3A/2A Girls Basketball: Dayton, Hughes wins for family after father's passing
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, news of the death of Michael Hughes, a vice principal and special education director at Willamina School District, swept throughout the county. More than a longtime administrator and coach, Michael was a father of three daughters who shared a bond for athletics that went far beyond the court and the sideline.
On Thursday, Dec. 11, inside the Dayton High School gymnasium, Michael’s youngest daughter, Hadley Hughes, took the court with her team as they faced the De La Salle North Catholic Knights (2-4) to open the Dayton Tournament.
Playing for her father, and with her team, coaches and community behind her, Hadley erupted for 24 points, diving to the rim and playing with untethered athleticism while leading the Pirates to a 53-45 victory over the Knights.
“I knew that I had to play for him,” Hadley said determinedly after the game, embraced by family. “He was running through my head the whole game. I just wanted to score so many points for him and give it my all. He loved basketball with all his heart; the sport was our bond, and I knew that I had to be there for not only my team, but for my dad and my family.”
Hadley netted seven points in the first quarter, pushing the Pirates out to a comfortable 15-6 lead. In the period, Hadley attacked the basket with no fear against the Knights, earning two trips to the free throw line and sinking a left elbow jumper to add to an 11-2 Dayton run.
Hadley confidently played her heart out for the next two games, scoring 35 points combined while the Pirates defeated Cascade Christian (2-3) and Caitlin Gabel (1-4).
“I’m going to do it for the next three days and for the rest of my life. I owe everything to him,” Hadley said following the Pirates’ Thursday victory.
Aiding Hadley and contributing to Dayton’s win over the Knights was junior forward Charly Upmeyer, junior guard Bella Lopez and sophomore forward Jayden Mayhew.
Upmeyer tallied nine points in the game, driving through the paint in similar fashion to Hadley for buckets under the rim. Upmeyer also took a tumble or two, or three, during the game while fighting through contact, but got up each time and returned to action without a blemish.
Mayhew and Lopez each scored eight, six of which came on three-pointers for the duo. Lopez controlled the floor from her position and dished passes to her forwards in the first half before finding her own shooting stroke with pull-up 3-pointers in the second half.
Sophomore guard Lou Auvil and senior guard Rachel Baumholtz added on with three and one point, respectively.
Pirates’ Head Coach Bruce Moore spoke highly of Michael Hughes, noting the encouragement he received to apply for the coaching position at Dayton when it became available.
Moore has grown close to the family and is honored to coach an athlete like Hadley, he said. When the time came to play on Thursday, he knew it was the right decision to lead the Pirates on the floor and give Hadley a stage to showcase what she has become thanks to the teachings of her father.
“We’ve done a lot of work to improve (Hadley’s) game, and when you’ve got an athlete of that caliber, we all have an obligation to help her be the best she can be,” Moore said. “Then when this happens, it just really galvanizes that relationship, brings us closer, and these girls came out and played unlike they have all year. There was real purpose in what they were doing and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The Pirates played deeper than they had in games to start the season, running a nine-player rotation where everyone played a positive role, according to Moore. Lopez was also a major influence on the team’s offensive success, taking charge of the court to maintain a quick pace to keep opposing defenders on their toes.
“If I don’t call a play in the second she looks over, she’s calling it herself,” Moore said.
Lopez was ecstatic with the team’s effort, appreciating that players were implementing strong approaches to the hoop and being willing to take contact on their way to the rim. Across the board, the 5-foot-3 guard was a steady presence but was most happy they could execute what Moore has taught while playing strong with Hadley.
“Our defense, our communication, our coaching, the way Charlie went up and took her shots and drove to the basket and the way Jaden contributed in the beginning of the game with her threes, we really just clicked as a team,” Lopez said.
The Pirates defeated Cascade Christian 46-37 on Friday, with Hadley scoring 31 of the Pirates’ points. Mayhew (6), Upmeyer (4), Auvil (3) and Lopez (2) made up the rest of the effort, but Moore insisted that it was the team’s cohesiveness, two assists from Hadley and a “defensive gem of a performance” that helped them secure the win.
“You wouldn’t have known that Hadley did all the scoring and it was only possible because of how everyone else ran their assignments,” Moore said.
Dayton’s tournament success continued into Saturday, as they beat Caitlin Gabel 46-16. The Pirates were missing players but saw a more balanced attack with seven different girls scoring. Mayhew led the game with 15 points and Upmeyer followed suit with 10 points in the paint.
Dayton’s next test will be on Tuesday when they begin league play on the road against Salem Academy. They will be back on home on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip off against PacWest opponent Blanchet Catholic.
Amity 57
Scio 11
The Warriors (3-0) began PacWest league play with a dominant 57-11 victory over Scio (0-5) on Thursday, marking Amity’s 15th consecutive victory over the Loggers since the 2018-19 season.
Nine different players scored in the game. Senior Adie Nisly led with 14 points and fellow senior Alyssa McMullen tallied 12 points.
Amity’s next text will be one to watch as they face 6A Sprague at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, in the first round of the Capital City Classic at Chemeketa Community College. It is the first time the Warriors have been invited to the tournament.
Yamhill Carlton 66
Sheridan 9
The Tigers (5-1) picked up a game against 2A Sheridan (0-4) on Friday at the Dayton Tournament and walloped the county foe, 66-9.
All 10 Tigers who saw the court scored. Junior guard Josie Von led with 14 points, senior guard Makenzi Lynn totaled 12, and junior forward Lilah Stahl was the third highest benefactor with 10 points.
Senior guard Neveah Stewart scored eight of the Spartans’ nine points.
YC followed the win with a 64-37 loss to 2A Regis (3-0) on Saturday, ending the Dayton Tournament 2-1 as they saw their record blemished for the first time.
The Tigers’ next game is Wednesday at 6 p.m. inside the Tiger Dome, where they will take on 4A North Marion. Meanwhile, the Spartans will begin Tri-River league play on Tuesday at Regis.
Willamina 42
Warrenton 48
The Bulldogs (1-4) dropped a tightly contested game at home on Friday, falling 48-42 against Warrenton (1-2).
Prior to Warrenton, the Bulldogs dropped two consecutive games on the road. On Monday, Dec. 8, they fell 50-27 to 2A Nestucca, and on Thursday, Willamina joined the Dayton Tournament, but were beaten by 4A Astroia, 56-29.
The Bulldogs’ next game is at home on Tuesday, where they will start PacWest Conference play against Santiam Christian at 6 p.m.
Delphian 29
Chewama 24
The 2A Dragons (2-2) edged out a 29-24 victory against 1A Chewama at home on Thursday to conclude non-league play.
Delphian faces Tri-River opponent Colton at home on Monday before taking a hiatus for winter break.
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