterfinal round, struggling on the offensive end, in what was a 34-41 defeat to Heppner. In 2024, the Lions still have that poor taste in their mouth and are ready to make a run. Led by Jadon Bjonsgard (1st Team All-State), Mannahouse returns their top five players as well, and now have the final-site experience they lacked last season. 6’8 post presence Joshua Louka has sharpened his craft and will be one of the best interior players in the state this season, which will cause a lot of teams trouble inside. A much tougher schedule will also help this bunch as we’re excited to see them face off against Western Christian and Westside Christian.
Willamina – Another team who returns their entire squad are the Willamina Bulldogs. The Bulldogs came up just short of a trip to Pendleton last season, falling in the First Round to #4 East Linn Christian, 47-51. In 2024, Willamina will be highlighted by an electric backcourt, and one that nearly rivals Western Christian’s. Cohen Haller (3rd Team All-State) will be the leader of this squad, but players like Kaleb Cruikshank and Dylan Graham will be tough as well. Down the stretch of league play last season, the Bulldogs knocked off Western Christian 60-56, will they be able to replicate that again this year? We predict Willamina to be a final site team in 2024, which would be their first trip to a final site since 1973.
Regis – Surprise, surprise, another Tri-River squad. Playing in the best Conference in the state, Regis won 21 games last season which in hindsight is quite the feat. A 6th place finish in the 2023 State Tournament has this group hungry for more, and we see them as a State Title contender. The Rams will be tasked with replacing Diego Aguilar (2nd Team All-State), but will be able to do that with players like Isaiah Koehnke returning for the Rams. Regis came in as the third best team in their league but the fourth best in the state in our eyes. Of note is Noah Koenig, a great player by all measures, not coming out for basketball this season for the Rams, though that does not move them down in the pecking order in our eyes.
Salem Academy – While a boatload of uncertainty surrounds the Salem Academy program right now, we find it hard to believe that the Crusaders won’t figure it out. Salem Academy has played in the last three State Championship games, winning two of them, and haven’t missed out on the Final Site since 2019. The Crusaders have a tall mountain to climb losing Head Coach Ben Brown along with Jackson Oglesby (1st Team All-State), but that was their only All-State selection last season. Salem Academy will turn to their youth in 2024, Mateo Schutt will be the leader. This is somewhat of a legacy pick here, but history suggests it’s worth it.
Other players worth keeping an eye on this season include:
Ayden Boursaw (Clatskanie)
Jake Westerman (Gold Beach)
Ryland Beil (Grant Union)
Landon Mitchell (Heppner)
Daniel Polk (Illinois Valley)
Treven Moreland (Knappa)
Nate Young (Monroe)
Colby Getting (Portland Christian, transfer from Columbia Christian)
Ethan Larner (Portland Christian)
Joseph Fusco (Oakland)
Landon Bailey (Stanfield)
Bryson Choin (Weston-McEwen)
Preseason Top-10
- Western Christian
- Mannahouse
- Willamina
- Regis
- Salem Academy
- Stanfield
- Portland Christian
- Heppner
- Oakland
- Grant Union
Considered: Knappa, Santiam, Gold Beach, East Linn Christian
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