SALEM, OR - Monday, December 20 - Never in the history of the Capitol City Classic has an Oregon team walked away with the championship Johnny Leonard Trophy.
That's about to change.
In two upsets, Wilsonville defeated Rancho Christian (Temecula, CA) by a score of 54-41, while Beaverton stunned Cane Ridge (Nashville, TN), 49-39.
The Wilsonville win -- in a rematch of the 2019 CCC championship game -- was perhaps not as big of a surprise. Rancho Christian's roster has been hit extremely hard by injury and ineligibilities. Even so, any Ray Barefield coached team is going to know how to play and compete at a high level, and the Eagles did just that in their comfortable opening round game vs. Salem Academy.
Wilsonville, despite battling foul trouble most of the game, got 24 points from senior guard Enzo Chimienti and pulled away late to make their third consecutive appearance in the CCC semi-finals.
The nightcap game featuring Beaverton and Cane Ridge was more of a surprise. Cane Ridge and Coach Marlin Simms are missing their second leading scorer, Ryan Oliver, but they are still formidable with 6'9, 5-star recruit Brandon Miller and a host of other very good players. But Beaverton executed their game plan exceptionally well, patiently waited for high-percentage scoring opportunities once they got a lead, and mixed up their defenses to keep Cane Ridge off-balance.
In the end, Coach Andrew Vancil's Beavers put together a gem of a game, winning 49-39.
In the other two quarterfinal games, West Salem was impressive in a 75-53 win over 5A powerhouse Silverton, and Roosevelt won at the buzzer on a beautifully executed length of the court play to defeat a game Mountainside team, 68-66.
Quarterfinal Monday Results
Cascade 64, Jefferson 40
Crescent Valley 60, McNary 32
Corvallis 59, Salem Academy 52 (OT)
Lincoln 80, South Salem 52
Roosevelt 68, Mountainside 66
Wilsonville 54, Rancho Christian (CA) 41
West Salem 75, Silverton 53
Beaverton 49, Cane Ridge (TN) 39