High school soccer returns to Oregon this week, and we’ve got a preview of each Basin squad. We’ll start with the four girls teams: Henley, Klamath Union, Mazama and Lost River/Bonanza.
Henley
At a glance
Head coach: Mike Hedlund (sixth season, 35-20-15 at Henley)
League: 4A Skyline Conference
2023 results: 10-2-3 (5-0-3 Skyline), OSAA first round
Returning starters: 8
Players to watch: Lilly Poore, Jr., MF; Emma Poe, Sr., D; Bella Bruner, Sr., D; Prestyn Schade, So., F
Season outlook
Henley earned its first Skyline Conference championship and home playoff game since 2014 last year while putting up the best record of Mike Hedlund’s tenure. Although the Hornets lost first team all-state selection and conference player of the year Mya Mauch (10 goals with 5 assists in 13 games) and three other seniors to graduation, Hedlund–who shared conference coach of the year honors with Hidden Valley’s Dennis Hart–is confident that this year’s roster can keep the success going.
“We have a lot of good freshmen coming…we have a lot of depth and a lot of returning experience,” Hedlund said.
Seniors Emma Poe (second team all-state) and Bella Bruner (second team all-Skyline) return to lead a defense that allowed 10 goals last season (tied for the second-fewest in 4A), including two in Skyline play–the fewest Henley has surrendered in league action since 2014. Junior Lilly Poore (5 goals, 6 assists; second team all-Skyline) will anchor the midfield, while sophomore Prestyn Schade (8 goals, 5 assists; only freshman to earn first team all-Skyline honors last year) will look to fill Mauch’s shoes at forward.
Hedlund, who previously coached the Mazama boys (2015-2018) and the Oregon Tech women (2012-2014), also believes that the Hornets are capable of ending a streak of disappointing playoff results. Excluding the COVID-delayed-and-shortened spring 2021 campaign, Henley has lost in the first round in each of the past seven seasons. The past six of those defeats were by one goal.
Hedlund pointed out that the Hornets have recently been able to match up well with Hidden Valley, which advanced to the 4A semifinals last year after back-to-back title game appearances in 2021 and 2022. The teams are 1-1-2 against each other in the past two seasons.
“We see how Hidden Valley does every year,” Hedlund said. “There’s no reason why we can’t do as well as them in the playoffs.”
Henley opens the 2024 season at home against Ontario at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Klamath Union
At a glance
Head coach: Sean Ferns (fifth season, 20-27-6 at Klamath Union)
League: 4A Skyline Conference
2023 results: 6-5-3 (3-2-3 Skyline), OSAA play-in round
Returning starters: 8
Players to watch: Kenzi Freid, So., MF; Kinna Freid, Jr., D; Marley Ogao, Sr., D; Olivia Mitchell, Fr., MF; Camila Garcia, Fr., MF; Eliza Sorto, Fr., MF; Allie Nelson, Fr., F; Dahlia Bunnell, Jr., D; Anyssa Jimenez, Jr., GK
Season outlook
Sean Ferns’ players won his admiration before official practices even began.
On July 30, a gunman opened fire on the bridge at Modoc Field while the team was hosting a youth soccer camp, injuring a parent of one of the campers. Ferns said his players immediately took charge of the situation and led campers and parents to safety. Their actions were later recognized at a Klamath Falls City Schools Board of Education meeting, where Klamath Falls Police Chief Rob Dentinger presented each of them with a certificate of courage and a challenge coin.
“For them to act like adults like that under a stressful situation that was going on is amazing to me,” Ferns–himself a retired KFPD officer–said. “My heart is filled because of how they acted, what they did, and that everybody was safe, to include my own son…I’m proud to be on the field with them.”
On the field, the Pelicans will try to better their third-place finish in the Skyline Conference and get back to the postseason for a third straight year. It will be a challenge for what Ferns described as a “super young” team–Klamath Union had five seniors graduate, and Ferns said a few of last year’s juniors decided not to return–but it’s a challenge he thinks they’re equipped for.
“We’re pretty strong,” Ferns said. “I think we’re going to be extremely competitive with the other teams.”
Ferns is particularly excited about his freshman class, which consists of forward Allie Nelson and midfielders Olivia Mitchell, Camila Garcia and Eliza Sorto.
“So far in practices [and] preseason they’re very, very strong, eager to learn, eager to be out on the field, just a pleasure to be around,” Ferns said.
Despite losing second team all-state selection Mia Dentinger to graduation, the Pelicans’ defense–which allowed 11 goals last season, the third-fewest in 4A–looks strong again. Junior Kinna Freid and senior Marley Ogao (second team all-Skyline) will be joined by junior Dahlia Bunnell, a transfer from Henley who Ferns said is “doing an amazing job.” The three of them should form a solid back line along with junior goalkeeper Anyssa Jimenez, who earned second team all-state honors in 2023.
In the midfield, sophomore Kenzi Freid is a returning starter and second team all-Skyline selection who will help fill the gap left by the graduated Patricia Dougherty, a first team all-Skyline selection.
Ferns, who coached at Basin United for more than 20 years before taking the Klamath Union job, said he’s looking forward to the next two seasons with the Pelicans’ young core.
“I think we’re going to grow [this season] and be bigger and better next time,” Ferns said.
Klamath Union opens the 2024 season at home against Baker/Powder Valley at 5 p.m. Friday.
