By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

WILSONVILLE, Ore.–  There was no doubt that North Marion’s Jared Hauser could score entering the OACA Basketball All-Star Game Saturday afternoon at Wilsonville High School.

On a Huskies squad that finished fourth in 4A this past season, Hauser’s Senior Year, his contributions regularly with the weapons they had on the team were enough to help North Marion get to where they finished at in 2019.

The first Huskie to accept the invitation to play in the series since Tanner Scanlan in 2017, Hauser led the East team with 15 points to get to Saturday’s Championship Game against the North.

“It was awesome because I had a great season.  Iit was cool to team up with all of the guys just from around the area and that I played against and competed against to compete like that on a big stage like this, it was fun,” said Hauser. “Yeah it sucks we didn’t get the result we want today like what we did yesterday, but taking second-place is good for us and it’s exciting.”

The North built a double-digit lead entering the second half, but a Hauser three helped get the East back to within 12, 68-56 as Hauser challenged and prevented Chemeketa-commit Jaycen Howard to connect on his second dunk of the half and of the game as the Huskie stepped up his game on this stage.

“It was fun, I just wanted to come out here and show what I got because not a lot of people know about North Marion much,” said Hauser, who will be going to Pierce College in the Fall.  “Yeah we made a good run at it this year, not a lot of people know about us too much so just got to come out and compete.  Just being able to compete against the best in 4A, 3A, 2A it’s awesome to be a part of.”

And though it was just that, a All-Star game, and there’s fun to it.  But it also let’s you test out some of your limits as an athlete moving on to the next level like Howard is out of Dayton.

“It’s pretty good, it’s a good look of what next year’s going ot be like a little bit because all of these kids are big and strong and are good enough to play at the college level.  So I think it’s a good warm-up for next year,” said Howard.

Howard’s teammate from the 3A school that finished third in the State this past Winter in Braden Nowlin.  Nowlin, who’s sharp shooting along with Lukas Findley’s shooting helped the Pirates to a 24-6 record with Howard in the post, played his last prep basketball game

“It’s fun to represent Dayton in that way.  I got to thank my teammates for passing me the ball and all the looks I want.  It was a team effort, it was really fun,” said Nowlin of the honor to play.

Nowlin and Hauser each got All-Tournament team Honors.  Salem Academy’s Hayden Wakefield also got All-Tournament honors as well.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald