WOODLAND SENIOR Jake Rosenbalm (4) drives past a Mark Morris defender during the Beavers’ Dec. 17 game against the Monarchs. Rosenbalm is averaging about 13 points and eight rebounds for Woodland this season.
TROY FLANAGAN, senior guard, is one of the leaders on Woodland’s basketball team, which opened the season with five straight wins.
WOODLAND – After reaching the Sweet 16 in last year’s boys state basketball playoffs, Woodland coach Jason Buffum believes his squad is ready to do even better this season despite moving up to Class 2A competition.
The Beavers shot out of the starting gate with five straight victories this year before stumbling against Mark Morris, which is anticipated to be a conference and state contender.
Woodland was ranked eighth and Mark Morris was third among 2A teams in the state’s Associated Poll as of Dec. 19. The two teams will compete for the 2A Greater St. Helens League title this season.
“We have a lot more size this year,” Buffum said. “We’re deeper. We have six seniors and five of them play a lot.”
Size comes in the person of Bryce Mulder, a 6-foot-11 sophomore playing his first season of varsity ball.
Back for another season is Jake Rosenbalm, who was a first-team all-league player last year in the 1A Trico League. Buffum said the 6-foot-5 forward has averaged 13 points and nine rebounds so far this year.
Steady leadership will come from Troy Flanagan, a senior guard who has been a starter for the past three years.
“He does a lot of intangible things,” Buffum said of the point guard. “He’s a good defender and runs the offense well.”
Buffum is in his second season as the Beavers head coach. He previously was an assistant at Kelso High School for two years, was a junior varsity coach at Heritage High School, and was an assistant coach for three years at Central Washington University.
“Our identity is to play good defense,” Buffum said. “We have guys who could play now, but need work on defense. That’s how you get minutes on this team.”
Does Woodland have the talent to make an impact on the state level?
“We hope to give ourselves a shot,” the coach said. “It’s not out of the question.”
Senior guard Ryan Sturdivan, whose half-court shot with a second left defeated Kelso and earned national attention, said the Beavers have the potential for an outstanding season. He said the season’s first loss, to Mark Morris, was a case of not focusing for the entire game.
“Mark Morris is a four-quarter team,” Sturdivan said, “and we’re a three-quarter team. I think we can be a (state) top 10 team, even though we’re in 2A now and that will be harder.”
Other members of the 2015-16 Woodland Beavers varsity basketball team are Tanner Froeber, a 6-1 senior guard; Hayden Huddleston, a 5-11 junior guard; Dylin Baker, a 5-10 senior guard; McKay Flanagan, a 5-11 junior guard; Tanner Sizberry, a 6-3 sophomore forward; Dillan Bonamigo-Wear, a 6-2 senior forward; and Christian Mendez, a 6-4 junior forward.