Mazama
At a glance
Head coach: Kelly Ruiz (second season, 2-10-1 at Mazama)
League: 4A Skyline Conference
2023 results: 2-10-1 (2-5-1 Skyline), did not make playoffs
Returning starters: 10
Players to watch: Mada Lee, Sr., F; Ellie Stickles, Jr., D; Ashlyn Smith, Sr., D; Addison Garlock, Jr., GK
Season outlook
Mazama has fallen on hard times since winning the Basin’s only girls soccer state championship in 2010, reaching six wins just twice in the past nine seasons. But with almost all of her players back from a team that had no seniors, Kelly Ruiz said she has high hopes for a turnaround year.
“I’m very positive…about what our team is going to be this season,” Ruiz said. “I’m really excited.”
Ruiz, a 1998 Mazama graduate, took over the program last year while maintaining her role as operations manager at Basin United. She inherited a squad that returned six players from the previous season.
“We set our goals pretty low because we knew it was going to be a building year,” Ruiz said. “I hate to say it that way, but we knew it was going to be a building year.”
On paper, the Vikings certainly had a rough go of it; they were outscored 38-4 over the course of the season. Still, there were bright spots, most notably a 1-1 draw with eventual Skyline Conference champion Henley and a pair of wins over Phoenix.
“We far exceeded what our goals were,” Ruiz said. “We got 16 girls that were out there and working hard and put in the time and effort [and] could run a 90-minute game if they needed to.”
This season’s Mazama team is headlined by four all-Skyline selections: senior forward Mada Lee (first team), junior defender Ellie Stickles (first team), senior defender Ashlyn Smith (second team) and junior goalkeeper Addison Garlock (second team). All are career varsity players, and Garlock is entering her third season as the starter in net.
“We’ve got a really strong group this year,” Ruiz said. “Our goals are definitely much higher.”
Mazama opens the 2024 season at 3A Rogue River at 4 p.m. Sept. 3.
Lost River/Bonanza
At a glance
Head coach: Richard DeJong (third season, 7-18-3 at Lost River/Bonanza)
League: 3A/2A/1A Special District 4
2023 results: 6-5-3 (6-5-2 SD4), did not make playoffs
Returning starters: 6
Players to watch: Zuliana Cobian, Sr., F; Briza Garcia, Jr., F; Emma DeJong, Jr., MF; Grace Kness, Sr., MF; Melanie Martinez, Sr., F; Amaris Hernandez, So., D; Valeria Reyes, Jr., D; Karla Navarro, Jr., GK
Season outlook
Last year represented a massive step forward for the Lost River/Bonanza co-op; the Raiders went 6-5-3 and were outscored 26-25 after going 1-13-0 and being outscored 63-4 in their inaugural season. This year, even after losing eight seniors, Richard DeJong has his eyes on another big step for the program: its first playoff appearance.
“I’m very hopeful this year we make the playoffs,” DeJong said. “We missed it last year by two wins.”
DeJong, who played NAIA soccer at Dordt (IA), said replacing nearly half of his starting lineup is “not any worry.”
“I’m looking at some of the girls that potentially could have started last year that will fill in roles easily,” DeJong said.
One of those girls is senior Melanie Martinez, who DeJong said will start at forward but “you can just put anywhere on the field.” Senior Zuliana Cobian and junior Briza Garcia will also help lead the Raiders’ attack, which lost leading scorer Eelana Gonzalez (16 goals in 8 games) to graduation.
“Zuliana Cobian could have a big year…Briza Garcia has got the leg to do a lot of damage this year as far as being a top goal scorer,” DeJong said.
In the midfield, senior Grace Kness brings a valuable aggressive edge, while junior Emma DeJong (Richard’s daughter) will play a defensive midfielder role but “has the green light to go wherever,” DeJong said.
On the back line, sophomore Amaris Hernandez and junior Valeria Reyes both stand out for their speed and will also have a green light to bring the ball upfield, while junior goalkeeper Karla Navarro has already shown high potential.
“There’s no doubt in my mind by the time she’s a senior she will probably be goalkeeper of the year for our league,” DeJong said.
One of the notable features of the Lost River/Bonanza co-op is that it brings together players from traditional rival schools–some of whom square off as opponents in other sports. Despite this, DeJong said his team’s chemistry has been “awesome.”
“There’s just no animosity there at all,” DeJong said.
DeJong used Cobian (Lost River) and Kness (Bonanza), who split their time between soccer and volleyball in the fall, as an example.
“On the soccer field they’re friends, on the volleyball court they’re enemies, but after the game we’re family,” DeJong said. “In fact, it’s ironic because…when it comes to [soccer] practice, they’re typically always running together.”
For his part, DeJong, who stepped into a head coaching role for the first time when he accepted the Lost River/Bonanza job in 2022, said it’s “just an honor…to have that opportunity.”
“I’ve always desired [to be a coach], just never had the time,” DeJong said. “Now that I’ve switched careers, I’ve got time for it.”
DeJong hasn’t needed much time to turn the Raiders into a competitive team, and he feels their Special District 4 opponents are taking notice–especially after they held eventual 3A/2A/1A quarterfinalist St. Mary’s Medford to a 2-2 draw late last season.
“We’re a threat,” DeJong said. “We’ve got a long way to go to get deep into the playoffs, but we’re definitely a threat. They know it.”
Lost River/Bonanza opens the 2024 season at home against Lakeview at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10.