Last year, South Salem’s Boys Basketball team finished 10-7 overall and 3-4 in league during the condensed COVID season. Despite their winning record, the season marked a down year for South compared to previous years where they consistently finished with one of the best records in the state. With last year’s young roster, the team allowed 58.4 points per game, the second most in the Mountain Valley Conference, forcing them to earn their wins by putting up a lot of points. One reason for this step back may have been due to a good number of seniors graduating after the 2019-2020 season.
This year, the team hopes to bounce back. Their 2022 schedule features a lot of winnable league games with a few opportunities to play against some strong out of conference teams. Additionally, they will again be featured in the Capital City Classic, a high school basketball tournament held at Willamette University, where they will have the opportunity to play against tough competition like Beaverton, Mountainside, and Lincoln as well as a few teams from out of state. One matchup to watch out for is when South plays Salem Academy. Salem Academy had a near-perfect season last year culminating in a 2A state championship. Their only loss was week two and against South, who won 58-50.
South’s first basketball game is Friday, Dec. 3, and The Capitol City Classic takes place the weekend of Dec. 17.
