I was born in Salem and have family there, so I make the trip over the pass often. I’ve been coaching sports in Bend for 17 years, so here’s what I can tell you about the Bend schools joining the Salem schools in a league.

1. Paddington’s Pizza is my favorite in Salem. They have two locations and a personal pizza lunch special that is very good.

2. The Marion Forks Fish Hatchery is a great place to stop, use the restroom and stretch your legs when you are driving over the Santiam Pass.

3. Salem’s Riverfront Park is a nice place to walk around and the Carousel is great for young kids.

4. The South Salem girls basketball team was Class 6A state champions in 2015-16. That’s the most recent of the Salem teams to win a Class 6A state championship.

5. The Salem schools have a rich tennis tradition, with the Sprague boys being among the state’s best every year. South Salem and McKay have put together great boys tennis teams over the years as well.

6. West Salem and Sprague are two of the best Class 6A football teams this year. Both are currently ranked in the top 8 for OSAA power rankings.

7. Sprague junior Ginger Murnieks is the fastest cross county runner in all of Oregon right now.

8. Sprague is a state power in wrestling. Often finishing in the top 10 and taking 2nd in the state last year.

9. Salem isn’t really stoked on being in a league with the Bend schools, but it’ll all work out.

10. Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem is a great place to go for a walk, especially when the roses are in bloom.

MVP: Matt Van Tassell, Mountain View

COY: Jon Frazier, Summit

First Team
Matt Van Tassell, Mountain View, junior
Andy Jones, Summit, senior
Russell Wells, Summit, senior
Koltin Ramsay, Mountain View, senior
Cole Beaumarchais, Bend, senior
Brian Warriner, Bend, sophomore

Second Team
Kyle Cornett, Summit, senior
Taiton Fox, Mountain View, junior
Will Bauer, Bend, senior
Dylan Taylor, Redmond, junior
John Wright, Ridgeview, junior

Honorable Mention
Cam Baker, Summit, senior
Max Ridgway, Mountain View, senior
Josh Hair, Redmond, junior
Ethan Soto, Redmond, junior
Alex Nadermann, Ridgeview, junior

INTERMOUNTAIN CONFERENCE GIRLS BASKETBALL

Co MVPs: Tayla Wheeler, Bend, senior; Sophia Jackson, Bend, senior

COY: Todd Ervin, Bend

First Team
Tayla Wheeler, Bend, senior
Sophia Jackson, Bend, senior
Kayla Rambo, Bend, junior
Ava Kitchin, Redmond, sophomore
Cassidy Hughes, Mountain View, junior

Second Team
Kylie Roath, Bend, junior
Kelsey Norby, Summit, senior
Maddie Hagfors, Summit, junior
Olivia Loberg, Summit, sophomore
Aspen Jeter, Ridgeview, junior

Honorable Mention
Morgan Hagfors, Summit, junior
Macy McFetridge, Ridgeview, senior
Adrienne Wilcox, Ridgeview, senior
McKaylie Capps, Redmond, sophomore
Jordan Fox, Redmond, sophomore
Libby Misener, Mountain View, senior

Mountain View and Summit are both 2-0 and Bend is 1-1 to start the boys basketball season.

The Storm have won two close games (each by two points) against Washington teams, including a six for seven three-point shooting game by Andy Jones who finished with a game-high 24 points.

Bend’s Cole Beaumarchais already has a 34-point game under his belt this season.

All-state junior Matt Van Tassell has games of 23 points and 21 points to start the season for Mountain View.

Player of the year — Davis Holly, sr., G, Mountain View

Coach of the year — Brian Broaddus, Mountain View

First team — Davis Holly, sr., G, Mountain View; Nick Mason, sr., F, Summit; Mario Mora, sr., G, Bend; Cody Moss, sr., G, Redmond; George Mendazona, sr., G, Ridgeview.

Second team — Noah Cheney, sr., G, Mountain View; Jordan Vance, sr., W, Mountain View; Matt Van Tassell, so., P, Mountain View; Jack Hurley, sr., G, Summit; Garret Albrecht, sr., P, Ridgeview.

