You will find a good mixture of veterans on the Lady Bucks basketball squad and an outstanding young and up-and-coming group of underclassmen who haveTom Melton

Pendleton’s winter sports teams blend experience and youthful potential

brought a spark to the 2002-03 club.

Senior Chelsea Pahl offers great defense and leadership and sets the tone for the team. Stefanie Alleman helps with excellent balance in both speed and athleticism. Genna Melton has brought a spark off the bench most every time she’s called upon, and Jessica Drop rounds out a senior group that contributes toughness.

This group has to believe that the future is now, even though they are quite young and in some ways very green. With inexperienced teams you’ll find some inconsistency but lots of excitement, and these kids are no exception. This mix of juniors, sophomores and freshman is evolving.

Pilot Rock transfer Amica Vogler, a junior, has given PHS a consistent, positive player who has made the transition from 2A to 4A very nicely.

Another pair, juniors Christa Wise and Carly Schuening, create diverse problems for opponents, Wise with her smoothness and Schuening with her strength and soft touch.

Adding good depth to this club are more juniors, ballhandler and shooter Monece Moses-Conner, Jody Jenson and Kory Waterland, who always give good minutes.

The pair of freshmen have at times been amazing. Marrissa Hammond and Mackenzie Larson, at 6-foot-0 and 5-8 respectively, have been major bright spots and great fun to watch.

The team chemistry seems to be much the same formula as the 2002 volleyball team. Only time will tell.

Jeff Quinn’s basketball club has had great moments too, although its true identity is still up in the air. It could be a work in progress or a team that could surprise folks. This group plays very hard. Senior Marcus Buckley has some of the same magic of former Buck Bryson Bronson; he is an amazing jump shooter and goes hard all the time. Brian Nooy, with four years of varsity experience, is playing with a confidence that could help lead Pendleton to an upper division position.

Maybe the most improved player in the IMC is the big kid, 6-9 senior Justin Nuess. He can be a major factor and a premier center, with his ability to play with a bit of an attitude. He should have a quality year.

The juniors will have to step up big, and for the most part have done so. Jarad Short has given good minutes, providing rebounding and some quickness underneath, and Alfie Wilson at point gives Pendleton fans a glimpse back at the days when Clarence Cowapoo was dazzling everyone around the state back in the mid 1960s; this kid can handle the ball.

The bench will be very important if Quinn’s club of 2003 is to be special. Josh Cochran, Nick Blanc, Matt Gundlach, Cameron Federline and Jimmy Richter will be called upon in tight situations to make positive things happen, whether for two minutes or 20.

But the greenest of the green for Pendleton’s winter sports teams is Fred Phillips’ 2003 Buckaroo wrestling team, which has just one senior in the starting lineup. Phillips, with a ton of work ahead, feels the future can be now with young but experienced wrestlers. Sophomores Tyler Kilkenny, Landry Price, Seth Cox, Eli Anderson, Justin Carter, Cody Campbell, Clay Wunder and Durk Moore have nearly all been wrestling from very early ages. IMC dual match-ups make this team a bit of a mystery for the opponents. PHS also has a nice mix of juniors at the varsity level. Casey Arbogast, a familiar wrestling family name, Marcus Dunfee, Tanner Smith and Sean Orr, maybe the surprise of the state so far.

Pendleton’s two freshmen, twins Joe and Justin Williams, have been excellent at very tough weights, 215 and 189, where most of their opponents are juniors and seniors. It’s the youth movement for sure with only senior Tim Zimmerman to bring true leadership to one of the youngest teams in PHS wrestling history.

And don’t forget the award-winning Rhythmic Mode, performing all winter long, and a young and promising Pendleton High swim team.

Enjoy it all and see how it all plays out.

Tom Melton is a Pendleton radio broadcaster.