By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–The annual Red and White Night gives the South Salem Basketball Programs, both boys and girls basketball teams, an opportunity to show what they got for the home crowd prior to the start of the season.

Similar to what you see during Falls Sports, i.e. the Blue Day at McNary, Black and Gold Day/Game at Cascade and even Saxon Day for the football team at South Salem, it’s all supposed to be fun going into the grind of the season ahead.

“It’s huge.  I think it makes us motivated because we realize how fun it is to play and how fun it is to play with our fans.  And now Covid is over, it’s fun to have a full house again.  Night’s like these pump us up for the season and are a good start to the year,” said senior Boys Basketball player Charlie Rapp.

“It’s super fun, not just for us but just to watch the other teams in the other programs play.  My brother is on the other team, so it’s fun to watch him play,” adds Saxon senior Maggie Lapray.. “It’s fun to watch the little girls play because they look up to us.”

Lapray’s younger brother Jack, is a freshman playing at the Varsity level this year.  For the elder Lapray her, along with Carley Petersen, and Sadie Paterson return.  The Saxons also bring up girls like Izzy Flroes and Avery Anunsen, who swung up from Junior Varsity last year, as they look to replace the void left by the eighth athletes no long with the program

“We got a lot of new girls, but we got a lot of athletes on our team.  We have a lot of soccer players that are in incredible shape and I think one of our biggest things is pushing the ball and pushing the fitness and playing super sound and fast,” Lapray said.  

One area the South Salem girls can improve on going into their jamboree November 30 at Oregon City and their season opener against Lakeridge is their defense.points Lapray.  For the Saxon boys, it’s their attitude and their effort.  With nine returners like Rapp, Greg Comer and Eli Gabriel, the South Salem boys team took their bumps last season as they now look to take the next step this next year.

“Just our attitude and our effort.  Every practice, every Open Gym we’ve had so far, everyone’s attitude has been great.  We’ve been trying to keep people’s effort up.  Last year I think it was about effort and attitude and it wasn’t very good, but this year it’s about how our attitude and effort is going towards every game,” Rapp said. 

Photos By Jeremy McDonald