The player who makes the biggest impact on a team’s success isn’t always the leading scorer, or a four-year starter, or some super stud. Sometimes it’s a player who was finally given the chance, and came through with a great game.

That’s how Andy Menne from the Etna Lions basketball team found himself with a new workout shirt a couple of weeks ago.

The interesting thing about Menne is that he has the sweetest shot on the Etna team. If you’re looking to show someone proper form for jump shooting, Menne’s the guy you’d choose from the Lions.

The problem is over the past three years, he hasn’t had much of a chance to show it. I can attest from first hand knowledge that there are more than a couple of people that thought more PT was in order, but the prior coach saw it differently. So, Menne continued to wait.

Then, he got his break. An injury to an Etna player opened up a spot on the starting five. The Lions’ new coach, Mike Pendley, spent the first few games of the season searching for the fifth starter, trying three or four different players. Based upon his play in the Rogue River Tournament, Menne was given a shot.

A few days later, his breakthrough game came against the Yreka Miners. Etna had already lost to Yreka earlier in the season. In the rematch, Coach Pendley gave Menne a job—contain one of Yreka’s most dangerous scorers. As it turned out, he not only contained the player, but outscored him as well. Menne had 10 points in the game, including a couple of in-your-face jumpers late in the game, and Etna won, 63-61. (more…)

One lesson and Cricket Postma was hooked on reining. That was about a year ago, and now the freshman at Etna High School is looking at the possibility of competing at the American Quarter Horse Youth World Championships in Oklahoma City, in August.

Cricket’s first reining lesson was with Sam Gemaehlich on Pepe, a horse that Cricket’s family had just purchased. That first time on Pepe didn’t go so well. Although a trained reiner, it had been a while since Pepe had been tuned up. So, Cricket really didn’t get the full feeling of reining. That, however, would change. (more…)