Junior Treynor Cleeland put up 10 points in the first game of the playoffs against South Eugene. Although this stat line might not be shocking for most starters, Cleeland started the season on JV.
Cleeland’s playoff moment came on Tuesday, February 27, when the Jesuit Crusaders (8) took on the South Eugene Axes (25) in the first round of the OSAA playoffs.
Cleeland was the third highest scorer during the first game of the playoffs and contributed to the team with his defense, and 5 rebounds.
“I was super rusty at the start of the JV season and lost a touch and feel for the game,” Cleeland said. “But after the first four or five games on JV, the game started to come back to me bit by bit and Coach Potter was able to recognize that part.”
As the starting quarterback for the Varsity football team, Treynor was not feeling one hundred percent going into the start of basketball tryouts.
“I actually went to the first day of tryouts and decided not to play from how my body felt from football season.”
Cleeland said all he needed was extra motivation from his friends and family and that would push him to play again. Junior and captain Patrick Kilfoil was one of the key motivators that helped Cleeland get back on the court.
“Trey has been asked to step up and that’s exactly what he has done and is doing,” Kilfoil said. “He’s a dawg and he does the little things on the court that transfer to big wins.”
Kilfoil is a huge leader on the varsity team and pushes the whole team to be their best. Cleeland looked up to those leaders on his team when he was first getting back into the swing of things.
During the first round game, Cleeland helped the Crusaders get the first round victory 73-50. Although he isn’t thought of as one of the most prominent scorers, he’s a playmaker when it comes to creating opportunities for the other players to score.
“Personally I wouldn’t say that I am a key contributor to the varsity team yet. I just play my hardest coming off the bench so that I can do my job and help the team get the win,” Cleeland said. “And the first round playoff game, it felt like my feel for the game was back.”
Cleeland and the Crusaders take on #9 South Medford at home on Friday March 1st. This game the Crusaders will need to rely on players like Treynor to create plays to get around the size of the South Medford team.
If they win this game, they advance to the next round of the playoffs which will be played at the Chiles Center.
