Sure, Crane's boys basketball team relishes what it accomplished last season, when the Mustangs went undefeated and won the 1A title, their first state championship.
Heading into this season, though, the team was intent on creating its own story.
“We had our little championship ring ceremony, and we just turned the page,” coach Eric Nichols said. “We literally had a book there with some notes from last season, and we physically turned the page.”
Crane finished 31-0 last season to become the first team to go undefeated in the state since 2013, when North Valley went 27-0 and won the 4A title. And it appears that those winning ways have carried over for the Mustangs, who are 8-0 and No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 1A coaches poll.
Crane's 39-game winning streak is tied with McMinnville (1979-80) for the eighth-longest in state history. The record of 56 was set by Oakland from 1999 to 2001.
“We don't have a loss yet, but that's not what we focus on,” Nichols said. “We're about getting better every day. We're just going to be about us. Pressure is a thing. We talk about that. We take that head-on. We're just going to look pressure in the eye, and pressure's going to blink.”
The streak nearly ended in the season opener when Crane was forced into overtime at Country Christian, but the Mustangs pulled out a 67-58 win. Crane's record also includes a 62-46 win at No. 3 Nixyaawii and a 63-48 victory over No. 6 Open Door Christian Academy at Pilot Rock.
Crane is winning by an average of 24.9 points per game. It's comparable to the Mustangs' dominance from last season, but Nichols said it's “really unfair” to contrast the teams.
“That's only going to drive you crazy,” Nichols said. “We have strengths and weaknesses, just like last year's team, but we're not going to compare last year's team to this one.”
Crane graduated two starters from last season in guards Mitch Clark and Ty Taylor, who were second-team all-state and honorable mention, respectively.
The Mustangs are building around 6-6 sophomore forward Cody Siegner, a 1A first-team selection as a freshman despite coming off the bench, and three returning starters in junior point guard Carter Nichols, senior forward Jared Zander and senior post Taylor Krueger.
Siegner, who averaged 16 points and nine rebounds last season, has grown a couple inches and added some muscle since last season.
“His athleticism is developed a little bit more,” Eric Nichols said. “His motor is really developing. He hits the glass pretty hard. And his back-to-the-basket game is at a pretty high level.”
Siegner, Nichols and Zander are each averaging about 16 points per game. The Mustangs aren't relying on anyone to put up big numbers on a nightly basis.
“It's super balanced. That's what I love,” Eric Nichols said. “It's super fun. You focus on this kid, it's going to open up somebody else. We're going to take what you give us.”
The team's versatility makes it hard to defend.
“We're kind of positionless,” Eric Nichols said. “We've just kind of gone away from that position stuff. Everybody can play every position, for the most part.”
The Mustangs are developing depth with sophomores Josh Zander, Ross Clark, Tommy Jack Rose and Joah Friedrichsen.
“They just have a ton of energy and they bring it every day,” Eric Nichols said.
Crane will get tested in the Crusader Classic at Salem Academy on Dec. 28-30. The Mustangs will play host to Nixyaawii on Jan. 6 and visit No. 7 Trinity Lutheran on Jan. 7.
jerryu@osaa.org
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