Crook County girls and boys hoops are gearing up for the 4A State Tournament
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Crook County Cowgirls have fought their way into the Final Eight and aren’t done yet. Up next? A showdown with top-ranked Philomath, a team they fell to earlier this season.
“I feel like people won’t see us coming,” senior Emily Henderson said. “But if we keep playing like we did, we can go out and win.”
The Cowgirls have been on fire, riding an 11-game winning streak after a rocky start to the season.
“At the beginning, we were kind of lost,” senior Chloe McKenzie admitted. “We didn’t know our style of play. But this whole journey was about finding ourselves again — and once we did, we thrived off of it.”
Now, they’re locked in and ready for the challenge ahead.
“The next team we play is similar to the last one. We just have to be aggressive, compete, and use our speed to our advantage,” Henderson said. “We’re a different team than the last time we faced them. We just have to play our game.”
Cowboys Looking to Make a Statement
On the boys’ side, fourth-ranked Crook County heads to the tournament ready to break past the first round—something they haven’t done in the past two seasons.
“I mean, it’s going to take everything we’ve got,” said Bryce Lowenbach, Tri-Valley Player of the Year. “Everybody here wants it bad. We’ve seen teams fail before, and we’re here for the whole ride.”
The Cowboys will face Baker for the third time this season, leaning on their experience against top competition.
“That’s why we play a tough preseason schedule,” Lowenbach said. “So when we get to these really intense state games, we’re ready for them.”
Jace Jonas and the Cowboys know this tournament is their chance to prove they belong among 4A’s elite.
“We’ve lost our first game every year we’ve been here,” Jonas said. “Winning this one would mean the world and just prove that we’re the top dogs in 4A.”
With grit, determination and a focus on every possession, Crook County is ready for the challenge ahead.
“We're just gritty. We just get after it—every possession, no matter what happens,” Jonas said. “Miss a shot, make a shot, turn it over or not—it doesn’t matter. We take it one play at a time and keep going.”
The stage is set. Now, it’s time to play.
