Now that the basketball teams have worked their way through a couple of tournaments, the teams will finish up nonconference play early this month before launching into the Oregon West Conference.
Philomath’s girls will face a major test next week by hosting Crater, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, in a 5:30 p.m. game on Tuesday. The Comets lost for the first time this season a few days ago in a tournament at Grant with a 78-69 loss to a school out of California. Crater hasn’t lost to an Oregon opponent since falling to Silverton, 61-60, in last season’s 5A title game.
Oh, and by the way, Crater hasn’t lost to a 4A school since Hidden Valley in 2018.
The Warriors will then play at Astoria and Sutherlin before getting into league play. Astoria will come into the game against PHS with a 3-5 record. The Fishermen defeated 5A Crescent Valley in its last game, 55-44.
As for Sutherlin, the Warriors just played the Bulldogs in the South Coast Tournament and took a 59-49 win. This next time around, the game will be on Sutherlin’s home floor and it would be a significant accomplishment to take down the Bulldogs in that atmosphere.
When conference play begins, it’s possible that we’ll see No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdowns when Philomath plays Stayton. So far this winter, the Warriors and Eagles appear to be the top teams in the league. However, don’t sleep on Cascade with the Cougars off to a 7-2 start.
Philomath High’s boys enter the new year with a 4-7 record. The team is coming off a good showing in the Alaska tournament where the boys won two of three. The Warriors will get right back on the floor this week with a 5:30 p.m. Friday matchup at home vs. Astoria.
The Fisherman have struggled to a 2-6 record during a rebuilding season with both victories coming in their home tournament last week. Astoria posted wins over Sweet Home and winless Toutle Lake, Washington.
Philomath will then get an 11-day break from competition. The Warriors will play at Gladstone on Jan. 14 before beginning Oregon West Conference play. The Gladiators are currently 4-5 and will play a couple of games this week in a home tournament and then on Jan. 7 at Stayton.
The conference will be challenging this season with Cascade, Stayton, Newport and North Marion all putting quality teams on the floor.
Benton County Championships on deck
Philomath High’s wrestling season will start to ramp up in January as the schedule gets closer and closer to the distinct tournament. Hosted by Philomath on Feb. 22, it’s only seven weeks away.
Up next will be another tournament at Philomath as the Warriors host the 24th Benton County Championships (this would be the 25th tournament if not canceled during the 2020-21 season). If Philomath can win for the fourth straight year, the Warriors would trail Corvallis High by just one for most tournament titles. The Spartans have won just once in the last 10 tournaments but dominated in the early years with eight straight titles from 1999-2000 through 2006-07. The Philomath High wrestling squad of 2007-08 dethroned CHS that year and then reeled off four straight wins.
Several Philomath wrestlers missed the Northwest Duals late last week for various reasons and we’ll have to wait and see who competes in this annual tournament, which is always a lot of fun for the athletes.
Coach Troy Woosley had mentioned to me in the past that Philomath offered to become the permanent home of the Benton County Championships and that appears to be the case. This will be the fourth straight year that the tournament is staged in the PHS gym. The last time another school hosted was in December 2019 at Corvallis High.
Joining the Warriors and Spartans will be wrestlers from Crescent Valley and Santiam Christian (I’m not seeing Alsea with a wrestling program this year).
Also in January, PHS will compete in a duals tournament at Sweet Home, the Oregon Wrestling Classic at Redmond, a tournament at Siuslaw and notably, the Reser’s Tournament of Champions at Sherwood High.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).
