By Greg Stiles

CENTRAL POINT — It would be hard to beat the lineup Crater High has on tap for Rogue Valley sports fans this week.

It starts with a bang tonight when Crater’s girls basketball team entertains Springfield in a clash of two of the state’s top teams.

On Tuesday, recent University of Oregon signee Matt Short, a 7-foot center, comes to town for a boys basketball game.

Then the titans of Oregon wrestling, Crater and Eagle Point square off in the first Southern Oregon Conference dual meet of the season on Wednesday.

All three events are scheduled for 7 p.m., but don’t expect to get a seat for the wrestling match after 6 p.m.

"It’s a big week for us," says Crater athletic director Dan Speasl. "Springfield is a ranked team and then fans have a chance to see a Division I player in Short when the boys play Yreka.

"Then there’s the best dual meet of the year on Wednesday."

Crater’s girls were the preseason No. 1 in the coaches’ poll and were No. 3 in the media poll, while Springfield was No. 4 on both lists.

"With Westview getting beat (38-35 by Centennial and 42-36 by Lake Oswego), it could be a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2," says Crater coach David Heard, whose team finished second to Westview in last year’s Class 4A state final.

"I don’t think we should be No. 1, but I think we’ll be OK."

Crater edged Springfield, 67-66, in last year’s Westview Tournament. Springfield went on to win the Midwestern League then collided with Westview in the first round of the state tournament, losing 42-39 in overtime. That meeting helped bring about the new seeding system for this season’s state tournament.

Heard calls Springfield’s backcourt tandem of Talisha Rath and Chelsea Wagner "the best in the state."

They combined for 39 points in Springfield’s 60-35 win over Silverton. The Millers also own a 67-28 win over South Albany.

Wagner scored 16 points and averaged 5.7 rebounds per game last year, while Rath scored 12.3 points.

"Wagner got in foul trouble when we played them last year," Heard says. "She still scored 23 points in two quarters."

Crater returns four starters from last year, including honorable mention all-state forward Amy Denson and point guard Sara Pool.

"It used to be that this game would mean nothing, but now it’s important," says Heard. "The winner will have the upperhand in seeding if both of us win our leagues."

On the boys side, Short is no stranger to Crater. He scored 21 points against the Comets in a 47-42 loss last year.

Yreka might not have all the bells and whistles of a Class 4A powerhouse, but it will give local fans a rare chance to see a Pac-10 recruit in action.

The wrestling showdown is always something special when the backyard neighbors tangle.

"Eagle Point’s a great team and we’re coming off state championships in three straight years," says Speasl. "It’ll be fun for the fans but I’m not so sure for the coaches."

Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail gstiles@mailtribune.com 

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