Exactly how do you determine if a player is having an impact on the success of his team? One way is to take a look at the statistics.

Forward Eric Thelander leads the Mt. Shasta Bears varsity basketball team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. And in case you think the points come from being a ball hog, think again. Thelander also leads the team in assists, as well being second in steals.

Then there’s the Thelander “Thunder Dunk.”

The truth is that I’m not all that impressed by dunks. Most high school dunks are on breakaways, and they still just count as two points—same as a lay up.

However, when a player drives the lane and dunks over the defender, that’s impressive. Thelander can do it. Most other players around these parts can’t.

There’s no doubt that Thelander is making an impact, and has earned an Impact Player Award. Congratulations. (more…)

By Alyssa Scala

When you come to watch the College of the Siskiyous Lady Eagles basketball team play you will see a 6′6” player running up and down the court. Who might this be? It’s Leah Swain from Melbourne, Australia.

Now, it may seem strange that someone from Australia is playing at COS. How did she find COS you might ask?“My family knows a man named Steve from Australia who used to play for Tom Powers and suggested that I should go play college basketball–that it would be a great experience for me just as it was for him. So here I am,” said Leah.When asked about Australia she says it’s a little different than what everyone seems to think.

“It isn’t what everyone thinks. There are not kangaroos hopping around everywhere, and most people don’t live by the beach or surf all day. It’s just like a city here. People go to work and maybe on their spare time they will go catch a wave or two,” said Leah. “Though don’t get me wrong there are many amazing beaches and the people there are very relaxed.” (more…)

The Associated Student Body of Etna High School and the Student Council Officers are working hard to make the first annual Scott Valley Dodgeball Tournament a huge success. The tournament will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2009 beginning at 10:00 am in the Carl Smith Gymnasium. All proceeds from this tournament will be donated to the Corben Brooks Fund to aid in Corben’s recovery from a football injury he suffered earlier this year. The EHS Student Council would like to see all of Siskiyou County join this event to raise money for Corben. (more…)

For the first time, an Impact Player Award is going to a JV player, Tandy Thackeray, of the Etna Lady Lions JV basketball team. Why?

First, her team is 9-0 with two JV tourney championships so far this season, and Tandy is a big part of the team’s success. She and her teammates haven’t just won all their games. They have dominated.

Second, Tandy is an all-around player. She can dribble, pass, rebound, play defense, and shoot. Man, can she shoot. Tandy is one of the best gunners at Etna High School—boy or girl. Her specialty is dialing long distance, and it isn’t for texting (that comes after the game).

In their most recent game, the Lady Lion JVs demolished Hayfork, 64-23. It was Lady Lions 23-Hayfork 0 at the end of the first quarter. It was also Tandy Thackeray 15 – Hayfork 0 at the end of the first quarter. Along with the other starters, Tandy took a break for most of the rest of the game, and finished with 17 points. (more…)

Scores

Saturday, December 20

Girls Basketball

Etna 63 – Redding Christian 21
Etna: Annalesia Nadig 26 P, 12 R, 7 B, 6 S; Paige Finley 23 P, 10 R, 6 S, Ilima Adams 11 R.

Etna 58 – Butte Valley 68
Etna: Annalesia Nadig 20 P, 9 R; Trina Appler 10 P, 10 R; Ilima Adams 8; Tandy Thackeray 8
All-Tourney: Annalesia Nadig, Paige Finley
Etna finishes 3rd in Etna Holiday Tournament (1-2). Butte Valley (3-0) is 1st, Mercy 2nd (2-1), and Redding Christian 4th (0-3).

Boys Basketball

Mt. Shasta 47 – Gridley 58
Mt. Shasta: Erik Thelander 13 P, 9 R; Gene Kenyon9 P, 7 R; Zack Morris 6 P,5 A; Jake Padula 6 P. Thelander is All-Tourney.

Etna 66 – Butte Valley45
Etna: Ryan Hicks 19 P, 9 S, 4 A; Erik Anaya 11 P, 8 R; Jarom Hiett 11 P, 5 R; Brent Davis 10 P, 9 S.
Ryan Hicks & Erik Anaya Co-MVPs.  Jarom Hiett is All-Tourney
Etna wins Etna Holiday Tournament (2-0). Butte valley is 2nd (1-1).  Mercy 3rd (0-2).

