By PAUL MATLI
The Astorian
Domination.
If the Seaside girls basketball group wasn’t on the 4A radar earlier than, they actually are actually. Coming off a berth in the state playoffs final season, the Seagulls entered 2025 with sky excessive expectations amongst their senior six. The season began with Seaside taking part in high-level competitors in Prineville, earlier than returning house to play of their house event.
With the Seagulls as soon as once more internet hosting the Seaside Holiday Classic, each groups have been seeking to unfold Christmas cheer. The girls not solely unfold some cheer all through the North Coast, however all through the complete state.
The Seagulls had an ideal weekend, which culminated with a 59-41 demolition of 4A No. 2 Baker. After shedding to the Bulldogs 52-43 to open the season, Seaside left little doubt who the finest group was on this one. From the opening faucet, Seaside went into their diamond full-court press and the Bulldogs of Baker seemed like a deer in the headlights. No matter what the Bulldogs did, they’d no means of surviving the Seagulls onslaught.
For a Seaside group that arrived on the 4A scene final season, this win solidifies them as a bonafide menace come March. More impressively, the Seagulls beat Madras, Woodland (Wash.) and Baker with out senior guard Mya Feeney. The senior is at present coping with a hamstring harm and is predicted to be again by the begin of the Seagulls league season.
For head coach Marla Olstedt, Saturday’s dominant win over Baker wasn’t a shock.
“We’ve been looking for momentum, something that’s going to make a difference this year and I feel like that first game against Baker was it,” Olstedt mentioned. “We shot 19% from the area and I knew primarily based on how we performed the final couple days that so long as we did sure issues properly that issues would go our means.
“We had some girls step up and really show who they want to be. This is their team and they made a decision to put their name in the conversation.”
Everything clicked for the Seagulls throughout this three-day event.
Returning all-state performer Carly Corder placed on a scoring clinic the final two video games as she scored 19 and 24 respectively, standout freshman Jahzara Marshall flashed expertise properly past her age and senior guard Makenna White scored 37 whole factors over the three days of motion.
Without the contributions of Marshall and White, the Seagulls may not have overwhelmed Baker on Saturday afternoon.
“Makenna is a great shooter, she shoots the ball a lot in the offseason,” Olstedt mentioned. “I think that it’s paying off. She’s putting herself in the right spot and her teammates are finding her. Really happy she’s on our team.”
As for her gifted freshman, Olstedt is worked up about what she’s going to add coming off the bench.
“Jahzara’s a special player,” Olstedt mentioned. “We are looking forward to getting Mya back in the mix, but it’s not often you have somebody coming off the bench with Jahzara’s talent. She’s not playing like a freshman and we’re pretty lucky.”
With the excellent weekend, Seaside has now catapulted to No. 3 in 4A behind solely Stayton and Philomath. The Seagulls now sit at 5-3 total as they get able to enter 2026 flying excessive.
“The sky’s the limit for this group once we get Mya back, we just got to keep working hard everyday to get her healthy,” Olstedt mentioned.
Corder, White and Marshall have been named to the all-tournament group. Corder and White have been first group picks, while Marshall was second group. Due to her scoring efforts, Corder was named Tournament MVP.
Seaside boys nonetheless looking out
The Seaside boys had the reverse expertise at their house event as they went 1-2 total.
Seaside had losses to eventual champion Madras on Thursday and league rival St. Helens on Saturday, while beating 3A Corbett, 52-47 on Friday. The victory over Corbett was Seaside’s first of 2025 and the first of Jackson Januik’s teaching profession. Despite that, the Seagulls sit simply 1-4 after 5 video games and are nonetheless looking out.
With graduations from all however one rotation participant final season, the Seagulls are utilizing the early season to determine which items match the place with reference to a constant rotation. Against Madras on Thursday, Januik used each obtainable participant on his roster to judge precisely what the Seagulls have.
The group can have a couple of week of apply earlier than they drive up the highway to take part in the Vince Dulcich Tournament at Astoria High School.
Astoria basketball break up with Stayton
Another recreation, one other thriller for the Astoria boys basketball group.
For a second consecutive recreation, the Fishermen outlasted an opponent by one single level. The Fishermen survived a livid second half rally by Stayton to hold on for the 57-56 victory.
Astoria began quick with a 21-10 first quarter, however noticed the Eagles claw again into the recreation behind explosive three-point taking pictures and shot making. After the Eagles took the lead a pair instances in the fourth quarter, Astoria went on one other run and was in a position to survive a last-second play to enhance their file to 5-1. Astoria at present sits No. 11 in the 4A boys state rankings.
Quin Gohr continued his sturdy senior season as he led Astoria in scoring as soon as extra with 19 factors. Sophomore massive man Magnus Kryzanek had one other strong recreation with 14 factors.
The first recreation of Friday evening was the youthful Astoria girls basketball group taking over the defending state champion, Stayton.
With Astoria fielding six freshmen and 4 sophomores, this was going to be the finest early season take a look at for them but. Though the recreation went as anticipated with Stayton successful 54-25, new coach Jordan Ax and his employees needed to be happy with the first half from the Fishermen.
The Fishermen entered halftime down simply 25-13 earlier than the Eagles opened up the third quarter with a 9-0 explosion. Despite shedding by 29, the Fishermen can take solace that they don’t seem to be alone. Stayton has received 5 of their six video games by at the very least 22 factors and Astoria additionally held Stayton to their lowest scoring output of the yr.