‘One team.’ Sherwood boys and girls celebrate together as Pacific Conference basketball champions

By Dan Brood | Photos by Dan Brood

Two teams.

Two titles.

One big program.

And that program rules the Pacific Conference.

The Sherwood girls basketball team, with its 56-30 win over Newberg in a conference game played Tuesday at Newberg High School, wrapped up its first outright Pacific Conference championship. With the Sherwood boys having already clinched a conference title, the Bowmen have all the Pacific Conference gold – and both teams couldn’t be happier about it.

“That’s pretty cool that we both get it. I know the boys have won the past few years, and to do with them this year is super cool, doing it as a whole program together,” Sherwood senior wing Mandie Jensen said following the girls’ victory. “It shows that we’re together the whole time. The boys’ slogan, that we’ve kind of taken on too, is, ‘One team.’”

“The boys have obviously done this a few times, but for us to also do it is really cool for our school, and having it for our community is just awesome,” Sherwood senior guard Laney Snelling said.

“I think that, overall, we’re a pretty good program this year. We’re doing awesome,” Sherwood sophomore center Ava Heiden said. “We have two amazing coaches (Lauren Howard for the girls, Rahim Tufts for the boys). Winning this together is a pretty awesome thing.”

The Sherwood boys agree.

“It’s a program win. We’re always rooting for each other,” said Sherwood senior guard Owen Caudle, who scored 28 points in the Bowmen boys’ 75-64 win over Newberg on Tuesday. “We all celebrate our successes. This shows what we’re all about. We’re all one team, and that’s our motto.”

“It makes it 100 percent more special, seeing the whole program being able to win, and to come out and have some fun is awesome to see,” Sherwood junior guard Jared Sucher said. “I think, state-wide, we’ve been slept on a little bit. So, this really puts our name out there. It really shows that we can play.”

For the Sherwood boys, a Pacific Conference championship is nothing new, as it’s the fourth straight title for the Bowmen – but it’s still something special.

“That’s a huge deal for us. When we start the year, that’s a major goal,” Caudle said. “Obviously, it’s one step at a time, but we always have that on the back of our minds, so to achieve a goal like that is everything to us.”

“It’s our fourth year in a row, so we’re trying to make some noise,” Sucher said. “It’s huge for our program.”

For the Sherwood girls, especially for seniors such as Jensen and Snelling, who are in their fourth year on the Bowmen varsity, their first Pacific Conference crown was a long time coming – but worth the wait.

“It’s so important, because we’ve worked so hard for this,” Snelling said. “Some of us have been on varsity all four years to try to get this, and we finally reached our goal, and we deserve this.”

“It’s awesome,” Jensen said. “Me, and the other seniors, have worked for this for four years.”

With that in mind, the Sherwood girls, when they stepped on the court at Newberg with a chance to wrap up that long-awaited championship, weren’t about to let the opportunity slip away.

Sherwood, getting a couple of baskets from the 6-foot-4 Heiden, a basket by Snelling on a drive to the hoop, and a free throw by Jensen, sprinted to a 7-4 lead with 4 minutes and 41 seconds left in the first quarter.

Newberg answered, getting a tying 3-pointer by junior Lua Maffia, coming with 2:10 left in the opening period.

But that just seemed to awaken the Bowmen, and maybe their greatest weapon – their defense.

Sherwood held Newberg scoreless for the remainder of the first quarter and the first 5:59 of the second quarter – a total scoreless span of 8:09.

“I think that our defense is the main thing we’re known for, and when we lock down on ‘D’ and we stop people from scoring, nothing can break us down,” Heiden said. “We do it well, and it brings us our energy.”

“Our defense is the best thing about our team,” Snelling said. “It really gives us the energy and keeps us together, and it hypes us up when we need it.”

While Newberg was struggling against the Sherwood defense, the Bowmen went on a 16-0 run, opening a 23-7 lead with 2:33 to play in the second quarter.

Senior Mckenna Rump, Heiden, senior Keeley McCaulley, sophomore Sabrina Flowers and sophomore Paige Bittner all scored for Sherwood during the scoring spree.

Newberg ended Sherwood’s scoring run with back-to-back baskets by freshman Lydia Gray and senior Alli Stilp, making the halftime score 23-11.

The Bowmen opened the third quarter on a 5-0 run, which included consecutive baskets by Jensen and a free throw by Heiden. McCaulley also scored four points for Sherwood in the period, which ended with the Bowmen holding a 37-21 advantage.

The fourth quarter saw Sherwood sophomore Jaclyn Barritt score nine points, sinking two 3-pointers in the process. Sophomores Emerson Poore and Brynlee McCulloch also connected on 3-point baskets in the period, helping the Bowmen wrap up the title-clinching 56-30 victory.

“All of the seniors have been together all four years, and we’ve gotten way closer,” Jensen said. “The sophomores this year have really stepped up. They’ve been a big help for us.”

Sherwood improved to 11-0 in Pacific Conference play (13-9 overall), giving the Bowmen a two-game lead over second-place Forest Grove, with each team having just one conference game left.

“I think it’s just a goal that we’ve worked so hard to accomplish, and we’ve been working really hard as a team, and this year has been amazing for us,” Heiden said. “It’s been one of our best years, and we’re working really well together as a team.”

“I think we just came together as a team, and we put in the effort to accomplish this goal,” Snelling said.

Heiden led all scorers with 13 points. She had seven rebounds and two steals.

Barritt added nine points, all coming in the fourth quarter. Rump and McCaulley each scored six. Snelling had five points and three steals. Jensen had five points and two rebounds. Bittner added four points, Poore and McCullough each scored three, and Flowers had two.