(more…)

ETNA – The Etna Lions faced little opposition on their way the Etna Holiday Tournament championship beating Mercy and Butte Valley in the three-team round-robin.

Etna (7-3) opened the tourney with a 62-53 win over the Mercy Warriors (1-6). Etna led 16-6 at the end of the first quarter, 35-24 at the half, and 46-36 at the end of three quarters. Ryan Hicks and Erik Anaya each scored 14 points to lead the Lions. Jarom Hiett put up 12 points.

Etna then dominated the Butte Valley Bulldogs in the second game. Buckets by Hicks and Anaya put the Lions up 4-0. Etna never trailed in the game, and led 15-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Lions outscored Butte Valley 18-8 in the second quarter, capped by a spin move for a hoop by Hiett. Etna led 33-15 at the half, and went on to win 66-45.

Hicks led all scorers with 19 points, as well as having nine steals, and four assists. Anaya had 11 points and eight boards. Hiett also put up 11 points, while snagging five rebounds. Brent Davis added 10 points and nine steals. Hicks and Anaya shared MVP honors. Hiett was All-Tourney. (more…)

ETNA – The Etna Lady Lions varsity basketball team finished third at their round-robin Holiday tournament over the weekend.

Etna opened the tournament with a heart-breaking 72-69 overtime loss to the Mercy Lady Warriors. Brittney Potter hit a 3-ball for the Lady Lions to force overtime. Unfortunately for Etna, the Lady Lions couldn’t stop Lady Warrior Allison Wong, who exploded for 52 points in the game, and was eventually selected as tournament Co-MVP.

Lindsay Stacher put up 30 points for Etna. Annaleisa Nadig and Brittney Potter each had 10 points.

Etna rebounded with a pounding of Redding Christian in

the second game. With the game tied 6-6, The Lady Lions went on a 19-0 run to go up 25-6.

A bucket by Paige Finley gave Etna the lead 8-6. Nadig converted a dish from Tilly McBroom to make it 10-6, and Finley had a put-back just before the buzzer to end the first quarter with Etna up 12-6. Finley and Illima Adams owned the start of the second quarter for the Lady Lions, with one of the two having a hand in the first 13 points of the quarter. Nadig took control late in the quarter, scoring the last six points for Etna, including a bucket at the buzzer, giving the Lady Lions a 36-10 lead at the half. Etna went on to win easily 63-21. (more…)

ETNA – Both the Etna varsity and JV boys squads beat the Hayfork Timberjacks by 21 points, with the varsity winning 65-44, and the JVs 60-39.

The varsity Timberjacks, however, did not go down without a fight. Hayfork opened up with the first of four 3-pointers in the first quarter, to go up 3-0. Hoops by Ryan Hicks, Brent Davis and Erik Anaya gave Etna a 6-3 lead, but the Timberjacks would end the first frame with a 3-pointer to lead 18-16.

Etna made a defensive adjustment to start the second quarter, extending its zone and doing a better job closing out the Hayfork shooters. Hayfork would hit just one more 3-point shot the remainder of the game.

Etna’s Davis nailed a 3-ball at the start of the second quarter to give the Lions a 19-18 lead—a lead they would not relinquish. The Lions would go on to outscore the Timberjacks 19-6 in the quarter, including a 12-0 run. At the half it was Etna 35 – Hayfork 24.

Etna extended its lead to 19 points at the end of three quarters, 47-28, and finished up with a 65-41 win.

Davis had 19 points. Anaya had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. Hicks put up 14 points. Seth Jordan pulled down nine rebounds. (more…)

Varsity falls 43-26

ETNA – If you’re a JV Etna Lady Lion, life has to be good. The JV squad trounced the Hayfork Timberjacks 64-23 on Tuesday night—and it wasn’t even that close.

Emily Loogman dialed long distance to get the Lady Lions started, and they led 23-0 at the end of the first quarter. Tandy Thackeray put up 15 points in the quarter.

It took the Timberjacks until almost two minutes into the second quarter to score on a free throw. Their first basket came halfway through the second quarter.

For Etna in the second frame, Caressa Kendrick came off the bench to light up Hayfork from long-range, scoring seven points in the quarter, including a 3-ball. At the half it was 39-7 for the Lady Lions.

Etna continued to dominate in the second half, leading 58-17 after three quarters, and 64-23 when the final horn sounded.

