Blog Layout - Search Function

The blog has undergone a subtle layout change. At the end of every article I write, I add "labels." The labels are what is mentioned in the article. It could be a school, a topic, a specific project (District Tournament Project, Gym Photography Project, etc) or something else. These labels are used so readers can easily search for articles on topics that interest them.

So if someone from St. Paul wanted to see what was mentioned about St. Paul, he or she could click on the St. Paul label and all the articles that have been labeled with St. Paul would turn up.

Previously, all the labels could be found on the front page on the right-hand side. But I was up to over 100 labels and it was getting too long so I got rid of them.

But a search function still exists.


To find out if the topic or school has been mentioned in this blog, all you have to do is enter it into the search bar. Scroll down and the search box is on the right-hand side, just below the "Ongoing Projects" section.
(click the photo for a larger view)

Your results will turn up like so:


Sometimes, if a topic has been mentioned repeatedly, there might be pages and pages of articles relating to that topic. If so, click on the numbers at the bottom of the search result page:


If you have any questions or trouble, just shoot me an email and I'll give you a hand.

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Adrian Gym

Eastern Oregon reader Angie sends along these photos of the Adrian high school gym. It’s a tiny gym and in the photos she sent, the gym appears to be packed for the girls game. I can only imagine the Adrian gym being a terrific home court advantage. The floor is short, take a look at how close the three-point line is to half court and there is little room outside the lines.

According to Angie the Adrian girls basketball team has hosted playoff games at the school. It was the first question I had, if Adrian could even host a playoff game. I can only imagine the sheer intensity in that little gym with a trip to Baker on the line. If Adrian ever went on a 8-0 run, I can just hear the absolute defeaning roar that the Adrian supporters would put forth.

For more information and to see the photos, click on the "Read More" Link.

Angie writes, “These photos are misleading, because the wide angle lens makes this gym look larger than it is! It's barely regulation size; because of the lack of space between the outside lines and the walls/bleachers, the white line about 18 inches from the out-of-bounds line is known as a "restraining line," which basketball historians will remember.





The restraining line is still in the rulebook, though few officials know how it is used. On out-of-bounds plays, the "restraining line extended" becomes the out of bounds line. This means the player throwing the ball in-bounds must stand behind the restraining line, and use it as the out of bounds line (including in the corners where the line isn't drawn) and offensive and defensive players aren't allowed to touch the ball while they're out of bounds (between the restraining line and the regular out of bounds line).”

The restraining line Angie is talking about is the thin white line just past the black out-of-bounds line in this photo:



She goes on to say that the Adrian gym was built in the 1940’s and has been in use since then. She says bond elections for new gyms have failed by very close margins. A more recent bond election, which included a new high school, failed by a larger margin. The bond for a new elementary school passed, however, so the elementary staff moved into the new school before this school year.



According to the city of Adrian website, “when a branch of the Oregon Short Line Railroad was built into this part of the country, there was a post office called Riverview on the east side of Snake River, and railroad officials did not desire to have a station of the same name on the west side. Reuben McCreary, who platted the town site of Riverview on the west side, suggested that if that name was unsatisfactory the name Adrian be used, which was adopted by the railroad on February 13, 1913. This was to commemorate his birthplace, Adrian, Hancock County, Illinois. Riverview post office, with its descriptive name, was established on the east side of the river on August 22, 1911, with John E. Holley postmaster. About 1913, the office was moved west across the river to the vicinity of Adrian station, and the name of the office was changed to Adrian on November 10, 1919. Earlier editions of this book ascribe the name James Adrian, a local sheep man, but Adrian did not arrive in the area until 1916."

Adrian is located about 22 miles southeast of Vale and roughly 25 miles southwest of Ontario along the Oregon/Idaho border. The principal industry is farming and Adrian farmers grow corn, onions, potatoes, hay and wheat.



Thanks to Angie for sending the photos along. Her photos, name and quotes were used with her permission.
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St. Paul Gym

Sarah passes along another photo of a gym, this one from St. Paul, home of the Buckaroos. I am familiar with this gym and as Sarah points out, the gym and school have undergone some serious renovations and upgrades and it is a mighty fine gym for high school basketball.

