Cascade conquers Coos: Boys basketball wins back-to-back 3A state titles

COOS BAY, Ore. – For the second year in a row, the Cascade Christian boys basketball team are state champions.

Head coach Brian Morse’s squad came into the state championships as the No. 6 seed and beat the three top seeded teams in the tournament, to take home the 3A state title Saturday night in Coos Bay.

The Challengers took down No. 1 seeded Westside Christian 76-54, to win back-to-back 3A state championships.

7-foot center, junior Austin Maurer, took over in the 3rd quarter, finishing the game with 31 points and 14 rebounds.

Coach Morse, who got drenched by his team after the game, said Westside had no answer for Maurer’s dominant performance.

“That third quarter he just went off,” he said. “There was about a three minute span where he hit a three, a three, a dunk, another basket, and it was crazy. He went into like beast mode or something, it was pretty awesome. These guys didn’t have any luck on the bracket, but they sure stepped up for those three games in a row and it’s an amazing accomplishment.”

This was Cascade’s fourth straight appearance in the championship game.

It’s also the program’s fourth-ever state title, having won the 2A title in 2007 and 3A in 2009 and last season.

Morse tells NBC5 next year all five starters will be returning, with a total of 11 of the 12 players on this team expected back, as they look to three-peat in 2024.

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NBC5 News reporter Zachary Larsen grew up in Surprise, Arizona. He graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. At ASU, Zack interned at Arizona Sports 98.7FM and Softball America. During his Junior year, Zack joined the ASU Sports Bureau. He covered the Fiesta Bowl, the Phoenix Open and major basketball tournaments. Zack enjoys working out, creative writing, music, and rooting for his ASU Sun Devils.
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