Thackeray led all scorers with 17 points. Loogman had 11, and Kendrick notched nine points.

The Lady Lion JV squad is now 9-0, including two tournament championships. (more…)

ETNA – The Etna Lady Lion JV squad took first place at the Etna JV Holiday Tournament, last weekend, defeating Tulelake, Quincy, and Butte Valley.

In the championship game, Etna led Butte Valley 16-9 after the first quarter, 31-19 at the half, 48-32 after three quarters, and went on to win 61-50.

Emily Loogman led all scorers with 25 points. Tandy Thackeray added 17. Thackeray was selected tournament MVP. Loogman and Abby Journey were All-Tourney.

Tournament finishes

1. Etna

2. Butte Valley (more…)

ETNA – The Weed Cougar JV boys won the Etna JV Holiday Tournament last weekend, defeating Butte Valley, Yreka, and the Foothill frosh.

In the championship game, The Cougars trailed Foothill 14-10 after one quarter, 31-28 at the half, and 44-42 at the end of three quarters. Weed, however, outscored Foothill 11-6 in the final frame to win 53-50.

Mykeil-Nat White led Weed with 20 points. Brandon Ede put up 17 points. White was selected as tournament MVP. Ede and Liam Hagarty were All-Tourney.

Tournament finishes

1. Weed

2. Foothill Frosh (more…)

1st Team All-State
Darius Davis, WR, Return Specialist
Donovan Ramsdel, Punter

Honorable Mention All-State
Stevn Butrick, LB

1st Team Mid-Empire Conference
Offense
Josh Sanford, OL
Aqura Brown, QB
Klaus Geier, TE
Darius Davis, WR, Return Specialist
Taylor Young, WR
Donovan Ramsdel, Punter (more…)

MOUNT SHASTA – The Mt. Shasta Bears boys varsity basketball team shut down the Weed Cougars’ 3-point game and came away with a hard fought win for third place at the Mt. Shasta Holiday Tournament.

In Weed’s opener, Quincy sat in a 3-2 zone for virtually the whole game, as Cougars Tanner Shelton, Robert West, and Jake West lit up the scoreboard with 3-balls. The Bears didn’t make the same mistake. Instead, the Bears played a tough man-to-man defense, denying Weed the ability to utilize its potent long-range attack.

Weed adjusted to the situation, with Aaron “A-Train” Power-Bearden coming up big with 20 points from the paint. But, in the first of three meetings between the rivals, it was the Bears that prevailed 50-46, behind a strong game from Steven Reed.

The squads were knotted at 10, at the end of the first quarter. The Bears appeared to take control of the game in the second quarter, rattling off nine straight to go up 19-10. However, the Cougars responded with a 12-3 run to tie the contest at 22-22 going into the intermission. Power-Bearden had 10 points, including two old fashioned 3-point plays, as well as a pair of steals for the Cougars during the run. (more…)

MOUNT SHASTA – The Yreka Miners boys continued their virtual tour of some Oregon’s best teams with an opening round loss, 71-43, to eventual Holiday Tournament winner Hidden Valley. Then, Y-Town got rolling.

In the second round, the Miners defeated a pesky Quincy squad 54-52. Quincy led 15-5 at the end of the first quarter, and 26-20 at the half.

Yreka, however, came up with a strong third quarter effort. Trailing 31-32, Andrew Ward put the Miners ahead, 34-32, on a 3-point play the hard way. Then, down 39-40, Brandon Larreau nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Yreka the lead, 42-40, going into the final frame. Larreau also hit a buzzer-beating 3-ball in the game against Hidden Valley.

The contest would come down to the final seconds. With the Miners up 53-52, Pierce had the ball, but Ward came up with a steal and was fouled. He hit one freebie to seal the win, 54-52, with 10 seconds remaining.

Ward led the Miners with 24 points, including four 3-balls, and a three point play. Chris Marks had 10, and Tyler Moser scored seven points.

In the consolation game against Pierce, the Miners for the most part controlled the play, leading 11-3 after the first quarter, and 22-10 at the intermission. Pierce would make a run in the third quarter, but Yreka maintained the lead 31-25. Yreka went on to win 43-36.

Gareth Watkins had a monster game with 20 points and 16 boards for the Miners. Ward was solid as usual with 11 points. Watkins was selected for the All-Tourney team.

Yreka (3-5) will next see action in Phoenix, Ore. on Monday, December 15