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Joseph Murphy

Through the tunnel. After pregame warm-ups and words, the men’s basketball team heads to the court to play the number 16-seeded Jesuit Crusaders on March 4. In the first round, the team defeated the number 32-seeded Century Jaguars 92—60 on March 1.

It’s official. The men’s team, previously ranked number one in the nation, punched their ticket for the state quarterfinals after defeating the number 16-seeded Jesuit Crusaders in front of full stands.

Jackson Shelstad, senior, finished with 41 points, contributing to the 81 points scored through the first three quarters. All of his 41 points came within three quarters. His scoring output consisted of mainly three-pointers, as he made seven three-pointers on eight three-point attempts. Head Coach Robert Key witnessed Shelstad’s scoring from the sideline.

“It looked good,” Key said. “It was fun to watch. At one point our [assistant] coach told us that he [scored] 10 buckets in a row at one time and that was amazing to see.”

The recently awarded Three Rivers League (TRL) player of the year, Shelstad has not appeared in a basketball state championship nor has any player on the team. With a majority of players being seniors, this playoff run signifies a final opportunity.

“We got a lot of seniors who are experienced,” Shelstad said. “We’ve all been through that experience and witnessed the state tournament and the feeling of losing. So you know, we’re just gonna give it all we got. [We got] a lot of competitors.”

Though Shelstad scored the most points, he wasn’t the only scorer. Adrian Mosley, senior, got 19 points in what was his second West Linn playoff game ever, which helped solidify his first appearance in the quarterfinals. 

“I just feel [like] we paid a lot of attention to detail and practice this week,” Mosley said. “We just got to make sure we take care of business and do what we’re supposed to do going in.”

Among other scorers was Nick DiGiulio, junior, who serves as the men’s team’s sixth man. He scored 11 points off the bench, which includes three triples. With the help of DiGiulio’s shooting, the men’s team shot 46% from the three-point line on 30 attempts.

“My looks are pretty easy,” DiGiulio said. “We play good basketball so I got an easy job. I just sort of spot up and shoot and they create good looks for me.”

Following this second round win, the men’s team will face the number 9-seeded Central Catholic Rams at the Chiles Center for a spot in the semi-finals on March 9. Though last year produced a result that fell short of a state title, this year’s team has a new head coach.

“It’s [been] super amazing with [these] amazing kids and I look forward to the task,” Key said. “It’s not done yet, three more to go and one game at a time.”