Middle school boys have banner year

Wolves go 10-3, place third in Little Fir League tournament

8th+grader+Camden+Stufflebeam+prepares+to+shoot+a+free+throw+against+Camas+Valley+in+November+while+teammate+Austin+Harper+and+coach+Matt+Giles+look+on.

Marrisa Jandura

8th grader Camden Stufflebeam prepares to shoot a free throw against Camas Valley in November while teammate Austin Harper and coach Matt Giles look on.

By Riley Crume

The Days Creek middle school boys basketball team recently completed one of its best seasons in recent memory.

“The A-team had a really great year,” said third-year coach Matt Giles.

The Wolves went 10-3 and placed third at the Little Fir League tournament in December.

“I think that they put a lot of effort into working as a team and worked on the goals they had set in the beginning of the year, such as good passing, rebounding, and playing good defense” Giles said. “I could see that they had really improved throughout the year.”

Eighth-grader Xane Hopkins led the team in scoring. Camden Stufflebeam, Austin Harper and Daniel Brown were other top players.  

Midway through the season starting post Gage Hart transferred to another school. Giles moved 7th grader Taryn Jandura up from the B-team.

“We had to have other players step up and fill in the gaps,” Giles said. “They really took it well and made progress anyway.”

Matt Giles plans on coaching next year whether continuing with the boys middle school or the girls middle school.

Assistant coach/B-team coach Travis Fuller says that their B-team started out pretty rough.

“But they had potential so I really focused on showing the beginners steps of improvement,” Fuller said. “Helping with improvement in skills and team effort throughout the year had helped give that mindset to push more and more, little by little. 

Fuller said that they really worked at it and it paid off and they won a game.