Woodburn Independent Online

Huskies clinch Capital Conference title

North Marion boys can win league outright on Tuesday

• By: Garrett Rudolph  
• Published: 2/19/2010 4:19:58 PM

Photo By: Garrett RudolphNorth Marion sophomore Nathan Summers gets fouled by Stayton's Reece Hack while driving to the basket. Summers and the Huskies clinched at least a share of the Capital Conference championship with Thursday's win.

AURORA — Everybody on the North Marion boys basketball team rebounds, defends and plays their role. That’s the philosophy the team has adapted this season, and everybody shares in the success of the Huskies first league championship since 2006.
 
“There are no individuals on this team,” said senior Kelly Christensen, after the Huskies’ 47-25 win over Stayton on Thursday night at North Marion High School. “It’s one team. That’s how we got to a league title. … The biggest point is that we held (Stayton) to two points in the second quarter. Two total points. That’s defense right there. … It was a great quarter, great coaching, great teamwork.”
 
Thursday’s win clinched at least a share of the Capital Conference title for the Huskies, and also locked up the league’s No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.
 
“I’ve never felt anything like it before,” said Christensen.
 
North Marion’s stifling defense catapulted the Huskies to a dominant victory, holding the visiting Eagles to just a single field goal in both the second and fourth quarters.
 
During one stretch between the second and third quarters, the Huskies held the Eagles without a field goal for over 12 minutes and went on a 13-0 run to take total control of the game. Defense - once a weak point of the team in years past - has quickly become North Marion’s trademark, holding opponents to under 40 points in six of 11 league games this season.
 
“Before, we had good defenders, but we didn’t play as a team,” said senior Jordan McCain. “This year, we’re all on the same page. … It’s just working this year and we need to keep it up.”
 
McCain, after struggling to find his shot in the early going, finished the game with a team-high 16 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
 
Meanwhile, Christensen continues to make his case for league player of the year honors with 12 points. Adam Hayden scored seven points and Josh Turner scored six. Zach Goldsby and Jesse Magana had two points apiece, while Nathan Summers rounded out the team’s scoring with one point.
 
Prior to the game, the team honored its four seniors, Christensen, McCain, Goldsby and Zach Borowczak.
 
Now, North Marion (10-1 in Capital, 13-8 overall) turns its attention to Tuesday’s regular season finale on the road against Gladstone (4-7, 10-12) at 5:30 p.m. If the Huskies win, or Cascade loses against Molalla, they will win the league title outright. The Huskies have only one other outright league title in school history, that coming in 1983. In 2006, the Huskies shared the title with Stayton.
 
Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, North Marion will host a second-round state-playoff game on March 6, against either Tillamook or Astoria. Both teams are currently tied for the top spot in the Cowapa League. Whichever team finishes second will face North Marion.
 
Having now won four straight games and 10 of their past 11, Christensen said the Huskies are very confident heading into the final regular season game and the postseason.
 
“We’ve got to go out and play another game hard, so we get league champs,” he said. “I don’t want to be co-champs or anything like that. We go beat Gladstone, we’re just champs.”

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