‘Every single one of us.’ Total team effort lifts Clackamas to 6A Oregon girls basketball crown

“Every single kid on that team was out working hard and doing their job. We had each other’s back. It’s a testament to everybody.”

Paul Valencia | Mar 11, 2023

By Paul Valencia | Photos by Taylor Balkom

It’s a team title, a team championship, a team trophy.

That was the message Saturday from the Clackamas Cavaliers, even from the individual who did so much for them.

Rhyan Mogel, a senior who missed most of her junior season with a knee injury, was named the player of the game of the OSAA 6A girls basketball state final, helping Clackamas to the first title in program history.

Mogel had 18 points and five rebounds, and she also had to defend one of the best players in the Northwest, as the Cavaliers held off South Medford 56-46.

“A lot of it has to do with my team, the trust we have for each other,” Mogel said. “I was able to capitalize today, but it was because every single kid on that team was out working hard and doing their job. We had each other’s back. It’s a testament to everybody.”

Clackamas star Jazzy Davidson was in foul trouble most of the game. With Davidson on the bench, it was Mogel who had the assignment to stop South Medford’s Donovyn Hunter.

Clackamas coach Korey Landolt found Mogel for a big hug as soon as the final horn sounded Saturday afternoon in the Chiles Center.

“She’s just super special to me,” Landolt said. “To watch her have to step up when Jazzy was in foul trouble and guard such a strong player ... Rhyan is strong as an ox, but we asked her to do everything today.”

The coach said it while stretching the word for all possible meanings: Evvvv-er-yyyy-thing.

“We asked her to defend the best player. We asked her to take care of the ball. To score for us. She did it all. It speaks to the type of person and player she is.”

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As well as the kind of teammate she is for the Cavaliers.

“Rhyan, she will never give herself enough credit for the things that she does. She’s done it all year for us,” Landolt said. “She’s not wrong, though. Her team really pulled it together.”

So true.

Davidson picked up her third foul with more than five minutes left in the first half. The Cavaliers didn’t panic. They had a five-point lead and it was four at the half.

When Davidson returned to the court in the second half, Clackamas went on a quick 10-2 run to go up by 12. Davidson picked up her fourth foul midway through the third quarter.

The game did get closer in the fourth quarter for a bit, but the Cavaliers never lost the lead.

“When I was out, I really wasn’t worried at all,” said Davidison, who finished with 12 points, two blocked shots and two steals in 19 minutes. “I know my teammates and I know what they can do. They do just fine without me. I was, honestly, just cheering them on from the sidelines.”

Senior Eliza Buerk, who had eight points, said Saturday’s performance just shows how much progress this team has made in the past year. Clackamas lost in the semifinals in 2022, struggling with Davidson on the bench in foul trouble.

“If we were in a game like this last year, we would have caved in,” Buerk said. “South Medford would have run us over. Being able to hold our ground for all 32 minutes, it’s really special. We were able to trust in every single one of us.”

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Hunter finished with 15 points for South Medford but had to work for every point, shooting 6 for 20 in her final high school game. Mogel barely let Hunter breathe.

“Donovyn is so disciplined. She is so smart. All my focus has to be on her,” Mogel said. “It’s really up to my team to help me get through action and help-side. I think we did well with that. They forced tough shots and got the rebounds, and that was what really helped us get it done.”

Team. We. Us.

That’s how Mogel describes this championship.

The Cavaliers were also taking care of business on offense. A 3-pointer from Allie Roden gave Clackamas an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers slowly got back in it. Hunter scored six points in the period as South Medford made it a four-point game with 2:48 to play.

Clackamas’ Avery Peterson came up clutch, and a little lame. She twisted her ankle as she made her move to jump, but still banked in a 13-foot shot for a 50-44 lead with 2:08 remaining.

“Our team needed that bucket,” said Peterson, who had nine points and three steals. “It felt good to make it even though I got hurt. It felt good my team had my back and everyone stepped up.”

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That was the last field goal of the game for the Cavaliers, who went 6 for 6 from the line down the stretch to secure the victory.

Hunter congratulated the Cavaliers on their title.

“They’re a good team,” she said. “They have good players and a good system. It comes down to effort level. They overpowered us in the end. That’s OK. It happens.”

She was proud of the Panthers for making it to the final game of the season.

“It speaks to our team. People didn’t think we’d make it to the championship game, so even getting that step for our team … realizing that even if people don’t believe we can make it, we can.

“For the younger girls on my team, try to do it again.”

Sara Schmerbach had eight points and seven rebounds for the Panthers. Kendall Fealey also scored eight points.

Hunter will be playing for Oregon State University next academic year.

“I thoroughly believe that God has a plan, so my last game being in the state championship, whether it’s a win or a loss, is a blessing. It’s been a great journey. And now on to my next one.”

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The two seniors from Clackamas — Buerk and Mogel — will be leaving the program, too, but forgive them if they want to celebrate a few more days, weeks, months.

“This is something,” Buerk said. “We sat down at the beginning and said, ‘What do we want to get out of this season?’ Ultimately it was growth and a state championship. I think we definitely achieved both of those things. There has been tremendous growth and maturity with this team.”

Together, they brought a title to Clackamas.

“Our school has been through a lot of change,” Landolt said, noting the opening of Nelson High School, as well as the return from COVID protocols.

The coach hugged the state championship trophy, while also holding the net.

“It’s been really cool to bring this to our students and see our students up there … figuring out how to have such a good experience and time,” she said, pointing to the crowd. “I just love how we can influence that for our community. And I love being a Cav.”

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Being a Cav means they do all of this together.

“It's so amazing. It’s everything that we wanted to do this season,” Davidson said. “I’m so happy we got to do it, as a team, and everybody did their job and we came out on top.”

“It means a lot to me, to our team, to our community,” Peterson added. “We had a lot of people come out. It’s just very special for us.”

As far as the player of the game? Again, to her, it is all about the team.

“I’m glad I was able to contribute in the way that I could just for my team,” Mogel said. “That’s what it’s all about. This community, this team, being able to get it done. It just feels really good.”