Just like on the girls’ side, the 1B Coastal League and 1B Columbia Valley League have exchanged a few teams, enough to make even the NCAA proud.
The Oakville boys are one of the teams that made a switch, as the Acorns will now compete alongside Pe Ell in the Columbia Valley League.
Mossyrock (C2BL), Naselle, and Willapa Valley (both to the 1B Coastal League) made up the top three in the CVL last winter, and with those three out of the picture, an experienced Oakville team could compete for the league title in Year 1.
Oakville went 16-7 last season, running the table in league play before taking fourth at the district tournament and losing in the opening round of the 1B State Tournament, two wins shy of a trip to Spokane.
The Acorns are down four seniors from last season, including two-time Coastal League MVP Eddie Klatush and Courtney Price, but other contributors have already stepped up early this season.
Lewis Koser has already scored 24 in a game this winter, and Koner Burnett, Gio Rodas, and Daniel Rodas have also proved to be pieces on offense.
Freshman Jordan Eichelberger has made an instant impact, scoring 19 points in Oakville’s win over North Beach on Thursday.
Pe Ell will also be looking to compete for a league title, and with the league shakeup, there’s no reason to think the Trojans can’t be right near the top.
Their final 7-12 record from last season doesn’t jump off the screen, but they went 6-8 in league play and five of those losses came to the top three teams that left the league.
Four seniors are gone from last year’s squad, including all-league talents Carter Phelps and Blake Howard, but the Trojans have played efficiently on offense so far to start this season.
Blake Nelson has led the team in scoring in each game, but Pe Ell had three scorers in double-figures in its first win of the season, and six different players scored at least seven points in its second.
If the Trojans do end up in the upper tier of the final CVL standings, they’ll certainly hope for a deeper postseason run, as they lose in the second round of the district tournament two wins shy of punching a ticket to state.