Honorable mention — Zach Emerson, sr., W, Mountain View; Chris Mason, sr., F, Summit; Cam Baker, jr., P, Summit; Cole Beaumarchais, jr., G, Bend; Trent Findley, jr., P, Bend; Derek Brown, sr., G, Redmond; Brandon Benson, sr., G, Redmond.

At one point in the season, four of the five IMC teams were ranked in the state’s top 10. It was an intense season with packed gyms, buzzer beaters and great games.

First Team All State
Ments Haugen Mt. View 12
State Sportsmanship Trophy
Mountain View
IMC Player of the Year
George Mendazona Ridgeview 11
First Team IMC
George Mendazona Ridgeview 11
Ments Haugen Mt. View 12
JJ Spitler Bend 12
Max Michalski Summit 12
Jack Hurley Summit 11
Christian Johnson Bend 12
Second Team IMC
Davis Holly Mt. View 11
Austin Albin Mt. View 12
Nick Mason Summit 11
Garrett Albrecht Ridgeview 11
Honorable Mention IMC
Jordan Vance Mt. View 11
Cameron McCormick Summit 11
Carson Manselle Ridgeview 12
Tanner O’Neal Ridgeview 12
Jacob Parsons Bend 12
Brandon Benson Redmond 11
Cody Moss Redmond 11
IMC Co-Coaches of the Year
Jon Frazier, Summit and Craig Reid, Mountain View
High Point Games
George Mendazona Ridgeview 44 points
JJ Spitler Bend 39 points
Jacob Parsons Bend 34 points
Max Michalski Summit 32 points
Davis Holly Mt. View 30 points
Jack Hurley Summit 30 points
5A Boys Placing
1 Silverton
2 Wilsonville
3 Mountain View
4 Springfield
5 Marist
6 Churchill
Quarterfinals
Pendleton
Summit
IMC Standings
Mountain View 9-3 (22-6)
Summit 8-4 (20-7)
Ridgeview 7-5 (17-8)
Bend 6-6 (12-11)
Redmond 0-12 (3-21)

5A Boys Power Rankings
1 Mountain View
2 Summit
3 Wilsonville
4 Silverton
5 Ridgeview
6 Liberty
7 Crater
8 Springfield
9 Marist
10 Corvallis
12 Bend
23 Redmond

IMC Non-League Standings
Mountain View 2-0
Redmond 2-0
Summit 2-0
Bend 1-1
Ridgeview 1-1

This Friday’s Games:
The Dalles (0-2) @ Redmond (2-0)
This is looks like it’s shaping up to be another Redmond blowout.
• “Redmond Football Off To Great Start” – COA
• “Junior RB Derek Brown and Redmond looking legit” – Northwest Elite Index

Mountain View (2-0) @ Crater (1-1)
Crater’s loss came to a Californian team (Paradise High School) and they beat 0-2 Dallas.

Ashland (2-0) @ Summit (2-0)
This is one of the better match ups of the week. Ashland has been dominant in their two games so far and are the second-ranked 5A team in the state. The Grizzlies were state semifinalists a year ago.

Hood River Valley (1-1) @ Ridgeview (1-1)
Ridgeview looks to get back to their winning ways after a loss last week.

Eagle Point (0-2) @ Bend (1-1)
The Eagles have lost big in both their games this season.

There will be a very new look at next year’s Class 5A boys basketball state tournament. Of the top 16 teams from the 2013-14 Class 5A boys basketball season, six move up to Class 6A for the 2014-15 season. On top of that, not a single all-state player (10 total) returns, as nine were seniors and the one junior (Kadeem Strictland) moves on with Jefferson.

2013-14 5A Boys Basketball Placing
1st – Jefferson (now 6A)
2nd – Churchill
3rd – West Albany (now 6A)
4th – Sherwood (now 6A)
5th – Madison (now 6A)
6th – Wilsonville
7th/8th – Bend
7th/8th – Eagle Point

Could this be the year that a Central Oregon team makes a run at the title?