By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

OFFSEASON

SINCE the days of offseason training, Sixth-Year Head Coach Dean Sanderson and his coaching staff tried to instill a new mentality entering the 2015-2016 of ‘Hard Work Pays Off’.

“I think right now at McKay, kids are used to losing.  Kids are accepting losing,” Sanderson said.  “I think the community is accepts and in other schools in our area accept that McKay isn’t going to be that good and we want to change that.”

For players, like senior Tristen Wilson, he’s seen the difference between his junior and senior years as you heard Sanderson, Jack Martino and Matt Espinsoa pushing and challenge the team.

“Last year it had a different feel to it. We were (in the) ‘doing whatever we want’ mentality. This year the coaches aren’t allowing that,” he described the difference. “This year, it’s much faster pace. We’re on the line 10 times more than we did last year.

“We have people competing, working their butts off to get that starting spot.”

“We’re just tired of losing. We’re not going to settle for this (anymore),” added Demeris Bailey. “This year we’re going to do whatever we can to win.”

The weeks of conditioning turned into hardwork on November 16 when practices “officially began”.

Soon after all of that hard work during those two weeks, with the coaches and players pushing one another in practice, was going to be paid off come game day on December 2 versus Dallas.

PRESEASON

Excitement was in the air because it was not just the first game, but the first home game of the year.

“I don’t know, I’m just kind of nervous right now,” said Darrell Woods.  “But once on the court, we’ll be strong because we’re all excited for this.”

Cheers erupted by the home crowd when each name was read and the players jogged onto the court following the National Anthem.  The environment was electric.

Starting Lineup on Opening night was: 5-10 Junior Hayden Hull, 5-9 Sophomore Israel Garcia, 5-9 Junior Shaton Daniels, 5-5 Junior Josaiah Castillo and 6-4 Senior Tristen Wilson.

The tip came and quickly the Scots found themselves in a 6-0 hole early, but battled back as Noah Tavera hit a buzzer beating three-pointer to give McKay a 39-38 lead at halftime.

“First of all I knew we had less time because everyone was yelling, ‘Look at the clock, look at the clock’,” he said on the play.  “I tried to be behind the three-point line, but I guess I wasn’t.

“I guess the adrenaline kicked in and I took a shot.  I was confident it would’ve gone in, but sometimes you got to trust your shot.”

The lead increased to six before faced with adversity again as Dallas went on a 17-0 run to take a 11-point lead in the second half.

But the Scots battled back and found themselves looking for the game-winner with seconds to go.

“Battling back is a huge positive for us,” said Wilson.  “Down 11 halfway through the fourth and we battled back with our fast quality of our offense and that’s why we have this offense so we can battle back like that.”

It wasn’t meant to be however.

On that final play, the Dragon poked the ball loose as a scramble for the ball followed.  The refs awarded Dallas the ball as time expired.

The team walked into the locker room not happy with the of the result, but knew they play a hella’ve game.

Sanderson told his team to keep their heads up inside the locker room.

“Look it’s a long season,” Sanderson told the team.  “Basketball is 24 games, three-and-a-half-months.  We knew coming into this it wasn’t going to be easy and we have a long way to go.”

Wilson spoke with a few people on his way out of the locker room.

“I could’ve done better,” Wilson said.

“You guys are young, you guys did amazing for the first game.”

As the season progressed, you saw the team in games against quality opponents like Century, South Salem and Aloha.

Sanderson constantly pushed and had challenged his team leading into the Century game in mid-December.

In an intra-squad match that saw the seniors defeated soundly by the underclassmen, Sanderson asked junior Tavera why his team beat the seniors.

“We battled hard and we didn’t quit,” said Tavera.

Sanderson gave a team a choice, buy in or make excuses as they went up a tough Century team from the Metro League Tuesday.

“This is your season,” said Sanderson.

Walking out of the locker room, somber looks were on the faces of the team as they comprehend what Coach just told them minutes earlier.

“He’s trying to motivate us to start leading,” said Demeris Bailey, who came back from an ankle injury he suffered earlier in the season.  “We haven’t done a good job with that.

“It motivates me.”

The Challenge worked.

Playing behind the press, they turned a 11-point deficit towards the end of halftime into a nine-point lead entering the fourth quarter in a 89-80 loss to the Jaguars.

That momentum they carried into the game against rivial North Salem High School.  Behind a quick start, the Scots took the game for their first win of the season.

“We came together at practice, as a team and we contributed as a team,” said a very prideful Wilson in the middle of the Vikings court following the game.  “Not one person on this team didn’t help us out tonight.

“Everyone contributed equally.”

McKay would hit a speed bump here and there, but shocked not just Grants Pass leading into the Abby’s Holiday Tournament, but finished fourth after defeating Ashland in the final game as they entered 2016 with some momentum.

“We’ve got some pretty good momentum,” said Sanderson.  “(We) won three of four and I’ll like to see the kids come out and play really well heading into the final stretch of our league (season).”

Once back into the GVC after finishing 1-2 entering the New Year, it took the Scots sometime to find a groove.

GVC LEAGUE PART TWO

They returned to league refreshed and ready to go, but hit bumpy roads as they saw close games with West Salem and McMinnville turn bad.  Emotions were high, they knew they had those games, they knew it hurt.

When most teams in that situation fold up tent and go home, McKay didn’t.

Going back to work, they beat West Albany thanks to a team effort that saw Josiah Castillo hit a crucial shot, Demeris Bailey gave the Scots a one-point lead with two free-throws and Tristen Wilson making a tipping save to keep the Bulldogs from winning the game.

To wrapped up the first half of the GVC, they faced so much adversity versus then-third place Forest Grove.

Referees calling 25-plus fouls, turnovers and numerous double-figure deficits entering the fourth before making a push to cut the score to six with Wilson fouled out and three minutes to play in the game.

Castillo described it as it was something they were suppose to do.

“We just kept fighting and battling like we’re supposed to and when you do those type of things, things just come together,” he said.  “It was good.”

“I don’t think our guys want to lose,” added Joey Hang.  “We want to win really bad.  You know, we’re really tired of it.  I think we’re taking steps in the right direction.”

But, through their fight, the Vikings stole the ‘W’ with some late free throws as they lost to Sprague that following Tuesday.

That fight and eager to win was there a week after the Forest Grove game when they played a complete game versus the OSAA fifth-best team in 6A in South Salem.

The Scots out-worked, out-hustled and wore out the Saxons by the fourth quarter in the 92-78 loss that January 29 night in South Salem.

“That’s what McKay Basketball been about, we always compete and we always battle,” said Sanderson.  “I think our kids got up tonight because they didn’t want to get embarrassed and they didn’t.

“They battled back and South Salem had to battle to win this one.”

The McKay Way prevailed as they continued their hustling ways into North Salem, beating them 79-52 for their sixth-win of the season as they continue to push for that 32^nd spot in the OSAA.

But that plan witnessed another speed bump as they saw McMinnville deny them of a chance for redemption.

Tied at 75 with seven seconds remaining, a rebound from a Castillo allowed Aaron Baune to break free and stole a certain victory from the Scots at the buzzer for a 77-75 victory.

As they walked off the court to go to the locker room and to the busses, players and coaches alike had the look of disbelief of what just had happened.

Sanderson told the team in the locker room of how proud he was that night.

“I told them I was really proud of them,” he said.  “Anytime you give that kind of effort on the road against a team that beat you by 29 points the first time, you feel great about the effort, terrible about the result.”