By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

STAYTON, Ore.– After three straight, long distance road trips, the Stayton Girls Basketball Team are returning home Friday evening to face Tillamook High School.

Looking back at the trip, it was great for team bonding as the Eagles went three-for-three on the trip said Head Coach Melissa Hollenbeck.

“It was extremely important, that’s a great time in preseason to utilize all of that time,” she said.  “Even the bus trips and everything to utilize to come together to bond a little bit even more because they’re spending more quality time with them, but also being on the road is tough.

“The girls did a great job of playing hard, playing tough and playing strong through that three-game road trip.”

Captains Tess Hendricks, Malya Ikea-Mario and Mariah Hollenbeck describe how they battled through the adversity.

“It’s difficult to get off the bus after a long time and being all tight and stuff but we have to overcome and work together and not think about how tired we are,” said Hendricks.

“You got to stay with intense pressure all the time and stay positive throughout the road trip,” added Hollenbeck.

Ikea-Mario described how they need to find a schedule in these long, road trips.  Some trips, like to Astoria was three hours and to Junction City, the shortest, at a little more than an hour.

“You have to have ‘this is the way I get focused’ and you just can’t just mess around the entire time, you have to be on a schedule,” said Ikea-Mario.  “I know what I have to do to get focused and you can’t really get wrapped up in all the other stuff that goes on the bus.”

Now, the Road Warriors return home at 8-3, and are looking to open the 2016 calendar year with a win and enter the Oregon West Conference with some momentum and to leave a lasting impressing on the state.

“Definitely leave a lasting impression and show the other teams what’s they’re up for at the end of the season and if we get into playoffs,” said Ikea-Mario.

For Melissa Hollenbeck, she knows how important coming to play Friday night is in terms for the OWC on Tuesday.

“Our league is extremely tough,” said Hollenbeck.“So we got to come work out all of our kinks in the preseason because come season time, there’s no time to waiver.  You got to be on the ball and every single night come ready to play because anything is possible in our league.”

Tip off for the Lady Eagles and the Cheesemakers is slated for 5:30pm at Stayton High School’s Don Carey Gym.

Salem/Portland area and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalist in Oregon with B.S. degrees from Southern Oregon University in Journalism (2011) and Health/PE (2013).  Got a story idea? Email him at jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com or on Twitter at @J_McDonald81!

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