1995 Girls Basketball Team

The 1994-95 Lady Fishermen were determined to continue the dominant play they had shown throughout the previous season even though they would lose a great group of graduating seniors from the stellar ’93-94 team.

The departing seniors: Rachel Wecher, Stacey Williams, Meghan Lavis, Cecilia Stowel and Kristin Thoreson certainly left a void, but the returning All-League performers, Kelli Johnston and Amy Goin, along with Amy Fisher, Nicole Rusinovich, Gina Orlando, Lisa Pender, and Heidi Rickenbach believed they could continue the tradition of success for the Lady Fishermen. Joining these returning players at the varsity level for the defending league champions were Shannon Morrell, Joanna Nerenberg, Lyndsey Wirth, Marci Byrd, and Sydney Van Dusen.

The early season provided a rough start for the Lady Fishermen. The season opened with a disappointing six point loss to the Stayton Eagles. Two more loses came at the hands of private schools Portland Christian and Valley Catholic. A fourth consecutive defeat at the hands of the Ilwaco Fishermen gave this proud group of Astorians an early won – loss record of 0-4 and some wondering if this group would find a way to get back to its winning ways. However, hustle and determination came through loud and clear as the Lady Fishermen started to find their groove with two wins during the annual Vince Dulcich Tournament allowing the girls to earn their first team trophy of the season. Next would begin the 14 game league schedule with the Cowapa League Trophy on the line each and every night. The league season began with a solid 54-43 victory against the Clatskanie Tigers. Next up were the rival St. Helens Lions. The Lions were able to match the Lady Fishermen basket for basket and led to the only league blemish over a two year period for this proud program when this game was dropped 62-60. Importantly, Coach Davis and his girls found more resolve than could have been imagined and began a streak of dominant play that started with a 47-25 drubbing of the Rainier Columbians and ended six weeks later with a 59-26 devastation of the Banks Braves. The end of this run gave the Lady Fishermen a 13-1 Cowapa League won-loss record and provided a 12 game winning streak as the girls entered the league seed game versus Clatskanie.

This 12 game winning streak along with their final league scoring statistics showing the Lady Fishermen outscoring their opponents 935-642 gave an explanation point describing how dominant these girls played against their Cowapa League rivals. A 44-39 win in the seed game allowed for Coach Davis’ to boast of the following league accomplishments covering the past two years: a 25-1 won-loss record, two consecutive seed game wins earning the number one seed from the Cowapa League to the state tournament, and two consecutive league titles.

At the State Tournament the girls continued their winning ways in the first two rounds by dominating the Newport Cubs, 64-50, and then taking care of the Junction City Tigers, 47-44. A semi-final match up versus the eventual state champion Stayton Eagles, ended the winning streak at 15 as the Lady Fishermen could not match the scoring of the high powered team from the valley. The third place game ended with a ten point loss to Marist.

The 1994-95 season proved to be quite an encore for Coach Davis and his program. This determined and hard working group of young ladies provided a two year run that will be almost impossible to duplicate. Their 41-9 overall won-loss record, a winning percentage of 0.820, two consecutive Dulcich Tournament champion trophies, two consecutive Cowapa League champion trophies, and two consecutive trophies earned at the O.S.A.A. state championships are the measuring stick of success for our girls’ team program.