Marist Catholic secured the 4A boys basketball state championship with a 57-55 victory over La Grande on March 14 at Forest Grove High School.
The win marks Marist Catholic’s sixth state title and its first since 2008, highlighting a significant achievement for the team and its community. The Spartans overcame a double-digit deficit in the second quarter to claim the championship.
Bodey Drennan played a crucial role in the final quarter, scoring nine of his 14 points to help Marist Catholic pull ahead. Gianni Lombardi led the team with 15 points, while Gabe Dietmeyer contributed a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. “We had confidence in each other and we knew we’d get it done,” Lombardi said. “The keys were just staying strong, not putting our heads down when things didn’t go our way in the beginning, and then just coming back and just having faith.”
Coach Bart Pollard praised his team’s resilience after trailing by as many as 12 points early on. “We just kind of persevered,” Pollard said. “Obviously, it wasn’t quite the start that we’ve had the last couple of days, but this team has been pretty resilient… This is everybody’s dream. I’m just so proud of these guys. I’m so happy for them.” Drennan’s performance was especially notable given he had missed Thursday’s quarterfinal due to injury but returned to play key minutes in both Friday’s semifinal and Saturday’s final.
La Grande mounted a late comeback with Tyler Abbott hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer, but fell short by one possession. Coach Shawn Brooks reflected on missed opportunities: “It’s a tough one to lose… We missed a lot of shots that we usually make around the rim, which was unfortunate… Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that tonight.” Despite graduating three seniors, Brooks expressed optimism about next season: “We’ve got some juniors coming back and some sophomores that got this experience as well… So, yeah, the future is still bright for us and we’re going to get to work when we can this spring to get ready for next year.”
In other tournament results, Madras defeated Estacada for third place behind Matthew Suppah-Scott’s game-high 23 points. Scappoose claimed fourth place with William Kessi leading all scorers with 19 points against Molalla.
The conclusion of the tournament showcased not only individual talent but also team perseverance across all participating schools.
