Central Oregon high school students hit the road to cheer their teams to lofty heights

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Hundreds of Central Oregon high school students traveled to Corvallis and Portland over the past week to cheer on their fellow classmates competing -- and doing very well -- at the state basketball tournament.

Five teams in total made it to the Big Dance: the Crook County girls, Madras girls, Redmond boys, Ridgeview girls and the Summit boys.

While each team finished in the top six, receiving a trophy, only one team would end up competing for a state championship, the Summit Storm.

"They made it so far," Summit student and football player Joe Schutz said Monday. "If you told me at the start of the year that they would make it to the state championship, I wouldn't believe you."

The boys team went on an historic run, winning 27 games in a row before facing the No. 1 team in the state, the Tualatin Timberwolves. In that game, the Timberwolves would control the pace throughout, eventually winning 66-49.

While Summit was the away team, close to 100 students made the nearly 200-mile trek to support their team.

"I feel like the student section is a big part of the game," said Summit student Hank Brundage.

A second-place finish may not be what the players wanted, but it is the highest finish ever by a Bend boys or girls team since they moved to the top, 6A classification in 2018.

“They are a great team, and I love all of ‘em," Schutz said. "I’m just happy they made it this far.” 

And the Storm weren't alone in success at their tournaments.

The Ridgeview girls finished third in the 5A bracket, while the Madras girls were third in the 4A. The Redmond boys finished in fifth place and the Crook County girls were sixth.

Congratulations to all for a job very well done!