Marist seeks a fast finish after slow start to season.

Byline: Curtis Anderson The Register-Guard

Whenever a new coach is hired to take over a senior-laden program, there is always a period of adjustment.

Such was the case for the Marist boys basketball team this year.

Chris Schmerbach was chosen to become the Spartans' mentor last spring, and his initial campaign was complicated by the fact that most of his athletes were still playing football three games into the regular season.

The Spartans were 2-1 before four of the current five starters had even one practice under their belts. They lost to South Eugene on the same day that the Marist football team claimed the 3A state title at Autzen Stadium.

`We had to deal with some adversity early,' Schmerbach said. `Building a relationship with a team is pretty important and it takes time. We've obviously changed quite a bit since then, and I think we're playing the type of ball we need to right now to give us a chance at the tournament.'

The Spartans (20-8), who finished in a three-way tie with Pleasant Hill and Junction City for the Sky-Em League title, open the OSAA 3A quarterfinals at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis on Thursday with a 1:30 p.m. game against Sutherlin.

Marist beat the Bulldogs (16-7), the No. 1 seed out of the Far West League, rather handily in a nonleague meeting earlier in the season, but neither coach puts too much stock in that outcome.

`The most important thing we can take from that game is that Marist is deep and athletic, and if you don't come prepared to play, they will bury you,' Sutherlin coach Craig Stinnett said. `But we're a completely different team now, and once you get to Gill, anything can happen.'

Marist took the long road to Corvallis.

The Spartans lost at home to both Junction City and Pleasant Hill in the first round of Sky-Em League play before avenging both of those defeats with impressive road wins - a 61-44 victory at Junction City and a 67-65 double-overtime thriller at Pleasant Hill that led to the first-place deadlock.

Marist then proceeded to lose back-to-back seeding games to the Tigers and Billies, which left them with the league's No. 3 seed. Undaunted, the Spartans went back to work and carved out road wins over Yamhill-Carlton (73-66) and Astoria (56-46) to claim a spot at Gill Coliseum.

`Our strength is our depth,' Schmerbach said. `We have any number of guys who have led the way for us this year.'

Tyler Sears, a 5-10 senior guard, runs the show, while 5-10 senior guard Erik Quick-Warner is the team's most consistent player and best outside shooter. The inside duties are handled by 6-4 seniors Nate Waldron and Matt Frosland, and 6-1 senior Kyle Hauser is the defensive leader on the floor.

The Spartans have plenty of size and athleticism on the bench with 6-4 senior Shay Black and 6-5 freshman Rahkim Price, while Jeff Jonas, Jordan Friese and Nick Dibos are all solid players.

Sutherlin, which placed third at least year's tournament, counters with a club that is built around one player - 6-4 senior Justin Parnell. The first-team all-state selection as a junior comes into the tourney averaging 24.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

`We must have complete awareness of where he's at on the floor at all times,' Schmerbach said. `You know he will score, so you have to make him work for the points he's going to get, and he can score in a variety of ways.'

Wilsonville found that out the hard way.

Parnell, who will play at Division II Northwest Nazarene next year, scored 34 points and grabbed eight rebounds Saturday as Sutherlin beat the defending champion Wildcats 55-43 to earn a trip to state.

If too much attention is paid to Parnell, he is adept at finding his teammates for open shots. Willie Martineau, Brady Wolford and A.J. Wilder have all stepped up with big games for the Bulldogs this year.

`We want to get back to where we were last year,' Stinnett said. `That first game is very important.'

CAPTION(S):

Senior guard Tyler Sears (right) runs the show for Marist, which faces Far West League champion Sutherlin in the Class 3A quarterfinals Thursday. Wayne Eastburn / The Register-Guard Shay Black (23) is one of the key contributors off the bench for the Spartans, who were part of a three-way tie for first place in the Sky-Em League.