By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

AURORA, Ore.–  Rewarding and gratifying.

Words described by Former North Marion Girls Basketball Head Coach Dennis Melcher, who stepped down following the 2015-2016 season as he saw his girls improved throughout this past season.

“The success of this season has been very rewarding and gratifying,” said Melcher.  “Having been at (North Marion) for the (past) 18 years, the girls program has had its ups and downs due to the talent or lack of, probably due to the small school that it is.  This year, the coaching staff thought that we might be able to improve and maybe challenge the mid-range teams.

“As the season progressed, it was apparent that we could develop into a pretty good team.  As the team’s belief that they could compete against anyone grew, then we started to become a very good team.  It was exciting as a coach to see their confidence level grow and become the winners that they are.”

Overshadowed by Cascade’s incredible 26-game winning streak, that has them in the 4A OSAA State Tournament entering Saturday’s Season finale; the Lady Huskies went from 8-16 and 3-7 in the Oregon West Conference to a second-place, 18-8 and 8-2 record in 2016.

Melcher mentioned how the season provided several very important, very crucial, learning points this year.

First, how to win in the early games.  Second, once they learned how to win, they learned how to start out strong and carry that momentum throughout the rest of the game, the rest of the season.

“They learned how to compete and play hard the entire game and let the chips fall where they may,” said Melcher.  “I am most proud to say that they learned how to compete from start to finish and never ever give up until the final buzzer goes off.

“For next year, it should be easier for the returning girls to pick up where they left off from this year.  they got a taste of victory and success this year, so now they know what it will take to do  it again next year and go harder and further.  There is a very good nucleus of players returning next year and they should be very successful.”

As playoffs approached, the confidence was there.  You saw it in their Play-In game versus Klamath Union, down by one with 90 seconds remaining, they broke a 12-year drought of not being in the Field of 16 behind a 10-2 run to overcome the Pelicans of Klamath Falls.

“As we approached the post season, the team believed that we could do it, we could win, especially the game vs Seaside,” said Melcher.  “Our goal had changed, to get to the Final Eight tournament.”

The team standing in their way of their goal was the Seaside Seagulls, a Top 10 team in 4A and experience of the Field of 16 and lead by a dominate player in Maddi Utti.

The plan was to shut down Utti and limit her production and battle against the Seagulls.

Despite being down early, North Marion battled in a back-and-forth battle for the game and found themselves down four with 3:30 left in the game.

However, a three-pointer gave Seaside a seven point lead as the Seagulls held off the upstart Lady Huskies 49-42 on March 4.

“Our girls competed hard versus Seaside the whole 32 minutes,” said Melcher up to that point.  “Unfortunately, some of our shots just would not drop.  We did not give up, we battled back again and again throughout (the game).

“I think the difference between Seaside and (North Marion) was simply,” continued Melcher.  “They had been in that situation the last couple of years, and we had not.  They had the play-off experience that gave them the slight edge needed to win the close game.  None of our girls had ever been in that situation and play-off pressure that they encountered.”

Though his coaching tenure is over, Melcher knows it has been a great run and was appreciative of this year especially.

“I am leaving coaching after 18 years at (North Marion) in addition to 20 years at Chemeketa,” he said.  “It has been a great run for me personally.  This year especially, great kids throughout the whole program.”

Jeremy McDonald is a professional sports journalist in the 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