The Silverton High girls basketball squad’s Class 5A title last month capped 10 years of staggering success by the boys and girls programs, both in terms of league accomplishments and statewide achievement.
Consider: In the ten-year span from 2015-2024 the girls team has won or shared seven Mid-Willamette Conference titles, won two state Class 5A titles (2016 and 2024) and took home trophies for finishing in the top 6 on five other occasions. Silverton was second in 2017 and third in 2018. The Foxes are 212-45 overall during those 10 years, an 82.5% winning percentage, and a crazy-good 133-17 in league play, an 88.7% win rate. Silverton had just one or two conference losses in nine of those ten seasons and has not lost more than six games in a full season since 2015.
The boys squad, meanwhile, has one title, in 2015, and has taken home trophies four other times, including a second in 2022 and a third in 2019. Silverton is 190-62 overall, a 75.4 winning percentage. The Foxes have won six MWC titles and have won league games at an 81.2% clip (they are 121-27).
The coaches have been magnificent. Steve Roth led the boys to their 2015 title (a coaching lifer, he remains on the staff). His successor, Jamie McCarty, brought home four trophies and a 69-1 league record in his first five years. Tal Wold’s final eight years included the 2016 title and a run of always finishing first or second in league. His successor, Alyssa Ogle won the 2024 state title and has a 33-3 league mark in her first two years.
So how do the Foxes line up statewide? A combined three titles in ten years doesn’t seem dominant. But, because of COVID-19 only eight boys and girls titles were awarded in those years. Also, Silverton is the lone school in Class 5A with both boys and girls state titles in that span.
Here is another lens. Win a game at state and you get a trophy. If you weight the first through sixth finishers as if it were a track or swim meet that means ten points for first, eight for second, six for third, four for fourth, two for fifth and one for sixth. Using that formula Silverton’s seven girls trophies earn them 46 points, one behind LaSalle, which has 47 points, including three titles. Springfield is third with 42 points (and one title) and Crater is fourth with 26. Mid-Willamette foes Crescent Valley (22 pts, one title) and Corvallis (14 pts) are fifth and sixth, respectively. In terms of overall wins the Foxes lead with 212. Crater and LaSalle are tied for second at 206. Corvallis is fourth with 182.
Switching to boys you are immediately flattened by Wilsonville. The Wildcats won five titles from 2015-2024, finished second three other times, have nine trophies and have won 234 games. In my points system they are at 81, well ahead of Churchill (six trophies, 36 points) and Silverton (five trophies, 35 points). Churchill has 192 wins, with the Foxes, as previously noted, at 190. Next Best MWC team? South Albany at 143.
In celebration of this Silverton success I have selected a team of the decade for the boys and girls. State tournament success was a big factor. You show your mettle at state. Please note that in parentheses I show the state tournament years as well as pertinent stats (key: P=points, R=rebounds, A=assists, S=steals.
Girls – First team: Kyleigh Brown (2022-24, 139p, 66r, 26a, 21s, 3 all-tourney teams), Maggie Roth (2015-18, 107p, 82r, 26s, 3 all-tourney), Alia Parsons (2015-16, 82p, 24r, 23s, 2 all-tourney), Riley Traeger (2018-20, 50p, 35r) and Brooke McCarty (2015-18, 69p, 46r, 21a). Second team: Truitt Reilly (2019-20), 37p, 23r), Kayce McLaughlin (2015-17, 48p, 38r, 1 all-tourney), Ellie Schmitz (2017-20, 42p), Grace Hayashida (2022-23, 57p, 22r, 13s, 1 all-tourney) and Justina Semerikov (2022-24, 47p, 36r).
Boys – First team: Sam Roth (42p, 1 all-tourney), Cade Roth (2018, 54p, 19r, 9s, 1 all-tourney), Levi Nielsen (2018-19, 44p, 48r, 1 all-tourney), David Gonzales (2018-20, 118p, 35r and 19a) and Jordan McCarty (2019-20, 22, 48p, 21a, 1 all-tourney). Second team: Josiah Roth (2018-19, 37p, 31r), Ryan Redman-Brown (2022, 31p and 20r), Neil Efimov (2022, 35p, 11s), Grant Dunn (2018-20, 51p, 17r,10 3s) and Julian/Jonah Downey.
Note: Julian Downey hit five 3-pointers in the 2015 semifinals vs. No. 1 Mountain View and was named second-team all-tourney. He transferred to Santiam, which won a 2017 Class 2A title. He scored 33 points in the title game vs. Stanfield. Brother Jonah scored 21 points in that 2A title win and both Downeys were named all-tournament. Jonah scored 29 points while playing for the 2019 Silverton team that took third at state.