Sherwood made 22 of 51 shots from the field, with four 3-pointers, and 8 of 14 free throw attempts. The Bowmen outrebounded Newberg 32-23, while helping force 23 turnovers.

“This was super fun,” Jensen said. “In the second half, we really picked it up.”

Sherwood, after finishing its regular-season schedule Friday at Glencoe, will open the Class 6A state playoffs March 2, possibly with a home game.

“I think we’re looking to keep doing what we’re doing and playing our game,” Snelling said. “As a team, if we keep playing together, I think we can keep going as far as we can.”

Newberg moved to 6-5 in conference games (13-10 overall), putting the Tigers in a tie with McMinnville for third place in the Pacific Conference standings.

Stilp led Newberg with six points. She had four rebounds and two steals. Gray finished with four points, four rebounds and two steals. Freshman Helmi Landwehr also scored four points for the Tigers. Maffia, senior Scarlet Ramos, freshman Izabella Macris and senior Belle Alloway each scored three points. Senior Kalani Aquipel and senior Emily Negra each added two.

Newberg made 13 of 37 shots from the field, with four 3-pointers.

Sherwood 75, Newberg 64 (BOYS)

The Sherwood boys used an absolutely amazing start, and a strong, gutsy finish, to get a hard-fought win over a persistent Newberg squad.

“It was a good one. It was a tough battle,” Caudle said. “I’m glad with how our team fought back. They got it down to two, and we responded.”

The Bowmen were ready to go right from the start of Tuesday’s game at Newberg – wow, were they ever ready.

Sherwood sprinted to a 19-0 lead before the game was four minutes old. Caudle scored 11 points during the opening scoring spree, and Sucher scored the other eight Bowmen points.

“That was a very fun start,” Caudle said with a smile. “We got out and going. The way we warmed up, we knew we were super excited to be here tonight. Newberg is always one of our biggest games; it’s always a check on the calendar. We were super excited to be here.”

“It was an amazing start,” Sucher said. “I think we all know that home teams want to come out strong, so we wanted to make sure we came out with a lot of energy and kick off the night strong.”

Newberg senior guard Sol Byles ended Sherwood’s run with a 3-pointer. He added two more baskets in the first quarter. Tigers senior wing Christian Buck sank a couple of 3-pointers in the quarter, helping trim the Sherwood lead to 25-13 at the end of the opening period.

Newberg kept chipping away in the second quarter. Buck scored five points in the period, senior Sam Murphy scored four, and senior Drew Sellke and senior Matt Davidson each sank a 3-pointer in the quarter, helping the Tigers cut the Sherwood lead to 37-32 at halftime.

“At halftime we lifted each other up,” Sucher said. “It all starts with defense. We had to pick it up on the defensive end, and then the offense will flow into that.”

Newberg, getting back-to-back baskets from Byles and Davidson, got even closer early in the third quarter, at 39-36. But that’s when Sherwood kicked things into high gear again.

The Bowmen, getting a follow-up basket by senior Bryson Goff, a 3-pointer by Sucher off a pass from junior Matthew Verkamp, a 3-pointer by Verkamp off an assist from senior Kaden Morris, and a 3-pointer by Kaeden Glass, upped the score to 52-39 with 3:29 left in the period.

Sherwood took a 56-45 lead to the fourth quarter.

But the drama wasn’t over yet.

Newberg, with Buck sinking back-to-back 3-pointers and scoring eight consecutive points, trimmed the Sherwood lead to 61-59 with 4:28 left.

But again, the Bowmen responded. Sherwood got three follow-up baskets by Verkamp and three free throws from Sucher to make it 70-60 with 1:18 remaining.

Verkamp went 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the final 47 seconds, and Caudle added a free throw, helping Sherwood wrap-up the 75-64 victory.

“I think it was pretty good,” Sucher said. “We started off hot, then we had a little slump we had to work our way out of ... and bring the energy back up. But overall, we got the ‘dub,’ and that’s all we can ask for.”

Caudle scored his game-high 28 points on a 9-for-12 shooting night from the field, which included four 3-pointers. He had 10 rebounds.

Sucher also sank four 3-pointers on his way to scoring 21 points. He had eight rebounds. Verkamp scored 15 points, getting 10 of those in the fourth quarter. He had five rebounds, including four in the final period.

Glass scored three points for the Bowmen. Senior Caden Jenkins, senior Bjorn Bergstrom, Goff and senior Kaden Morris each scored two.

Sherwood made 25 of 58 shots from the field, with 10 3-pointers, and 15 of 24 free throw attempts. The Bowmen outrebounded Newberg 40-24.

“This was awesome, super fun,” Sucher said. “Playing as a team, and everyone having fun, is awesome.”

With the win, its eighth straight, Sherwood improved to 10-1 in Pacific Conference play and to 15-9 overall. After finishing its conference slate at Glencoe on Friday, the Bowmen will open the Class 6A state playoffs March 1.

“We’re looking to make some noise,” Caudle said. “Hopefully, we can go as far as possible. I’m excited, and our team is peaking at the right time.”

For Newberg, Byles scored 23 points, while also having six rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal. Buck sank four 3-pointers on his way to scoring 20 points. Murphy added eight points for the Tigers. Sellke and Davidson each had five points, and senior Cody Burger scored three.

Newberg made 22 of 53 shots from the field, with eight 3-pointers, and 12 of 17 free throw attempts.

Newberg moved to 3-8 in conference games (5-16 overall), putting the Tigers in a tie with Forest Grove for sixth place in the Pacific Conference standings.