Several high school boys basketball teams secured spots in their respective state tournaments following the round-of-16 playoff games held on March 6. The winners from Friday’s matchups will move on to compete in the eight-team state tournaments for Oregon’s 6A, 5A, and 4A classifications.
The results highlight significant upsets and strong performances across all divisions. In the 6A bracket, Benson freshman Kendall Hopkins-McGlothen hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime to upset top-seeded Southridge, finishing with a game-high 25 points. Central Catholic maintained its top seed status by defeating South Salem behind Zamir “Bam” Paschal’s triple-double. Other notable victories included Oregon City’s dominant win over Sunset and Tualatin’s return to the Chiles Center after overcoming Gresham.
In the 5A division, Crook County continued its successful season by advancing past Lebanon, while Centennial stunned West Albany with a late surge in the fourth quarter. Parkrose overwhelmed Churchill early and cruised to victory, and Thurston pulled away from Ridgeview in the second half. Summit also advanced for the fifth consecutive year by defeating Corvallis.
The 4A playoffs saw Scappoose secure a spot at Forest Grove with a win over Klamath Union. Hidden Valley pulled off an upset against Newport thanks to Cooper Gagnon’s standout performance. Molalla overcame defending champion Baker with five players scoring in double figures, while Madras earned its largest margin of victory this season against Pendleton.
Other teams moving forward include St. Helens, Marist Catholic—who rallied from an eleven-point deficit—and Estacada, which reached the championship site for the first time since 1979 after beating Junction City on the road. La Grande also advanced after defeating Marshfield.
As teams prepare for their next challenges at state tournament sites such as Portland’s Chiles Center and McMinnville, anticipation builds among players and fans alike for what promises to be an exciting conclusion to this year’s high school basketball season.
