Entering Tuesday’s game against Newport with 1:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, Philomath High senior Josiah Peters got back onto the floor for the first time since scoring 11 points in a Dec. 9 win over Marist Catholic.
Forty-five seconds later, he got the ball outside of the 3-point arc and attempted a shot — nothing but net.
“I was shooting it no matter what if I got the ball,” Peters said. “It made me feel like a sophomore again, getting into a varsity game and shooting at the end.”
Gallery: PHS boys basketball vs. Newport (Feb. 3, 2026)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 68-42 boys basketball loss to Newport on Tuesday.
Philomath lost the game, 68-42, but the appearance by Peters was a special moment that the fans noted with their cheers. Back in December after the team’s third game this season, Peters found himself in a serious health crisis that began with a bone infection. The infection progressed to sepsis and led to organ systems failing, including his kidneys, he said.
The senior spent an extended period in intensive care before doctors were able to stabilize his condition.
“They gave me enough antibiotics and other stuff to get me going on the right track and then it just takes a long time since it was a bone thing instead of a muscle thing,” Peters said. “I thought I wasn’t going to be back for like a year or so.”
Peters only began formal physical therapy last week, though he had been attending practices to work on conditioning, flexibility and shooting as his strength returned.
“I wasn’t planning on playing him tonight but the game was out of hand and then I let the other coach know that I was going to put him in,” PHS coach Blake Ecker said.
Peters took the floor with enthusiasm after Ecker pointed at him to check in.
It was great … it hit me when I walked on, and everyone started yelling,” Peters said. “It was fun because I’ve been watching everyone play, watching my brother play.”
The moment provided a momentary lift for a team that had struggled all evening against the visitors from the coast. Newport jumped out to a 21-2 lead and never looked back to force a three-way tie for first place in the Oregon West Conference.
“That was a special moment, no doubt about it,” Ecker said about the 3-pointer by Peters. “It was emotional for me on that, too, you know, he’s a great kid and I’m just happy for him that he’s healthy and he’s getting there.”
Glancing toward him in the hallway outside of the locker room, Ecker then added, “I couldn’t be more proud of him to make that basket.”
The moment brought back memories of a similar moment in February 2016 when Ecker started Dawson Brattain, who had missed his senior season recovering from an ACL injury, on Senior Night against Yamhill-Carlton. Philomath got the ball to Brattain on its first possession and he drilled a 3-pointer. The coach called timeout to take him out of the game to a big ovation from the fans.
Newport (15-3 overall, 4-1 Oregon West) opened the game with a 10-0 run to take control early. Philomath’s first points came on a pair of free throws by junior Esias Sapp at the 2:09 mark. The team didn’t score its first field goal until 7:03 remained in the second quarter — that coming on a hoop by junior Kaden Howard.
“In the first quarter, I told them to settle down and that we can’t get it all back at once and we tied them, 17-17, in the second quarter,” Ecker said. “And then we came out in the second half and they got some confidence and momentum.”
Down 32-17 at the break, Philomath (10-7, 4-1) came out in the third quarter and scored on a basket in the lane by junior Jamin Peters. The deficit was 14 at the time and it didn’t seem unreasonable to believe the Warriors could make a run. But Newport was not going to relent and countered with an 8-0 run over the next four minutes. The Warriors ended up scoring just six points in the quarter.
“We’ve got to throw this one away and regroup,” Ecker said. “We’re still tied for first place and we still have five more games. We’ve got to let this one go.”
Sapp had a team-high 11 points on three field goals and 5 of 6 from the foul line. Sophomore Cole Barron came off the bench to grab six rebounds. Sapp and sophomore Dreyton Nuño each had three assists.
“Hats off to them — they beat the pants off us,” Ecker said. “We didn’t do ourselves any favors in the first quarter when we didn’t even score a basket. We had plenty of opportunities and things were working fine but then we didn’t play any defense either. So when you can’t make a shot and you don’t play defense, that’s a bad combination.”
Newport’s sharp shooters were in high form against the Warriors with a dozen 3-pointers in the game — three each from senior Easton Herrmann, junior Jackson Jincks, senior Aaidyn Bokuro and junior Collin Fierro. Herrmann finished with 18 points in all, Bokuro with 17, Fierro with 15 and Jincks with 13.
Newport, Stayton and Philomath are the three teams tied for first. The Warriors will not get back onto the court until Feb. 10 at Sweet Home. Two regular-season home games remain with a Feb. 13 game vs. North Marion and Feb. 20 vs. Stayton.
Newport 68, Philomath 42
Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Philomath HS
NEWPORT (68)
Collin Fierro 6 0-0 15, Easton Herrmann 5 5-5 18, Aaidyn Bokuro 6 2-3 17, Brock Abel 0 0-0 0, Aiden Brown 0 0-0 0, Quinn Barber 0 2-2 2, Jackson Jincks 5 0-0 13, Jax Sampson 1 1-2 3, Emmett Schrader 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 10-12 68.
PHILOMATH (42)
Dreyton Nuño 1 0-0 3, Kaden Howard 2 0-1 5, Hamish McConnell 1 0-0 3, Esias Sapp 3 5-6 11, Jamin Peters 1 1-2 3, Cole Barron 3 0-5 6, Nathan Seits 2 0-0 5, Lucas Lewetag 1 0-0 2, Ace Gerding 0 1-2 1, Josiah Peters 1 0-0 3. Totals 15 7-16 42.
Team 1 2 3 4 F Newport (15-3, 4-1) 18 17 18 15 68 Philomath (10-7, 4-1) 2 17 6 17 42
3-Point Goals—Newport 12 (Herrmann 3, Jincks 3, Bokuro 3, Fierro 3), Philomath 5 (Seits, Nuño, Howard, McConnell, Jo. Peters). Fouled Out—None. Total Fouls—Newport 15, Philomath 15. Technicals—Newport bench.