It used to be dark, almost yellow if my memory serves me right and the floor felt and looked like a plywood-type wood (ed note: I am not sure if this was the case, but it is my recollection from 15 or so years ago).

Now, with extensive remodeling and upgrading, it is a beautiful gym, with bright lights, perfect floor and enough seating to create a great environment for a big Casco League showdown. Last year, I attended a playoff game at St. Paul and the gym was packed with a standing room only crowd. It was truly a fantastic environment.

Check out the photo:



For those not sure where St. Paul is located, check out the map below. The town is about eight miles directly south of Newberg.



St. Paul has a tradition of athletics excellence, particularly on the gridiron. The football team has won five state championships since 1959 and finished second six times. Since 1959 they have appeared in the semifinals 16 times. They recently captured the 2009 state football title behind one of the most dominant running performances in state history. Senior running back Ryan Pierson carried the ball 40 times for 386 yards in St. Paul’s 38-34 win over Imbler.

Led by Vince Drago, the Bucks were a strong basketball force in the late 80’s and early 90’s, finishing as runners-up in basketball in 1986, 1987 and 1989. St. Paul made back-to-back trips to state in 2002 and 2003.

Thanks again to Sarah for providing the photo and once again, her name and picture were used with her permission. Read more!

Falls City Gym

Blog reader Sarah passes along this photo of the Falls City gymnasium. Its a great photo and shows what a tremendous home-court advantage Falls City could have. It's a small gym, with a low ceiling but a really nice looking floor. The seating looks cramped and when it is packed it looks like it could be a great home court advantage.



I would love to see a crucial Casco League game played in this gym, with fans from both teams packed in like businesspeople on a Japanese subway car, straining to get a view of the action. It's exactly what I think of when I think of a small school gym!

For those unfamiliar with Falls City, it is located about 13 miles west of Monmouth and about 10 miles southwest of Dallas in Polk County. Nestled into the eastern foothills of the Coast Mountain Range, Falls City is named for a waterfall on the Luckiamute River that passes through town. It once was the home to the Falls City Lumber Company, a large timber mill that operated in the woods outside of town. In 1920 it moved it's set-up deeper into the coast range and created a town that became known as Valsetz. According to OHH reader "LionCoach," Valsetz was razed to the ground and all that stands from the former town is a utility shed and old foundations. While Falls City never grew in population or economic stature, it has continued to operate for well over 100 years.



Currently Falls City is coached by Terry Newton, former coach at Perrydale and I expect Falls City will soon be very competitive in the Casco League. Look for the Mountaineers to begin to challenge the likes of Country Christian and St. Paul soon as Coach Newton injects some life into the FCHS program.

The town of Falls City has a nice website with interesting facts and a great section on history. It also has other fascinating photos of the falls and my personal favorites, photos of the school throughout it's history.

A photo of the high school:



A fire destroyed the high school in 1938:



Thanks to Sarah for the photo. Her name and photo were used with her permission. Read more!

Gym Photography

It's definitely basketball weather in Oregon! Freezing temperatures beg me to head inside to catch some basketball. Football is great, right up there with basketball, but when the mercury falls into the 20's, you can find me in the wooden bleachers of the nearest gymnasium!

Along those lines, I want to remind everyone that I am still working on the Gym Photography Project.

I am trying to get pictures of the gyms from across Oregon to post on this site so we can see where everyone plays!

I know the term "photography" is in the title, but it doesn't have to be "artsy" photography. I just want plain old digital photos of the gymnasiums that are being used today!

Check out what Heath Merriman did this summer. He is the coach of the Jefferson Lions (3A). He drove across the state for a family trip but stopped in little towns along the way to snap photos of the gyms. Being that it was summer, most of the gyms were closed so he did the best he could and took photos of the outside and through windows.

So I am not going to be a stickler that the photos are professional. I just want to see what the gym looks like, get a feel for its quirks and personalities and see what a home court advantage is really like.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me at hoops1a@hotmail.com. All photos can also be emailed to me at hoops1a@hotmail.com.
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